Class of '18 nattering as they head in different directions.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Hope this works. On phone with dodgy signal.

Meanwhile on the "notgoingtouni" bench, there is no sign of a positive direction. One apprenticeship dd has applied for has extended their deadline and said they are now offering 2 apprenticeships rather than 1. We are not sure if this a good or bad sign, but they haven't actually rejected her application yet!
She has been saying goodbye to friends going off to uni. One has skyped to show new room in halls. She has some friends in year below or having gap years, so not totally alone. But I think she is finding it difficult in some ways.

Catalife that's does sound quite difficult for your dd, to see friends and peers moving on with the net stage of their lives and not being able to move on yet.

I still feel terrible that I forgot about a friend who didn't go to university when I did. I called in on a visit back one time and she had lost her Dad and was so sad. Friend, I'm really sorry.

I think I sit on 3 benches. Going, not going and been but not sorted next steps.

Good thing I have got a big bum!

Yes, farewells are being said. This has been their support network through so many 'firsts'.

A few of DS friends aren't going to university this time. One is re- sitting a couple of A Levels, one has just started Yr 13 as he had to re-start Yr 12 last year due to ill health and one is moving abroad for university, another is doing a degree apprenticeship so staying home and will be attending one of the local universities.

There are different paths for everyone, but hopefully they'll all find their way and will get to do what they want to however they get there.

I have vacuum packed everything! Clothes, bedding, towels -the whole bloomin lot!

I wonder if I can vacuum pack dds bedroom when she goes, keep it all dust free and tidy?

Yay. DS has got a job! 22 hour a week, but hopefully he'll be able to pick up overtime. I'm thinking he needs to save about £500 a month towards next year

OK, he has estimated his budget. After subtracting accommodation, meal plan (breakfast and dinner), bus pass, gym membership and phone contract, he will be left with £60 per week for:

• Food shopping for packed lunches & snacks
• Alcohol and going out
• Loo roll, toiletries etc
• Occasional expenses e.g. clothes, haircut

That's brilliant Derek! Well done to your lad :)

I don't know if that's tight or not Third, if it's just for term time, it sounds ok?

I have no idea either.
I expect he's about to find out...

DS's work said that they will transfer him if he wants them to. They will also give him hours over the Christmas holidays at home. He's not sure about transferring until he gets there as not sure how far he will need to travel.

Derek well done to your ds.

the third that sounds ok to me though I suppose it depends how much alcohol features.

I have just come back from depositing ds in his university city. He has suspended studies until January as he got totally overwhelmed half way through his 2nd year. He seems much happier now and is going to do quite a bit of voluntary work and get used to living in a shared house rather than in halls. His shared house is a converted pub.

Dd is ok though getting a bit tired and overwhelmed with all the admin and organising she has to do. Her timetable still isn't finalised which she finds frustrating as it makes other arrangements difficult, but that is the down side of having so much choice of outside subjects.
She is however going to choir practice tonight at the local church we visited when I was up with her. They have a good choir and she loves singing so I hope it goes well.

DS super socks arrived (with our faces on them). So funny, I absolutely love them!

"though I suppose it depends how much alcohol features"

A significant amount in freshers week. DD's BF lost his debit card last night because he was drunk.

ds really is not used to going out or drinking.

I'm going to have to rewarn him about perils of losing id/debit cards/phones when intoxicated/distracted, as he has no idea and has never even travelled anywhere after a party apart from the Prom which he came back from in a taxi.

Oh dear, Lonicera, I think you are our unvarnished window into what is really going on up there, out there, as they wouldn't usually this volunteer this info directly to us humble mothers.

Third that sounds quite generous. we are giving him 260 per calendar month to cover all food, phone, entertainment clothes, toiletries, travel home, roughly 65 a week. But then again, it is your ds's own money, he has earned it and saved up.

Dc1 has started college. There is a mix of school leavers and graduates in the class for the first week. The school leavers have found the lecture style of teaching a little,difficult at first, as well as the volume of work. I have tried to reassure him that courses often start with a heavy workload, and then they lighten off.

He has also,discovered his wages are higher than originally thought, so was s week he has cooked a pasta/mince concoction, hpjacket potato and beans on toast (not all at once).

He sounded tired last night, a touch of ‘fresher flu’? Also, he says it’s hard work coming in, having to cook, think about washing etc, rather than leaving it all up,to ‘mum’.

Good luck to,all those leaving in the next few days,

Dd if she doesn’t find a job will have £100 per month to live on
£90 once her eye care and Spotify have gone out
Realistically it is only for October and November as she is home early December
Dd likes alcohol but is more of a bar person rather than clubbing

She leaves next week! Our birthday is next week and she will be 20! where does time go?

OYBBK - let me know if it works on the bedroom. I might try the same technique on DS

The vacuum packed pillows pouffed up beautifully as soon as the seal was broken. Even better, they didn't unseal until I wanted them to.

He has a subject timetable for next week (which is welcome/fresher's week), there's a lot going on. I'm glad about that because I did wonder whether it would be endless hours of boredom but it looks like he has something every day.

Spoke to DS this evening, and he feels unwell, and skipped some classes today. Now i’m Worrying he doesn’t like it. Hoping i’m Overthinking it, and he sounds down because he feels unwell.

(I hope,he hasn’t discovered this thread! )

Was tempted to,ask,if he had a potato masher earlier!

Petals hope everything's ok. Maybe nerves are affecting him? x

cats adding another apprenticeship position sounds positive to me. Maybe they haven't replied yet because they were working out what they actually need - and that process has resulted in an extra position? Hope things work out x

derek that's fantastic news! Maybe 22 hours a week will be good for a while - get him used to working before he increases his hours? I hope he enjoys it as much as DD is enjoying her new job. She's much calmer now, so I think the heightened anxiety levels were a lot to do with nerves about the job.

"Oh dear, Lonicera, I think you are our unvarnished window into what is really going on up there, out there, as they wouldn't usually this volunteer this info directly to us humble mothers."

I am only privy to what DD tells me, so I don't know the full story, but the picture I am getting is that freshers week involves drinking enormous amounts of alcohol. He has been there since Sunday and has been out drinking until the early hours every night. Sadly, I think that coming from a rather claustrophobic family means that he is in serious danger of going completely off the rails now that he is away from them.

When do they start going to lectures? It sounds like one giant festival at the moment.

Freshers or welcome week is usually just the first week and then lectures start. There is a fair amount of admin to do in the first week too.
Some universities are better than others at putting on social events that don't involve alcohol.
(Not that dd has been to either type)

Oh Petal sorry to hear your son is unwell
and that His first day of college was hard.

Hopefully things will soon look up.