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

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Hope this works. On phone with dodgy signal.

One of DS's friends is doing a degree apprenticeship - he weighed up the pros and cons of university vs DA and decided the apprenticeship would work better for him in the long run. He gets to attend a local university, work in the city and live at home as everywhere is very accessible. DS wouldn't have known what to look for to do an apprenticeship - his friend has a very definite career mapped out and is following the route that will get him there.

Everyone has a different path so do stay on this thread those with DC's going down a different route (year out/apprenticeship/job/whatever else) - still like to keep up with what everyone's DC's are up to!

And HNC, don't forget HNC!

If any of you have experience of software to type maths (algebraic expressions) I would be grateful for your advice on this thread for DS2.
It's quite a specific request and I'm worried I won't get any responses.
Thank you.

raspberry I know you've probably told her this and it doesn't help much, but Leeds is first choice for so many...and it is buzzy and exciting, and Yorkshire is great. with beautiful countryside so close to the city, my goddaughter who did music and english there said she loved the way she could get out to go on long walks, as well as go clubbing. And the Erasmus year too.

Shanghai my friend's son was a a flat for 17 people, and it wasnt sorted for ages, as he changed his course before getting in (not accepted for first choice course pure Maths) although he had always had Warwick first choice, but he loved the people in the flat, and it was surprisingly easy getting on with 17, no prima donnas with that number.

Apropos boys going to uni, a lot of people have said their sons, and daughters for that matter, just didn't cook much, despite all the preparations..and would usually just give up and have a sandwich or a frozen pizza. And would come home rather thinner than before. It seemed it was too much to think about healthy eating in first term as well as cope with the course and socialising. Their parents usually just had to accept this, (although it felt quite worrying not to intervene), pile on the roast dinners/rice pudding at home, and then it got a bit better later on, as the students copied their friends' signatures dishes!! (each person had one thing they could cook... really well)

I confess that I don't worry much about organisation. Being badly organised myself, I know one can survive on a shoestring of efficiency There will always be solutions to every legistical problem...as your dd has discovered Lobster

MrSlant how about just sewing all the scarves together and making a blanket???

I find it very demoralising knitting blankets in rows, even baby blankets seem a long haul. I can see why small bits of blanket sewn together were invented.

Packing up to go to the country again to see ds1. who we haven't heard from at all. I think he is having a nice time!! I keep sending him instructions about various things to do with offending relatives and washing up duties and get a v polite, "fine Dw soz" what's Dw I asked dd thinking it was something to do with dishwashers and she said oh that's DONT worry.

Dishwashers!

I've finally sussed the pattern. Yay!

lashings there are a few of us on here whose DCs are not going to university, so I hope you'll stay and keep us company.

DH's firm do degree apprenticeships. The apprentices work there 4 days a week, and go into uni 1 day a week. The employer pays for everything and of course the apprentice is getting paid. The graduates who are on a year out are very jealous of the degree apprentices!

There are more degree apprenticeships being launched this year e.g. the sales one was only approved to start this September. The UCAS website has some info one what the options are: www.ucas.com/alternatives/apprenticeships/apprenticeships-england/what-apprenticeships-are-available/degree-apprenticeships

Hi everyone, just checking in to say hello. I joined the FB group too and then got so spooked by all the wailing I scarpered quickly and hid from this thread too for a while. Just felt a bit overwhelmed. Can’t believe you’re already past the 100 message mark! We seem to have run out of oomph here a bit. The excitement of results has gone, and DD hasn’t got much happening so it all seems to have gone a bit flat.

Ah thanks Nettle. Its actually Leeds Festival she's at, sorry for the confusion.

She is off up to a Scottish uni in a couple of weeks.

oh dear, raspberry sorry I'm hopelessly mixing things up, I remember now you mentioned that the university was Scottish this is what comes of me not being clued up about famous festivals. Does she know anyone who has been there or going there?

We are not travelling now, due a family member feeling a bit ill. I hope that on Tuesday they will feel better.

I mean, going to Scottish university.

From experience with DD1 and now with DD2 I think the feeling a bit flat thing is normal. They and you are back to being in a holding pattern waiting for the next stage. You can only do so much in preparation.

raspberry I don't know why I have the feeling that it is Glasgow she is going to and may be completely wrong, but it is true and not just a stereotype that Glasgow people are very friendly and a lot of students from there stay at home to study so she should be surrounded by friendly folk.

I'm just catching up with you all. This thread moves fast now doesn't it?

I'm off camping with dd2 (she's 8 I don't know that she's going to be much practical help with things like putting up the tent) for a few days. Then dd1 is off to her geek festival (EMF, she's planning on playing board games all night ) after that, so I won't see her for a week.

I'm not upset about DD going to uni at all. I worry about her annoying her flatmates by being an untidy slob, but she'll just have to get on with it.

I have made a quilt for DS, it was for him to take with him and has squares of sport tops/t shirts/random crap, but now 1. It's too precious to send and 2. It's soooo heavy!!!

Now have to do something he CAN take with him

Don't worry Nettle. I wouldn't have thought of it either if DD hadn't been going.

A colleague at her summer job is already at the uni and was a major factor in helping DD. She did her accommodation application with her and explained properly about the Scottish system which is a bit different.

It was Monday afternoon before the system would let her apply for accommodation which felt a long time of not being able to do anything!

DS1 has sent a message via friends asking to be picked up from Reading tonight rather than tomorrow morning. I think he's keen to start looking into replacing his phone.

Well done Watford mummy on the quilt! But a shame he can't take it! I've not made anything for DD to take - feeling a bit guilty now. I did a photo book for her 18th birthday of photos from each year of her life, but it took so long going through all the photos I can't face that again!

Thanks for the positive vibes about dcs who are taking alternative paths after A levels. There are times e..g when FB friends are all posting pictures of dcs graduations or congratulations on obtaining uni places where it's hard to feel positive about dd taking a different direction.
The good news is that she feels very positive and has definitely reaches a decision about the sort of apprenticeship she would like.
We have been buying some more office-type clothes to replace her jeans style student wardrobe. It does help that she works as a volunteer in a charity shop with the wardrobe overhaul.

Can I join in? I have a 17 year old DD heading to Paris for her studies. We are not in the UK and DD chose not to apply to UK universities due to Brexit. Still a big change for her, from an extremely provincial not-at-all-high-achieving school to Emmanuel Macron's alma mater ;)

We were very fortunate because she had a confirmed place very early (May) which enabled her to beat the accommodation-hunting rush. She has a small studio that is decent and only costing an arm and a leg (rather than an arm and a leg AND a kidney). My Parisienne friends tell me that is a result :/ which I shall try to bear in mind every month when I pay DD's allowance...

DS is enjoying Leeds albeit wet and soggy.

I'm enjoying the peace and waiting for the return of a smelly damp child tomorrow.

I did the same for DD adrinkofwater

Waves to Mistigri. Welcome to this thread. I love Paris, I worked there for three years.

Snap starfleet. And as DD confessed to not being able to put washing on last week, she can learn by washing her own Leeds stuff!

That sounds very swish (and slightly scary) Misti! Will she be sharing with anyone?

That's a handy voluntary role catslife! What sort of apprenticeship is she interested in?

Blanket has reached the heady heights of 8cm long. It might qualify as a scarf now. Getting rsi though!

raspberry - I'm expecting him to be suffering from festival flu and possible trench foot.

We had a new washing machine a couple of weeks ago and although he read the instructions he's not actually put a wash on yet!