DCs off to uni—anyone want to join?

[Ineedcoffeenow]

Now DD has got her grades needed for uni, I’m starting to get my head around that she’s only got 4 weeks before she leaves. I’m going to miss her so much! But im also very excited for her to have the uni experience. Hopefully it will all go according to plan.

The preparation (aka shopping) will
start soon.

Anyone else also going through this?

I think I might chat to him this weekend about watching over/walking home his female flatmates, with what was being said about safety for girls.

That’s a lovely thing to do. DD has been lucky with her flatmates - 2 boys and girls and all really lovely. One of the boys loves to cook, he’s always making sure that DD eats and the other boy knows the city really well and makes sure all the girls get where they need to go and back safely as much as he can.

DD is doing well with learning the bus routes and with winter coming I think she’ll probably walk less.

Hope everyone s young people have settled in!

DD seems to have taken to uni life like a duck to water. She's enjoying her course, likes her housemates and has made a few other friends. She has a gap year and I think she was much more ready to go after a year of working and traveling than she would have been going straight from her A levels.

Great!
same here - ours is still 17, but was soooo bored at home. He’s having a ton of fun which is great - may have to go to uni myself!

DDs also having a good time in Edinburgh. It was a bit rocky for a couple of weeks but she seems to have settled in nicely. I still miss her loads though!

Had DD home for a reading week last week. I felt quite bereft dropping at the station to head back yesterday. I'm glad she's having a good time, but miss her like crazy when she's not here.

I know- are your homes suddenly empty ? Even tho DS was mostly in his room, it was nice to know he was there- and occasionally foraging in the fridge!

Yes, it feels very empty, although DD2 is still here so it could be worse/I have plenty to distract me. I occasionally forget and go to walk into her room.

My sister and I are going down to visit DD in Edinburgh over the weekend so that’s something to look forward to.

Ahh lovely, enjoy your weekend!

Hope you’re having fun!

Had a nice time with DD yesterday. We went to the Christmas market in the afternoon and thankfully it wasn’t too crowded. I’ve just seen a video of it from last night when it was absolutely mobbed! I’d have just walked away if we’d gone then. Edinbugh as a whole was too busy/crowded for me. The Christmas shopping pile on has definitely already started!

DD has spotted what look like moth/caterpillars in her bed. Nasty. She’s currently washing everything at a high heat, but it’s costing her a fortune. £6 for a wash!

PS how is everyone else’s DCs doing?

I’m glad you had a nice time! Hope you found nice cafes etc. Edinburgh is nuts at the moment- my excuse for not shopping! Which also means I really need new clothes!
yikes re washing and bugs that does NOT sound fun. It might be that a lavender spray helps? Read somewhere that moths don't like it .

And other bugs.

My DS has been to a ceilidh! I'm so impressed, he spent all his school years playing video games in his room. I think he's enjoying the opportunity to go out, his friends at home weren't very adventurous. He joined the mountaineering club as well. He does find it hard living in a city though as we are rural and he's not used to city life.

That’s brilliant! Impossible not to be sociable at a ceilidh!
my DS is mountain erring mad if yours is in Edinburgh maybe they’ll meet!

I'm getting a bit more concerned about my DS, in Dundee. At first all was good. But now his flatmates have become less sociable together and he doesn't think they will get a house together in second year. He has friends on his course, well friends in that they sit together in lectures. They don't socialise outside of lectures I don't think. I told him to be brave and ask these guys about sharing in second year, but he's not been able to ask yet. I fear he isn't actually socialising much and is in his room a lot. He did go to two ceilidhs and a nightclub. But he doesn't seem to have a group who he socialises regularly with. And no one to rent with next year.

Hello swaninbay just wanted to offer a handhold. I do feel for them, there is so much to learn and so much to negotiate so quickly and they are very young. I suspect mine is in a similar strait as it seems everyone has made plans for next year and he is a bit lost.
I think he’s finding it hard as his friends now just want to go drinking all the time, and the clubs that he likes seem to be full of very geeky types. It’s so difficult- I don’t know what to suggest, but I guess they just have to keep trying different clubs?
I hope he finds his way soon x

@swaninbay Maybe worth checking if Dundee has an Accommodation Fair - there’s one at Edinburgh soonish where students can look for flatmates, accommodation etc. Or if the University runs an Resident Assistant scheme he might like to apply for that?

Just wanted to say that my son didn’t find a group to flat share with and went into private halls for his second year and had a good year - he ended up placed with a few international students from Europe and students from the local college and it has worked really well for him so please don’t worry too much! Most of his uni friends on his course live at home so there wasn’t a natural group to flatshare with but he is not suffering socially.

Thank you all for your kind words. Since I posted, we looked at private halls and alternatives to renting. But also we discovered it is still early to be looking as properties don't get advertised til April. So he has more time to develop friendships for sharing, or we have alternatives.

Thanks for the update and, phew!
I didn’t know about the Edinburgh fair so thank you getthighlikellanes will suss it out x

@Edinburghuni my DD has made friends, some that she socialises with (she has no desire to live with them) and some that she studies with (they’re looking a bit outwith DDs budget) She will be away for most of 3rd Year as she has a compulsory year abroad so we are looking at Private accommodation for 2nd Year, or a flat share with others who don’t have an established friend group.

Are you aware of Domus?

I am now! Thank you gethighlikellanes
just had a look and it’s a bit scary. Maybe they could be flat mates😀