Class of 18. No need for new school shoes

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Old thread:www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3478916-Class-of-18-now-in-2019-blimey

A thread for those of us whose kids left school/sixth form/college a year ago. Friendly chat :)

When I was the same age as DS we had a cake starter called Hermann. I don't know where it came from originally but it came to us in a large margerine tub with instructions for care and a cake recipe. He used to live in the back of the fridge and we had cake on a regular basis for two years. This was before the internet, in the dark days when recipes came in books rather than being instantly available. My mother worked for an American company and she had one of their American cookbooks which had a section on sourdough. This was a revelation and we expanded Hermann into several different cakes and also pancakes and waffles. It is entirely possible that Hermann lives on in student kitchens in Manchester to this day, split and passed on for the last three decades.

I've had two goes at a starter for bread and was unimpressed, I'll stick to yeast. I will now go and shape the dough into 16 rolls and fill the house with the smell of fresh bread.

I have successfully managed to grow a sourdough starter and have baked an edible loaf of bread from it.

I already know how to knit a square, but am thinking of stepping up my skills to try something more ambitious.

DS has got a temporary job at a local grocery store.

Well life goes on. DS is having a lesson in the dining room, the second of the day. He's not yet worked out that unless he tells me in advance there is a chance of the washing machine starting the spin cycle mid tutorial.

I have sorted my baking woes, I bought a sack of bread flour and 500g of dried yeast. I have tried making bread with a sourdough starter on two previous occasions and it didn't go well.

Where did you get the yeast from Knitter? I'm pretty good with sourdough, but it's very 'worthy'.

I've found that I can 'attend' dds lectures. They will be totally incomprehensible, but at least I can pretend I'm part of something.

The yeast was an ebay purchase. Fermipan will do it as a search term. Watch what they are selling though, some show a full bag but the listing is for 100g. It looks to be going for around £10 including postage at the minute, if you can hold off then the price will fall I think because it's inflated at the moment. I used to buy it 500g at a time and keep it in the freezer, I'd not quite get to the end of it before it started to be a bit sluggish.

I've sat through two Zoom lessons today, I can't say that I learned anything but it seemed to be effective.

DD has no lectures for me to sit in! Finished completely until September. No exams or essays She seems very busy crocheting and talking to friends! She has tried job hunting but just missed the supermarket boom locally. Her flat mate went back today to collect the last of her belongings and get the meter readings. DD brought all her things back before lockdown.

DS1 is finishing his Master's Dissertation so will have that to proofread next week!

DS2 has a busy sixth form timetable with at least half his lessons on Teams, plus on chat to his Form Tutor. They are attempting a Y12 assembly next week!

I'm working in school two days next week will be a shock!

Ds is revising for year 2 exams and dd is now on week 9, I think, of online learning. I am bored, so ‘helping’ with online learning!

I was back in school today for only the second time. The children who were in were mainly vulnerable rather than key workers or EHCP. There is only one boy who has been in every day. The others are dipping in and out. They all seemed to have a lovely time. They were doing the same work as has been set online for everyone, so were happy to have some support I think. It was nice to see them.

DD has officially finished everything now I think. No exams for her year group. Her friend who was due to have a resit still hasn't heard what will happen about that. I think the attention has all been on the 3rd/4th years who do have exams to sit.

I'm slightly worried about whether DDs flatmate will be able to return from the USA after the Summer, but suppose we just need to cross that bridge when we come to it.

DD has signed up to be an academic "parent" next year. She's quite excited I think, and looking forward to having some fun with her "children". Her parents were fairly rubbish, and kept cancelling nights out because they 'had work to do'. Fingers crossed she loves it and gets out a bit more in 3rd year than she did in second!

DD2 and DD3 are still getting set lots of work by school, despite effectively having left. They are both plugging through it though, which is both nice and sensible of them I think.

Hello everyone,
haven't been here for a while. So what do we think? Will unis be back or students working remotely in September? I'd say it is 50-50.
Hope you all stay well.

Hope your family are back safe and sound Shanghaidiva.

I wish we knew. I've got a feeling they will work remotely the first term and transfer back in in January. I hope not, especially for the freshers. I've got a feeling that many will want to defer and it's going to have an odd impact on the following year.

I think there's going to be a massive funding crisis at most universities.

Yes, so sad. Think you might be right kitten. We have a nephew very sad to be home from Durham year one and another hoping anxiously to go to Liverpool in September!
My DD Hope's to get a bit of her year abroad.

Oh well, some people have it so tough! Has your work picked up kitten? And is your DD okay? Mine working hard for exams.

Everyone still well?

Work is about half power, which is ok really. I'm taking the opportunity to invest some time into potential future work. dd is ok, now she is 'back' working at uni. But it is hard for them isn't it.

'Investing time in future work'
What a good idea! I told my boss as we went into lockdown, this will change work and the world. I've been told some firms will now rent less space and work permanently on shifts out of the office. Game changer! When the horror is over and hopefully some therapeutics work, I hope the world works together to make it a better place! Ever the optimist! Keeps me going!

Ds1 plodding on with uni work but tbh I think he is doing less than he would normally do - the motivation from his group and all the practical stuff that gets him out of bed at uni, just isnt there. I am finding he has reverted back to his worst "holiday" self. But he is making lots of social contact, chatting on zoom and facetiming, real telephone calls so that is at least better than when he was younger and a bit depressed and solitary in year 12/13. Doesnt leave house or take any exercise besides a brief walk to supermarket occasionally. Wont engage in suggestions to find other students who might need a temporary.housemate in uni town, so that he can go back there and be more independent/get job. Very becalmed. But cheerful. Just irritatingly unhelpful...not helped by his granny giving him money for his.birthday, so he literally has no outgoings.
Dd still doing a bit of work for her a level, ds2'finished his. None of it counts but some of the work had an original deadline of may, so without doing it, teacher hasnt much to go on (this is art written component) there is definitely a difference between private and state. No formal lessons or resources or even live contact at our state schools. But that is a relief in a way and how it should.be after cutoff.

DD has been busy doing University work. She had to submit three presentations last week and has three essays to complete in the next few weeks plus two exams at the end of May. I think they are online, 24 hour type things which DD thinks will be harder than just sitting a three hour paper.

She has been furloughed from her job so is still getting paid, so with that added to her student loan for next term she is quids in at the moment.

She plans on going back to her University house next week now she has persuaded the student nurse to move into the accommodation provided by the hospital were she is starting work.

The rescue dog is proving to be a bit of a challenge ...

Our dog makes the day more bearable and the world wider. That said, I think I might have done a lot more cleaning without his adorable assistance. The house is an utter sh* tp at present, and it just doesnt seem worth missing out on snuggles on sofa with only person that tries to make polite conversation.

Would rescue dog counterintuitively like a second dog in the house so he could engage less? I think you said he was very uncuddly. That is difficult when they dont want.contact

DS is still turning in work, I think he has an essay due next week and he is supposed to be recording something. His tutor is trying to get him to submit that early, the usual method is to wait until the last minute then have something go wrong/break/need replacing which is a disaster because of lack of time. I was enjoying being out of sight of the drama and then here it is, back under my roof.

I'm still glad he is here and not at the flat because it forces me into the role of responsible adult. I wouldn't be making such a varied range of meals if it was just me but I'll make more of an effort for him.

DD is watching the odd online lecture and doing lab work using data provided by the lecturer. Her chronic fatigue has kicked in big time so she isn't able to do as much work as she should. She has an exam in three weeks, and will keep her average grade from the first semester if she passes.

Knot im glad youve got ds there, it is nice to have them in the house, but yes the dramas can feel like squeezing a dry sponge out (im.sponge) partly cos one feels their dramas should be part of their new independent lives. It is all a bit glass menagerie for me!
Ds has a discount on his acc come through, cue more scenes about whether to go back or not, and forgo discount. He didnt read email right and got completely confused,bthen stressed about belongings packed up by uni in his absence. If only there was some timeframe for bloody lckdwn exit or indication of what freedoms we might have and he could PLAN!

Poor dd.Gin, hope safe haven improves things, and hopefully more sun (raining here now, wind howling) will she return in two weeks do you think?

I really do recommend the NT Frankenstein if anyone child did itbat A level for English. Remembering all those themes made it an even richer experience to watch.Ben Cumberbatch as Creature. Superb and interesting re Science too. And History/philosophy. Ds thought the music wasnt up to much and stormed off cos it sounded "religious".'hrmmm

@Nettleskeins DD has nowhere to go back to because her halls are being used by NHS staff as they are next to the hospital. The summer term's hall fees have been waived because she came home in March.

The second year house contract starts in July.

My DD would love a house with friends right now, despite us giving her two rooms to herself!!! Oh dear, we are so not fashionable now!

Have been trying recipes but not bread yet, will give that a go.

I have a carefree cat no dog! They always look so cute in park but sense need so much attention. I did have a challenge of another cat though who was territorial and not always clean! Sadly she died last year.

I've been watching all the NT plays. They are great!