Finishing year 13 in 2017 part 2

[user9512736123]

New thread as the old one is at 990 messages!

Ha ha, it sure is!

Just back from a hostelling trip in the Lakes, which we madly agreed to setting off in the morning after results day.
So, just reassuringly catching up on everyone's news, and suggestions of what they need to take with them etc.
Was pleased to see you got sorted with Reading offer Liney
We did something similar, with DD choosing Swansea over an offer from Sheffield. She's just spent a couple of days in the zoology department in Swansea and I think that clinched it for her, as well as slightly preferring the course options and emphasis of Swansea.
If it were me I'd probably have narrowly chosen Sheffield, as am easily influenced by things like it being an RG, and ratings tables etc.
But I think it's to DD's credit that she's taken the opportunity to visit the departments and make her own assessment of things.
I'm sure both/either course could offer very good opportunities for her.
And it has to be their decision now! Really glad that she's had good possibilities to consider, and it's all working out OK.
She's excited about it all now and got an accommodation offer waiting for her on our return from holiday - where she wanted so that's all good too.

Lineys, any joy?

DDs accommodation is through so she is happy.

DS has got his accommodation through, he's got his first choice.
He's happy.

Tilly, he's still waiting to hear. We'll just have to budget for it, if he gets offered the very expensive option. He says he'll be looking for a p/t job, once he settles in, which would obviously help if he can get one.

Juggling, where did your DD get? My son got Bay Campus, but he put only Singleton Halls on his application form! He's doing Mechanical Engineering so based at Bay, but wanted to mix with others besides engineering students!

She got the student village which she's very pleased about. It's very good value but has some mixed reviews from what I've seen on student forums ( I think maybe depending how fussy people are, DD is very un-fussy so hope she'll like it as much as she hopes) She says she'll be saving up to £40 a week on average accommodation costs. There is also some construction work going on this year but hopefully not too close to her block, and seems they've decided to give them all a free bus pass possibly as compensation for any disruption. Looks to me like a good option for friendly community living for anyone who's not fussy about en-suites etc. and keen to get good value and save some of their grant for other things. Maybe they felt your DS would be best off in Bay Campus if he's studying there every day, it is a little bit of a trek/ journey between the two? Though I'm sure he can either come up to Singleton campus or meet friends in town very easily.

Good to hear from someone else heading out that way! I loved Swansea on our recent visit!

Thanks Juggling, DS thought the Village would be a bit far from Bay and was planning to cycle from Singleton. The accommodation at Bay is a bit more expensive than at Singleton too. I suppose he will just cycle to Singleton in the evenings (there is a segregated cycle path). We liked Swansea too, its big enough to have everything there, but not too large, and there's the beach!

If he has a bike I'm sure he will get around on those coast paths really easily 148!
Unfortunately DD is still a little wobbly on a bike and not planning to take one at least at first - shame as a bike looks ideal for getting out to the beach at Mumbles, between campuses and the village for DD, and into town

Juggling DD has never been confident on a bike. It was one of the things she decided to sell to raise money for uni. Practically brand new, hardly ridden. When we bought it, we were thinking ahead that it would still be good for uni.

Fortunately the buses seem pretty good in Swansea too, and she'll be getting a free bus pass with her accommodation so that's a nice bonus.
We might keep thinking on the bike thing though, possibly even get some more practice in over the next few weeks.

DD has most of the main things sorted - paid deposit on accommodation yesterday so seems like she's really going there now!
Going to the bank this afternoon to sort out a student account.
Then just a few more things to put together to take with her. Also bought a cheese grater yesterday which she was pleased about!

Also hoping to squeeze in a late summer trip to Slovenia to stay with a friend she met last year in Finland - to make September a bit more interesting 😊

DS got allocated the private Unite halls in Reading. Look nice enough, but damn expensive. Only ten minutes walk to campus so that's ok.

Can't wait for the deposit and guarantor demands. I'm already guarantor for DD (also at uni)...

Glad he finally got sorted Liney

DD has never cycled on roads - DH wouldn't countenance it, having never done so either. So he's booked her some level 2 tuition.

She's going to dinner with some pals tonight as one of them has to leave for her (scottish) uni tomorrow or monday.

OMG people are leaving for uni already?

DH and I have been to visit Bath today. DD didn't want to come. She wants it to be a surprise .

We are leaving Friday. Move-in is Sunday, but we are making a long weekend of it. Dd's slot is 10am, and I think we have parent info sessions at 1pm while they have their mandatory residence meetings.

It's suddenly very real. Should really think about buying that mattress topper and whatnot...

Crikey ancient, that's so soon!

I don't know anything about parent info sessions. I thought that it was all down to them now they are 18+?!

Tully I got the impression when D'S went to University that the parental sessions were directed at overseas parents, many of whom had clearly never been to the UK before. That said I found them interesting and useful. You don't know if/when you might need to steer your DC towards support or careers services. American parents attitudes to the NHS were amusing. They clearly thought it was bad and dangerous and were surprised at the University advice that in the event of an accident you head for A&E.

Don't forget to get the DC to apply for a certificate of exemption from council tax - you can often do this online.

Will they have to pay council tax?

No, not if they get their exemption approved by the local council where they are. It should be straightforward.

Also they can be on both electoral rolls (home and university town) - but can only vote in one or the other.

I'm feeling quite stressed today - the accommodation is still not properly allocated. They want a deposit by phone - but I want an allocation in writing first. (This is Unite Students btw.)

Close shave here with accommodation. We were a bit puzzled as to why we had not yet heard from edinburgh given they start so soon ( 9/9/17) She must have missed an email but even doing a search cant locate it. Anyway final email yesterday caused frantic action as it came with a warning that we had only a short time left to accept, yikes, all in order now but close shave. Amusingly she has been allocated the same Pollock hall house that my younger brother was in in the late 80's.

No, not if they get their exemption approved by the local council where they are. It should be straightforward.

According to the local council here you don't have to complete the exemption form if you are living in a hall of residence. I assuming that includes accommodation run by Unite as the application was done via the university.

Given that council tax applies to properties not individuals, and property housing full time students is exempt, wouldn't it just be the landlord who applies?

DS2 has been in halls and house share and there's never been any discussion about council tax.

It's in the small print of the terms and conditions for Unite's Reading accommodation (halls).

Also, my other DC who is at a different uni in a private rental has had for the first time a letter from the local council there with a council tax demand for £800+ and when she phoned they said she must apply to them for a certificate. We'd never heard of these certificates before.

I'll dig out the Unite wording.

Has something changed??