Handy facts that every student should know

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with TV Licensing.

We have already done two years of university and Millie is about to embark on year 3 studying at Bristol. Safe to say, the first year was a learning curve for all of us and we expect to learn even more during the coming years.

No matter how many conversations you have about forthcoming student life before your young adult leaves for ventures new, you will always have something crop up that you have not thought of. TV Licensing have a really simple, handy Uni Checklist and have asked us to take part in a family quiz.

We were encouraged to complete the quiz separately from Millie, then compare our answers afterwards. This is definitely something we will do in advance of Violet hopefully starting her university life in less than 2 years – eek, 2 of ours at university at the same time even though it only feels like 2 minutes since we were negotiating GCSEs! (Millie’s course is 7 years so we are in for the long haul!)

So, what should students know about TV Licensing?

I have to be honest and admit I never even gave a second thought to whether university students need a TV Licence. This was the question in the family quiz that got us talking the most. Most students do not have an actual TV, preferring to watch programmes and films on their laptops, tablets or even their mobile phone. But does this count? Do you need your own TV Licence if you are watching in your own room in student halls? Millie’s initial response was that students in halls would not need an individual licence, but this is not necessarily the case. In halls of residence, you need to be covered by a TV Licence if you plan on watching live TV in your room on any device. But the biggest benefit for students who buy a licence for the year is that when they go home at the end of the academic year, they can apply for a refund for the unused time! This ensures students only pay for the months that they live away from a family home, provided it is already covered by a TV Licence.

If you have recorded a live show to watch later, do you still need a TV Licence?

Yes. Yes. Yes! 

Students need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV or streamed live on an online TV service. And that’s not just the BBC; it’s all channels on any platform and on any device. They also need to be covered to watch BBC iPlayer.

I wish we had had access to the quiz during Millie’s first year – in addition to questions on TV Licensing, it also covers subjects like launderette costs and changing bed sheets! 

When should you change bedding and towels?

One of the other questions on the family quiz is how often should bed sheets be changed. This is one of the areas that I have been pleasantly surprised about this year – Millie has been super organised with keeping her bed sheets clean (I suspect wearing false tan accounts for some of this). Another plus is that she has had easy access to washing machines and tumble dryers in both her shared student accommodation and the shared house she is currently in. No late-night visits to ‘Posh Wash’ for these students. The actual answer to this question is, once per week is advisable – I bet there are students who change their bedding a lot less often than this!

How early to search for next year’s accommodation?

There really are some excellent points to consider with your child in the quiz – we found out the hard way how early students need to start looking for their next year’s accommodation. While November to January is a good rule of thumb when looking for accommodation, we found that by October many options had already been snapped up. This seems crazy though as many students don’t even start their courses until the last week in September.

Where can you find out when bin day is?

A very handy question especially for students who move into privately owned accommodation. Millie found out from their helpful next-door neighbour (and also by looking up and down the street to see the bins had been left out). But if you don’t have helpful neighbours or aren’t awake early enough to check, the local council website should have all the information that you need.

On which shelf of the fridge is meat typically stored?

The quiz also covers important points like food hygiene and where to store raw meat in the fridge – Something I have drilled into my children from an early age due to my history as a food hygiene trainer. I do know of families that would have no idea (nor would they care) where raw meat is safest to be kept though. (Bottom shelf so the raw juices cannot drip onto other food that may not be cooked before consumption).

How much is your first year of uni worth to your final grade?

Millie knew this one, but I just thought it was her particular course. Turns out that it doesn’t count towards their final grade, but students need a pass of 40% to carry on to the second year. Some courses and universities may differ slightly, so it is always best to check with your child’s university.

Is it worth buying University Merch?

Not particularly! You might be as well joining some clubs or sports teams and buying their gear that often include Custom Patch designs.

How long does it take to boil an egg if you want a runny yolk?

I may be 49 but I still need to google this or look it up in a cookbook and Millie didn’t know either! A boiled egg with a runny yolk should take about 4 minutes.

Round 2 Family Quiz

Round 2 of the quiz is for parents to guess their child’s responses. Questions along the lines of how often the student will attend lectures and how many hours they are likely to spend watching TV. I don’t feel able to criticise anyone for watching too much TV – my uni days definitely featured Neighbours, sometimes twice a day! 

I love the positivity of trying to guess the time your child will go to bed the night before a 9am lecture! I also chuckled at trying to pin a student down on how often they are likely to ring home! Sometimes I have asked for a call when she gets back to Bristol on a Sunday evening to let us know she is safe and am still waiting for that call on Tuesday! Having said that, Millie’s response to the calling home question was she will ring more often than not to speak to the cat!

My favourite question has got to be, what is the first meal you are going to cook at university? Millie’s answer – Spaghetti Bolognese. I would love to know how many other students said the same.

And so, we go on – an exciting year ahead for so many young adults and a year of snatching conversations and visits for parents missing their child! I wish all the families in a similar position to us, all the best. To all the students … attend your lectures, eat your greens, talk to everyone… AND HAVE FUN!!