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Exaggerating Festival Results on Facebook!


Petalviolet

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Well she turns 34 this year so perhaps things were different in 1992??

 

Just to continue this completely off-topic theme I would say it is pretty unsurprising for a child from a working class family in the North to assume the RBS is not for the likes of them. The entire plot of Billy Elliot is based on this perception isn't it? So in this day and age I would think it perfectly normal that those from less well off backgrounds have a belief that people like them are not the norm at RBS. Whether or not that perception is grounded in truth is another matter.

 

I've no idea how many WL students would, for example, qualify for free school meals -a measure of deprivation for a school's intake- but I would hazard a guess it is a long way below the national average.

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My 20 year old son might be going to university in Manchester in September. Accommodation want a £200 deposit to secure his room. Then his belongings are going to have to be transported from our house over to the uni a few days before. Thankfully organisations like Unibags or whatever its called provide this service. But it's not free. Then he will need, they suggest, around £200 to live on until his loan comes through. That's £400. He will need to get a flight over, as it will be far more practical than the ferry and works out cheaper. Belfast to Manchester. Around £40 if booked a month in advance, so that's doable. Waiting at the other end for him hopefully will be my sister and her husband. They don't have a car, so it will be either on the bus or an expensive taxi from the airport. If not every single thing he needs is taken over for him by the company then he will need to buy things when he gets there; duvets, towels, pans, etc. Hopefully the company will be able to ship it all. He will need to buy [or I will] some sort of bags or suitcases for everything as we have none at all except for one holdall which is falling apart. Although shipping everything with these specialist companies is usually done by cardboard boxes. So I think it will cost at least £500 to get him to university in September, and that's a very conservative estimate. This compared to how much vocational training costs is peanuts. But I live on just over a hundred pounds a week. How am I supposed to have any spare money at the end of each week to actually save up five hundred pounds for him in the first place for September? It's a worry. P.S. Like most parents i'd love to be able to travel over to England with him and see him settled into Uni. But I don't think I will be able to afford to go. Neither of us has even seen the uni or had a look around. We couldn't afford to go to the open day.

Edited by Lisa O`Brien
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Lisa, some halls of residence provide duvets and pillows (and some provide linen as well). And, as one of our friends said before he took his son to Manchester University, there *are* shops in Manchester and so Sean could buy what he needs when he arrives rather than lug everything from home. Supermarkets near universities have cottoned on to the student market and generally have a large stock of cheap pans and kitchen utensils at the start of term. Sean should check what is provided in the accommodation before he goes out and starts buying anything.

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Lisa

 

Ikea Manchester is on the tram network, and it would probably work out a lot cheaper to make a trip there (other stores are available) than to lug everything across from Ireland. Our boys started university at the same time, and we made one trip there and split stuff between them.  I still don't think it cost a lot more than £100 to get them both everything.   

 

Also, remember the trains run from the airport to Manchester Picadilly, change there for Oxford Road (if it didn't already call there) and it's a hop and a skip to the universities.  Regarding suitcases, we have found it cheaper when taking stuff out to DS in Czech Republic to get  battered non-trendy suitcases from Oxfam and, if necessary, abandon/recycle  them on arrival or use for general storage/seating.  He won't be lugging everything  back every holiday.

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Lisa I would suggest Sean waits until he moves in before buying pots, pans, crockery and kitchen equipment as he may be able to get together with others he's living with and share the cost of these. When my eldest went to Uni, she lived with 6 others and they all brought the same things on day 1 so there was a lot of duplication.  For towels, I would recommend John Lewis Basic range as they are a good size, very reasonably priced and they wash well. As they aren't thick and fluffy, they dry quickly too. Some stores have student bedsets, containing duvet, pillow and bedding at reasonable prices. Again, not the most luxurious but perfectly adequate to start off with.  I wish Sean the very best of luck.

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Lisa, is there any reason why Sean can't get a job over the summer to provide him with some money to tide him over until his loan comes through? Many students these days have to get jobs during term time to top up their loans because they do not cover the whole of their living costs. In some places students can get jobs working for the university.

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Lisa my son is 20 and may be going to Manchester Uni in September as well. What does he want to study? Mine will be doing digital animation. I have also got an 18 yr old going as well to a different Uni to study History so an expensive time for us.

I would not pay a company to ship his things over as you can buy what he needs cheaply here. I would look at B&M Bargains, Argos, Primark, Home Bargains etc. Good luck to him x

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Thank you everyone for your invaluable advice. He will be going directly into Year Two at Manchester Metropolitan University to study Social Care. Or maybe Ulster. Hasn't decided which yet, or indeed if any at all. Man Met have a Careers and Employability Service [i guess most unis do] that match students to suitable work, which he knows he will most likely need to do. It would do him the world of good to "go away" somewhere. Learn a bit of independence. The vast majority of students at both Queen's University Belfast [ a Russell Group uni] and Ulster go home every weekend. Plus, Ulster is at Jordanstown, which is in Newtownabbey and as far as I can tell is the back of beyond. I think Manchester appeals to him because of the shops, nightlife etc, but also his aunty and uncle are there; my sister and her husband. Just in case. But yes, I see what everyone means about buying when he gets there. But that's more money. Two courier firms are based in Belfast, collect items from your front door and drop it all off at your uni for you a few days before you arrive. Uni bags charge £18 for every 30 Kilos. [ No idea how much "stuff" 30 kilos would be]. At the end of the year they will make the return journey with all his stuff back home. Might work out cheaper than buying new, when we already have plenty of things here he could take. Need to weigh up the pros and cons of both. That's if he even decides to go.

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It's worth researching the facilities the university provide for international students as these will be useful for anyone flying to university. Many universities have a box with all the essentials you can buy and it will be at your halls when you arrive, not the cheapest option but saves shipping or rushing around to buy bedding ect.

 

Poundland, TK Maxx and similar bargain stores will all have kitchen and bedding that will be reasonable to buy, although I warn against buying the cheapest things as sometimes they'll only last a few weeks. TK Maxx has some really good quality frying pans for example at the same price as tescos, but lasted much much longer (I speak from experience on that one!)

 

I flew to university in Belfast and shipping a large cardboard box was around £35. Then you have additional costs for each suitcase you take on a plane. It does add up. It may be cheaper to find storage than ship things home for the summer, it's again worth researching any suggestions the university give international students.

 

I suggest he has a look at the university website, they will have a lot of guidance for students in terms of budgeting and finding jobs I'm sure. There will be people he can talk to in person once he gets there as well who will be able to help and if there is an issue with finances whilst he is there, talk to the university. I know certainly at Belfast they had a hardship fund that gave small amount of cash to applicants to tide them over. Good luck to both of you!

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Lisa, when you check his flights do make sure you check if hold luggage is included and if it is not, what the cost may be. You will probably find he can bring that 30 kilos on the flight with him for less than the £18 for the shipping company. My DD can manage 2 x 20 kg medium sized cases and hand luggage when she flies off and I assure you , you can get a lot of stuff into 2 x 20 kilo cases. Breakables he might want to buy when he gets there - bear in mind that Ikea prices are about 75p a plate! Even frying pans are less than £2. I imagine at some point you will need use a shipping company, but I would try and wait until the amount of stuff your son has is too much for him to transport - like when he has all the uni work to bring home as folders and books are very heavy.

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Hi Lisa - you may also find that your sister and brother in law might have spare pans, plates etc that they could pass on to your son? Alternatively perhaps charity shops might be a good idea - sometimes they have brand new (or almost brand new) crockery sets in stock. At least then you might be able to avoid shipping the heavier items across.

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I love Facebook exaggerations :) haha

 

Score 10 points for each of the following statements ...

 

"The youngest in their section by far" (how do they know?)

 

"Only learned it the night before" (several months of privates)

 

"Was so poorly the success was a surprise"

 

"Such a large section" (hmmm really?)

 

"Section had lots of vocational students" (how do they know?)

 

"Overall winner" (forgets to mention in the novice category)

 

"1st place" (out of one entry!)

 

:)

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I love Facebook exaggerations :) haha

 

Score 10 points for each of the following statements ...

 

"The youngest in their section by far" (how do they know?)

 

"Only learned it the night before" (several months of privates)

 

"Was so poorly the success was a surprise"

 

"Such a large section" (hmmm really?)

 

"Section had lots of vocational students" (how do they know?)

 

"Overall winner" (forgets to mention in the novice category)

 

"1st place" (out of one entry!)

 

:)

At a festival today ... heard 'youngest by far' and 'only learnt this yesterday' ????

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To be fair, "only learned it yesterday" or at least "only finished it yesterday",was a very frequent and completely honest thing in my DD's festival days. One of her old teachers had a habit of coming up with great ideas for new dances over the summer,somehow forgetting that there was an exam session and a show to prepare for in the autumn term too. So festival dances did tend to get finished in a bit of a panic. Not that I felt the need to ever mention it outside of our own school mind you, and then it was because I was looking for sympathy for the stress I had just endured, not praise for DD!

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To be fair, "only learned it yesterday" or at least "only finished it yesterday",was a very frequent and completely honest thing in my DD's festival days. One of her old teachers had a habit of coming up with great ideas for new dances over the summer,somehow forgetting that there was an exam session and a show to prepare for in the autumn term too. So festival dances did tend to get finished in a bit of a panic. Not that I felt the need to ever mention it outside of our own school mind you, and then it was because I was looking for sympathy for the stress I had just endured, not praise for DD!

Yes, we hear it a lot and I always think ‘and your point is ……….?’ because most of the dancers in the competition will have just finished one of their routines that week. That’s the nature of preparing comp routines - when you compete in 6 or 7 sections it’s a constant cycle of finishing and starting routines, so one is bound to be brand new, and that’s the same for everyone. 

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I love Facebook exaggerations :) haha

 

Score 10 points for each of the following statements ...

 

"The youngest in their section by far" (how do they know?)

 

"Only learned it the night before" (several months of privates)

 

"Was so poorly the success was a surprise"

 

"Such a large section" (hmmm really?)

 

"Section had lots of vocational students" (how do they know?)

 

"Overall winner" (forgets to mention in the novice category)

 

"1st place" (out of one entry!)

 

:)

 

Festival bingo!

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