Categories: uncategorized
Date: 19 October 2008 18:47:04
Auditing isn't just something done by accountants. It's the posh term given to when you sit in on stuff but then don't have to do the assignments because you have your own research to be doing.
Blagging, you feel like you are doing this most of the time because there is no way you are really bright enough to be here - are you?
Children are everywhere when you live in family accomodation. Now I know this is obvious, but as somebody who has pretty much managed to avoid having much to do with ickle people, (apart from my own), hearing them screech outside your window and having to avoid tripping over them as you go in and out of the building it takes some getting used to.
Drinking is something potentially v. cheap if you do it in student bars. However, this is limited if you have a teenage couch potatoe as you can't really leave her to be bored in front of Strictly whilst you go out doing more interesting stuff. Additionally, it is not something that one wants to do if you have to crawl out of bed early to check the ickle person is up and make a packed lunch.
Everything seems to be going on, but you are there to study and being a parent needs to take priority. On this basis you have to make some sensible decisions.
Freshers are young people generally. This means that away from family accomodation you have to get used to people thinking teenage couch potatoe might be the student, (although really don't see how they think she looks old enough), and you might be the parent whose just visiting.
God and Allah seem quite popular in the world of family accomodation. This means that teenage couch potatoe may have to think about what she wears and get a look which involves slightly less flesh. In reality this means that the unofficial uniform of hoodie and jeans becomes the easy option.
Halls are blocks of flats. As such you have to be prepared for the fire alarm going off unexpectedly at any time, this means that pjs are not an optional extra.
International students make up a sizeable amount of the post-grad population and most of the people in family accomodation. As such living in this environment may bring a whole new set of cultural norms with it.
Juggling everything may seem demanding at times, but as long as you don't expect to be perfect you can manage it. See superglue mum post below for basic principles involved.
Keep it real. When you enter a new environment you can feel pressure to try and be something or somebody you're not, this is not a good idea. Whilst there can be some legitimate level of re-invention going on you don't want to put any more pressure on yourself than is necessary.
Learn to say no. The financial realities of being in this situation will mean that both you and coach potatoe may have to go without some of the former luxuries you would have had.
Make friends and network. If you just shut yourself away in your flat when you're not working you're not going to be doing yourself any favours. This applies equally to adult and teenager.
Never attempt to light a naked flame in family accomodation. This is a key part of the rules and so means one of your early acts will be disposing of all the candles you wanted to use to give the flat ambience.
Open your mind to new possibilities. In many ways what both the future and present might hold is only limited by what you choose to do.
Play! Being a student again gives you an excuse, but so does being a parent. Whether it's quizzes with your teenager or fire and marshmellows with Methsoc enjoy life.
Queer life can be fun in a uni setting. Get in touch with the LGBTa (or whatever yours is called) and find out what they've got going on. However, remember what has been said above about making sensible decisions and ensuring your couch potatoe has enough time.
Religion / Spirituality will have to be done in a new setting. Go in remembering that your primary aim is to worship, but you do want to be in an environment which will build you up spiritually. A certain amount of thinking about where you're at with God and asking the Holy Spirit for a bit of leading as you go "church shopping" is probably v. sensible.
Sunday, (or one other appropriate day), should be treated as a day of rest. In reality that should mean you put the books down for atleast one day a week and do other stuff instead.
Trains are cheaper as a student. Even as a mature student, if you're full time, you can get a 16 - 25 rail card. As with the NUS card, which you also want, this will save you significant sums of money and so is worth the investment. Always look for the words "student discount" - it can save you a fortune, even in Burger King.
Understand that most students won't have children and so don't want to be bored stiff with kids talk. Similarly understand that most people in the family accomodation will have partners and ickle people and so make the effort to alternate between course talk and children talk as appropriate.
Venues will have differing age limits and appropriateness. Work out where it is a good idea to be going with and without teenagers.
Women in family accomodation are often the wives of students rather than students themselves. Be sensitive to this fact, but don't make assumptions. Similarly whilst many will be "stay at home" mums not all will be. Again this means that sensitivity when talking to people is important. Oh and W is also for work, it's what you're there to do.
X rated material is not appropriate in family accomodation for all the reasons that are obvious aswell as the whole God / Allah thing previously mentioned. However, some stuff which may be liable to shock you and which you might regard as X rated, or thereabouts, may be perfectly normal in some standard student establishments. Use your common sense about where you go and what you do, according to what your general ideas about morality are.
Young people need a balance between freedom and boundaries. If you simply say "alcohol bad" you are likely to end up with somebody who goes off and totally over does it when they become an undergrad. Therefore, treat alcohol and the young person with respect. Additionally, think about the example getting messy in the student bar is going to set them. It's much easier to tell them to not over do it if you set an appropriate example.
Zzzzzz - sleep is important both for the teenager and yourself. Sensible bed times make sense.