I spent this weekend painting the bedroom with the boyfriend. The room looks great: nice and clean and decluttered just in time for the inevitable deluge of paperwork and phd mess that I will accumulate in September. The movement of the furniture appears to have woken up dormant bed bugs from god knows when....and they ate me (and not the boyfriend...picky clearly!) alive....so much so that I bled over the new bed linen (grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. So after trapping a few...I fled downstairs to the sofa bed to lick (proverbial) and scratch (literal) my wounds. sob.

Now I'm spending my day off wearing a goatskin shirt, dragging myself on my knees to Manchester Cathedral. I feel so Medieval.

Anyway, hope this story of woe cheers some people up!

You're not alone Lamb, me neither. I have it all to sort out. I also have the small matter of a house to sell in London and possibly buying somewhere near my uni-to-be. It might be 3 months, but in property-selling and buying terms, this is a pressing issue!

I moved into halls two days before starting my MA, and friends on the course moved into shared houses at a similar time: nobody arrives that early, I'm lucky in that I already live in the city I'm going to study in. Good luck finding accomodation!

...and most people are in the same boat: I enjoyed the whole process more than at undergraduate...that was just scary! What funding confirmation are you waiting for?

Lamb....chris....

Good news about the funding! You'll be fine. When I started my MA I meta student who had come from the Channel Islands with her suitcase and registration forms....she spent the induction week in a b & b and spare time phoning house shares and seeing ad's in the free papers. It may sound (and probably is stressful) but can be done, esp. if you are going to uni in a large town or city. At least you can be reassured that you have your funding (almost) sorted. That is the hardest part!

Lamb, not sure where in the UK you will be but sometimes if the uni is quite big and in a big city, there are often private halls close by. Normally a little bit more pricy that normal halls but generally cleaner, more facilities and you get to meet other postgrads.

Sounds horrible experience chrisrolinski, hope you are slightly recovered. Did you get rid of the bed?!

I'm moving into halls again in a months time for the first time in eight years. A bit scared ...

Halls are great...damn right I took full advantage of the 'free' heating and hot water during the winter months! (two showers a day, more if bored (lol) and the radiator at a toasty maximum temp)

Sigh..so warm

Anyway, yes...the bed bug guy didn't turn up (curses) so I have vacated to the living room and have ordered chemical killer.

Blood sucking vampires....your days are numbered!