Class of 18. No need for new school shoes

Hope everything goes well with her exams @RampantIvy

I'm glad I have found you. I was in this group when DD was doing A levels at the same time as everyone else's DC, and have had a name change since then. DD took a gap year and is now in her third year in Newcastle. She caught covid in the middle of her dissertation, but managed to get it over the line a day early. She spent every day bar three working on her presentation over the Easter holidays and managed to get through that, and now she is on the final stretch with exams until 10th June, then a few more weeks in her students house with her friends to relax and party.

Then graduation, her birthday and home.

Due to ongoing health issues she hasn't made any plans for after her degree, but is hoping to spend some time to improve her mental and physical health and then apply for a masters next year.

I have often wondered how eceryone's DC got on so I'm pleased I spotted this thread.

That's great @Bronzegate there have been three TAs do in school ITT this year. They only had to leave us to gain experience in another school. If he loves his school he should look in to that.

Nice to see updates on some of the young adults from the group.

DS is working as a TA and considering applying for a PGCE course. It looks as though he'll get a graduation ceremony this summer (delayed from 2021).

Ooh, nice to find you all.

DD is just finishing the fourth year. It's been a difficult time, she was on line until December. She has been granted a dissertation extension until the summer, not quite there yet. Then she'll come home and recover I think.

@Knotaknitter I think I probably saw your DS in Sheffield in January? Congratulations to him they were fab. Youngest DS went for Maths in the end and is at a uni very close to your DS.

My older DS gets a graduation ceremony in July two years late, which I'm looking forward to!

It's so lovely to hear from you all. Ds1 is now in his fourth year, he's recently had his white coat ceremony and sworn an oath to care for animals.
It's still hard to believe that he starts his rotations soon and only has one more year until he graduates.

Oh hello. I’d lost this log in but have accidentally found it.

Dd had started a Masters but chose the wrong subject and has just decided to withdraw. Sad for her but glad she’s made the decision. She’s started applying for loads of temporary jobs and permanent positions but is no longer sure about what she wants to do.

The world is so upside down it’s hard to see the horizon.

How is your DS?

It must be such a relief for you to have her at home @NoHaudinMaWheest and so great for you to be back in my favourite city. It's DH and my long term plan to move back there too.

Hello great to hear how everyone is getting on.

Dd is still doing her course part-time so she is now 3rd year part 1.
We moved to her university city in September last year (moving back home for me ) and so she is living at home which makes things much easier for her.
She is enjoying the course but not really getting to know many people as there as still restrictions and she struggles with social interaction anyway.

Lovely to read all the updates.
Ds is enjoying his job. It plays to all strengths: problem solving, attention to detail, using his own initiative and best of all, making people adhere to rules and regulations...he was born to be an auditor!
Certificate level exams all complete with two more stages to go. The next set of exams will be later this year and he will spend a lot of time on study leave from June/July. He is currently in the middle of the busy season for audit so pretty demanding time-wise, but he seems to be managing well, has made friends at work (playing football for office team) and enjoys living in his own flat.
Dd has GCSEs this summer so we will soon be back on the exam/uni hamster wheel. She has more mocks this week, but self isolating due to covid so I guess her mocks will be next week.

I love a reunion!

DD is trucking along nicely. She's in yr 4 of 5 and enjoying being in the labs finally after two years out of them. She's narrowing down project groups for her final year and realising that though she has kept saying it was too hard to decide which direction to go in, she is actually fairly clear (I think!).

She still doesn't live the student life much. She's got a very small and tight knit group of friends and they tend to socialise in each other's flats with cake, tea and Only Connect or Bake Off more than anything DH or I got up to as students. However, they all seem very nice, if a little serious, so we are happy for her. A couple of break ups within the group are causing some tension currently, but it gives them something different to talk about!

She's still walking everywhere. Reluctant to get on the bus to labs because her flat mate is vulnerable and she doesn't want to infect her with anything. I wish she would vary her exercise, but at 22 I realise that it is down to her now! She's a quiet soul, who is slowly finding her way.

Well hello there! DS is on a four year course so he's still a student. I'd like to say that things returned to normal this year but it's not quite there yet. He seems to have his final recital and project under control. I think he had the panic over the project last summer when it turned out he'd missed the submission date for the proposal by assuming that because it had 2022 in the title it could be ignored. That was an important life lesson right there.

@ShanghaiDiva - hope things are going well for your DS. How is he enjoying his job?

All good here with DS - part way through his post grad, he wasn't sure about it initially but is now enjoying it. He is living at home and commuting as are most of his course.

He is more relaxed. It was difficult when he moved home after 3 years a away and it took him a while to settle back.

He does drive back to his old university city often as a few good friends have stayed for their post grad courses and 4 of his old halls flatmates/2nd year house share are back from in year in industry. He is also back playing football with them after his achilles injury last year.

We have an actual graduation ceremony in April - I'm quite excited and have bought a new frock. Him not so much.......

@OhYouBadBadKitten
@Knotaknitter
@UrsulaPandress
@HardwickWhite
@starfleet
@Bronzegate
Apologies for all the tagging! How are you and your dcs?

Ds moved into his flat last week and has been surprisingly productive: joined the gym, worked out route to work, changed electricity suppliers, started baking again..
It’s great to see him so enthusiastic after 18 months of moaning!

Congratulations to your DS Shanghai.

DD deferred her exams, so is currently doing those. She has been told lectures are online next year, at least until Christmas. Seminars would be in person, but her particular courses will also be online as the lecturers are vulnerable.

Bronzegate such a shame about graduation.

DS and I just "attended" his "graduation ceremony" on Zoom. The whole thing was 20 minutes long. A lot of that was taken up with technical difficulties, awkward silences waiting for the transition to the next segment, and interruptions from unmuted guests. The speech from the head of DS's subject department had been pre-recorded and had no sound.

Fortunately DS didn't have high expectations, and was able to laugh about it. I'm just relieved that (at his request) we hadn't made an event out of it (hiring a gown, inviting family etc).

Some of his friends had hoped for a proper graduation, so he's a little disappointed for them.

DD is heading back to her uni town today and will be staying till Christmas we expect. She has taken her beloved but very elderly and frail cat with her on the 7hr journey because the vet thinks it a safer bet than him staying in our house with building work going on. He's blind and very slow so really wouldn't be safe with walls moving etc.

DD has been told not to expect much face to face first semester. For her it may be nothing till labs restart. She's hoping to get a part time job somewhere, maybe tutoring or something without fixed hours.

Fourth year here she comes!

It’s a 2:1 for ds.
He’s home with us for just over a month and then moving to Southampton to start as an associate with a chartered accountancy firm. His exam prep materials for his professional exams arrive next week and he needs to clear all his stuff out from the loft so fun times ahead. I’m looking forward to a dramatically lower grocery bill.

Thanks @UrsulaPandress - I have found it now! Sorry for your DD and all the others who have been caught in this trap.

Many congratulations to your DS Bronzegate, what great news after such a grim time.

Congratulations, what lovely news.