Anybody dropped their son or daughter off at Uni today?

[marathonmona]

Very exciting but a strange feeling to come back home and know you're not going to see them for a while! Eldest delivered today, sister goes next weekend. Yikes!!

 

[urbanracer]

I know it feels strange, but the Christmas break is 5 weeks long, the Easter break is 5 weeks long and the Summer break is 12 weeks long. They are actually at home almost as much as they are at uni' (unfortunately ).

You'll get used to it soon enough.

 

[marathonmona]

Thanks @urbanracer.
Look forward to seeing them back! Youngest daughter is doing a nursing course and with placements, won't be back quite that much but still...

 

[jay hay-char]

Our daughter graduated in the summer and at the moment she's at home, job hunting. I never thought I would say this, but I hope she gets something soon that allows her to get her own place, or to share with friends. After three years living away from home, and six months travelling before that, she has learnt to cherish her independence and the last place she wants to be is back at home with mum and dad, however much we all love each other (and we do).

We drove our son up to Sheffield the other day - he's just starting his second year at the University. He wanted to go back a few days early because he's Social Sec of the squash club and has several things to organise for Freshers' Week. Sheffield is a couple of hundred miles from where we live so it's quite an expensive rail journey, even with an advance ticket, and he tends not to come back during the term. However, we're driving up for a couple of days to see him at the end of October and he'll be back for Christmas before we know it but he's also making noises about coming back during Reading Week. Next year will be a challenge, because he'll be studying abroad for a year, certainly in Germany but possibly in Holland for some of the time as well, and we may not see him very much.

They're both grown ups now and are making their own lives, but we still love it when they are back home ....

Hope it all goes well for your two; there is life after the kids have flown the nest but it takes some adjustment (well; it has for me, anyway )

 

[marathonmona]

Our daughter graduated in the summer and at the moment she's at home, job hunting. I never thought I would say this, but I hope she gets something soon that allows her to get her own place, or to share with friends. After three years living away from home, and six months travelling before that, she has learnt to cherish her independence and the last place she wants to be is back at home with mum and dad, however much we all love each other (and we do).

We drove our son up to Sheffield the other day - he's just starting his second year at the University. He wanted to go back a few days early because he's Social Sec of the squash club and has several things to organise for Freshers' Week. Sheffield is a couple of hundred miles from where we live so it's quite an expensive rail journey, even with an advance ticket, and he tends not to come back during the term. However, we're driving up for a couple of days to see him at the end of October and he'll be back for Christmas before we know it but he's also making noises about coming back during Reading Week. Next year will be a challenge, because he'll be studying abroad for a year, certainly in Germany but possibly in Holland for some of the time as well, and we may not see him very much.

They're both grown ups now and are making their own lives, but we still love it when they are back home ....

Hope it all goes well for your two; there is life after the kids have flown the nest but it takes some adjustment (well; it has for me, anyway )

Morning jay hay-char!

Thanks for your reply.

Eldest is 20 and feels like she'd outstayed her welcome so to speak. She's in London and I doubt very much we will see much of her! Like your daughter, she loves her independence and finds village life quite stifling lol

Out youngest is 18 and slightly more of a home bird. She's starting a paediatric nursing course next weekend and is worried about how she's going to cope with lengthy placements etc.

Tell your son he'll love it if he goes to Holland. It's where I was born and raised

I have made it my mission to put myself and my health first, something I've never ever done since starting a family. So new opportunities await me and like you said, they'll be back!

Xx

 

[jay hay-char]

Morning jay hay-char!



Tell your son he'll love it if he goes to Holland. It's where I was born and raised

He was in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago, with some friends! He also went there a couple of years back with me and Mrs hay-char: we all loved it, though I'm not sure he was totally enamoured of the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseums I think this year's trip was more, erm coffee shop and club orientated, though they were a mixed group of boys and girls, which I'm guessing ruled out the area round the Oude Kirk.......

He's doing German and History as a joint honours degree, which means he should spend a year in Germany, either at a university or as a teaching assistant at a school. However, he also started learning Dutch in his first year, just because he could, and is making very good progress - which is why his Dutch tutor took him to one side in the summer and asked him if he'd ever considered splitting his overseas year between Germany and Holland ..... Whatever his decision he's carrying on with studying Dutch even though, as he says, every Dutch person he has ever met speaks flawless, almost accent-free English

 

[mariavontrapp]

I find the first few days horrible, but then I adjust and get used to it. I feel like I'm living two lives as the holidays are so long, like someone above said. So half the time they're at home too much and then term time the house is empty.
As marathonmona said, it's a good opportunity to put yourself first and think about your health, social life, etc.
I also agree with jay-hay that once they've got their independence you wouldn't really want them to have to come back home to live.
The worst part for me is worrying about them settling in and making friends. I don't want them to be sat in a room feeling isolated.
My advice for anyone facing an "empty nest" is let yourself mourn, it's only natural to feel sad, but then pick yourself up and make plans for your own future.

 

[marathonmona]

He was in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago, with some friends! He also went there a couple of years back with me and Mrs hay-char: we all loved it, though I'm not sure he was totally enamoured of the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseums I think this year's trip was more, erm coffee shop and club orientated, though they were a mixed group of boys and girls, which I'm guessing ruled out the area round the Oude Kirk.......

He's doing German and History as a joint honours degree, which means he should spend a year in Germany, either at a university or as a teaching assistant at a school. However, he also started learning Dutch in his first year, just because he could, and is making very good progress - which is why his Dutch tutor took him to one side in the summer and asked him if he'd ever considered splitting his overseas year between Germany and Holland ..... Whatever his decision he's carrying on with studying Dutch even though, as he says, every Dutch person he has ever met speaks flawless, almost accent-free English

Wow! Clever lad! It all sounds very exciting. I wish him all the best; sounds like he will have a wonderful time.

I've actually only been to Amsterdam once as I'm from down south in Limburg, near the German and Belgian border.

Hope he has 'veel plezier'

 

[marathonmona]

I find the first few days horrible, but then I adjust and get used to it. I feel like I'm living two lives as the holidays are so long, like someone above said. So half the time they're at home too much and then term time the house is empty.
As marathonmona said, it's a good opportunity to put yourself first and think about your health, social life, etc.
I also agree with jay-hay that once they've got their independence you wouldn't really want them to have to come back home to live.
The worst part for me is worrying about them settling in and making friends. I don't want them to be sat in a room feeling isolated.
My advice for anyone facing an "empty nest" is let yourself mourn, it's only natural to feel sad, but then pick yourself up and make plans for your own future.

Good advice; will take it!

 

[NinaB73]

I find the first few days horrible, but then I adjust and get used to it. I feel like I'm living two lives as the holidays are so long, like someone above said. So half the time they're at home too much and then term time the house is empty.
As marathonmona said, it's a good opportunity to put yourself first and think about your health, social life, etc.
I also agree with jay-hay that once they've got their independence you wouldn't really want them to have to come back home to live.
The worst part for me is worrying about them settling in and making friends. I don't want them to be sat in a room feeling isolated.
My advice for anyone facing an "empty nest" is let yourself mourn, it's only natural to feel sad, but then pick yourself up and make plans for your own future.

Thanks, great post! I left my only son at uni yesterday! the worry of them not fitting in worries me too! I had a text this morning though (didn't expect that so soon) telling me good night out was had and everybody really friendly!
I've been so stressed and my sugar levels reached new heights yesterday!!
Problems were added when my dog walker had my year old pup whilst we went up and lost her!!! Definitely a distraction, 5 hour search party by all accounts but she is safe at home now, thought I was losing my beloved dog too!
They reality is sinking in now though and I realise there is an empty room up there, probably a messy one!

 

[urbanracer]

Thanks, great post! I left my only son at uni yesterday! the worry of them not fitting in worries me too! I had a text this morning though (didn't expect that so soon) telling me good night out was had and everybody really friendly!
I've been so stressed and my sugar levels reached new heights yesterday!!
Problems were added when my dog walker had my year old pup whilst we went up and lost her!!! Definitely a distraction, 5 hour search party by all accounts but she is safe at home now, thought I was losing my beloved dog too!
They reality is sinking in now though and I realise there is an empty room up there, probably a messy one!

Feels like not that long ago we were dropping the brat at Uni for the first time, he was very stressed although he'd never admit it!

It's truly amazing how fast the time seems to pass, now he's graduated and just started working at a law firm in London. He's back this weekend for a whole day!

 

[wolfie11969]

My daughter graduated in 2014 but I remember all too well how worried I was when she went to uni as she wasnt the most forward going of girls. She always took a back seat to her older sister.

However, uni was the making of my girl. It gave her the ability to manage her money and she came out of uni with savings. She also became more social and also learnt how to manage her time and how to shop etc for meals for the week.

If your children have a mobile phone and a facebook account it's easy to keep in touch.

Big changes but its a good experience for them