Going to College

[cuddlepop]

Daughter is heading down to Langside college in Glasgow on Saturday.
Her course starts the following week and she'll be staying in the halls there.
HAS anyone done this before? so i can try to provide her with as much as she'll need,Duvets etc.
Also how can you get over homesickness.Apparently thats the course leaders biggest fear with island kids.They can do the work its just home they miss so drop out.:eek:

[Kingetter]

When kids are home, they think it can be boring. Going away is exciting. Remind them of that when the homesickness starts. Hard, but valid.

[Ricco]

Daughter is heading down to Langside college in Glasgow on Saturday.
Her course starts the following week and she'll be staying in the halls there.
HAS anyone done this before? so i can try to provide her with as much as she'll need,Duvets etc.
Also how can you get over homesickness.Apparently thats the course leaders biggest fear with island kids.They can do the work its just home they miss so drop out.:eek:

Cuddlepop,

Having been a university student some years ago I can put together a brief of the thiings that I found valuable and necessary. I can PM it to you if you like.

[cuddlepop]

Thanks for that Ricco please pm me as any advice would be welcome as i've been to college but have never been away from home while studying.
Good point Kingetter will keep that one in m:D ind.

[Kingetter]

Wonderful what you get when you add personal experience to memory! Or maybe not so good, depending on the perspective.

[brokencross]

My three girls all went away to University and stayed in Halls for the first year. They made so many new friends, had great fun with their new found freedoms. I found that once they had made friends they all look after each other very well. Also the friendships will grow stronger and be for life.
Different Halls of residence and colleges provide different fixtures and fittings in rooms, there should be a list available somewhere. It also depends whether it is self catering or catered accommodation.
Regarding homesickness, it is difficult to tell what to do for the best. We found it was us who missed them more than the other way round. We also found it best if they weren't popping home every weekend because besides "wasting" money they were missing out on the social life and distancing themselves from their peers. After all they are all in the same boat and get strength from each other.
My eldest enjoyed it so much that now after 4 years she has found a teaching job in Leeds and staying down there for the foreseeable future.
I certainly wish your daughter all the best. Work hard, and play hard and she won't go far wrong.

[cuddlepop]

Thanks fot that Brokencross.I think your right when you say we'll miss her more than her us.Its just that even on holiday last year with the school in Rome she was homesick.:eek:

[engiebenjy]

When I went off to university a few too many years ago, I was terrified - the fear of the unknown. However, Freshers week is the best thing ever, and the panic had gone within hours of getting there. Honestly your daughter will have a ball (and hopefully do some work at the same time). I wish her all the best, and tell her to make the most of the time that she has there - it really is the best years of your life!!

[cullbucket]

Well I left home in Thurso to go to college in Edinburgh at 17, I never even had halls to stay in, so that was a bit tough, no ready made drinking crew and buddies around. The folks that stay at home with mammy and go to college have life easier as they do not have to take care of rent, bills, budgeting etc so anyone coming from the highlands and islands will have a tougher time. In fact, I look at my class and would say that lot of people who left home went off the rails with the new found freedom and responsibilities. The majority never passed the course which is pretty shocking in retrospect. I would advise your daughter to seek out folk she knows from home who are in the same boat or a year or two older than her and at least have a few people she can meet for a coffee or a drink or two at the weekend. That is as good as going home sometimes.... I could not relate to the central belters too well at first as I had not been out of Caithness much. In fact all of my lasting friends from my college years are from the highlands. If she wants to go home the odd weekend, that is fine, the buses are bad but not that bad - 9hrs Edinburgh to Thurso I used to go up on a friday afternoon and back on the sunday. She just has to make sure she gets all the work taken care of during the week as I'm sure none will get done at home. Over time, the visits home will get less and less and she will have more and more friends down there.....
Make sure she does not let the work build up and get on top of her and if it does, speak to someone at the college they are usually pretty supportive, they do not want people to fail any more than the people do. They can help to build a structured study plan which in my view is the singl emost importnt thing to do help your chance of succes. The worst thing was that I had to work it out and teach myself this, I wonder if they teach this in college these days. My study plan always had a night on the drink every saturday and sunday morning off even right before the exams as well as favourite TV shows etc.. Theres no point making a plan so strict that its unrealistic and impossible to follow.
Best of luck

[Kingetter]

I think maybe one of the most difficult tasks ahead is managing a budget, having created one. Learning how to shop for themselves without blowing too much at a time. A hard lesson to learn but maybe as important as any other consideration. Money worries disturb study.

[canuck]

To follow on with what cullbucket has mentioned about visiting home, I suggest that she take a look at her schedule and actually plan a trip home, sooner than later. With a specific date in mind she will know that she has that day coming for sure. I was 2000 miles away so my first date home was Christmas, but still knowing it was there helped. When my kids were first at university they were less than an hour away so they never came home unless they absolutely had to. The only time my daughter was homesick at university was when I was in Scotland.

Word to mother - you will survive this!

[sassylass]

My daughter said (after I had dropped her off at university and was on my way home teary-eyed but that's another story) she was scared sitting in her dorm room, so she forced herself to go down to the common area and meet people. She says it was hard but she started making friends right away, and it helped knowing they were all new and in the same boat.

The other story is...don't be surprised when you find yourself crying over the potato bin at Safeway, you'll be realizing that your sweet child won't be home for dinner. Good luck.

[peedie]

i'm moving to aberdeen on monday, i'm going to aberdeen college so no halls me and my friend from thurso college have got a flat. very daunting and i'm not to sure i want to go yet but i know i have to. i just keep tellin myself it'll be fine once i get used to it. i have never had a neighbour before in my life and i'm moving to the centre of aberdeen!!! i think i would be a good idea to try and find people she already knows down there (if possible) its certainly helped me knowing i have friends already there. Good Luck!! :D

[cuddlepop]

A big thank you to my fellow orgites.Peedie,the best of luck and enjoy yourself in the big city,you'l probably meet a neighbourgh lol.
We're aiming to go down in October for her 18th,if she comes home then and has a big family party she might not want to go back.
Whats really stuck me now is that any family get togethers wont include her and she is the type of person that loves family gatherings..
Oh well,she'l just need to adopt ones down there.;)

[peedie]

has she tried packin yet? it was suggested on here i build a tardis out of cardboard boxes.....best idea i've heard. i've been thinking since i last posted take plenty towels. my friend was in halls last year. there were towels but the had lots of different eco systems growing on them...... also the kitchens usually only have the very bare essentials. :D

[cuddlepop]

She's working till Friday and then going down on the Saturday.Have no idea when she's going to find time to pack.lol
I've given her some of my old towels as i'm sure new ones will get nicked.
It seems Magpies go to college too.:confused

[canuck]

Both of my children had tool kits as part of their Tardis boxes. They became popular people in the residence very quickly. Knew everyone by the end of the first term. Well, not realy, but you get my point. People share stuff in residence.

And mother, as I said before (and you will need to hear 100 more times), you will survive this. She will make some wonderful friends and soon they will be part of your family, making the trip to attend your gatherings as well. Eventually they will start coming to visit on their own, whether she can make the trip or not.

[cuddlepop]

I hope so Canuck.
Island kids can be so niave and trusting so i hope her experiences of spending summers at granny Glasgow's will install in her a wee bit of :I right...?:

[canuck]

I hope so Canuck.
Island kids can be so niave and trusting so i hope her experiences of spending summers at granny Glasgow's will install in her a wee bit of :I right...?:

Burlington kids can be pretty niave too. My daughter had never ridden on a bus. Neither of my children realized that they needed money to get on the train. They all come at this with their own brand of innocence.

It takes a certain kind of outgoing personality to survive on the org. I am sure that you passed that trait on to your daughter and she will thrive in Glasgow.

[cuddlepop]

My mother took herself to Toronto,Canada;on a ship that left Glasgow docks when she was 21.Mum always said she was terrified and excited all at the same time.Hopefully she's got a lot of Grannys spirit in her and will do anything she wants with ease.
Unfortunatly granny's dad got ill so 18months later she came home.
If i hadn't of got married at 21 thats were i was heading too.
One day i'll get to Canada.:D