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 :)

Hope everyone adjusts back Shanghai. What a weird ending for you.

Gosh - you're all still here!

I haven't checked in for a while.

Hi starfleet :)

Warwick has confirmed that lectures will be online and seminars in person. All students need to be back at the university by 11th January for this year to count towards their degree. Ds will go back at the end of September for his final year.

That must be a bit of a strange ending for you Shanghai but 2020 has been the year of the unexpected.

Unite has given DS a timeslot for moving in that is two days before his tenancy starts which is strange. It's also the one day in a three month period where I have something on the calendar and can't take him.

It's all so tenuous this year isn't it. And it's the year where they need to think about jobs or masters. I have no idea how all that works.

This is the first time since he started that I've been glad that DS is on a four year course

I bet. dds course is four year as long as they get a first in the third year. It makes it really hard to plan for them.

DD is in Scotland so also four years. I've also been grateful DS1 achieved his ambition of PhD offer. More than one of his graduating colleagues this year have had job offers withdrawn.

@Knotaknitter

This is the first time since he started that I've been glad that DS is on a four year course

And I'm glad that DD had a gap year and is staring her second year.

Unite has given DS a timeslot for moving in that is two days before his tenancy starts which is strange.

IDD was in a Unite hall last year and was offered a couple of days for free prior to beginning of the official rental period, so not sure whether this might be a 'Unite thing' in normal years - but this year using their 'flexi' period to allocate official moving in slots?

We aren't sure which day dd is moving back in, or whether she still has the room she had picked. I hope so. Her college were already looking at rearranging things so that the larger kitchen shares could spread out more. Then this whole debacle with the exams happened and now they have to find more space.

Hello all. How are we?

Coming on to ask for ideas for DDs 21st presents. She's already had a big one (car as her other was written off in an accident) but any ideas for 'smallish' gifts? I'm doing her a photo album with pictures of her with my mum and dad. Getting her a framed print of an old photo we found whilst clearing out the conservatory when the floor collapsed (don't ask) and I'm hoping to have some semi precious stones I purchased many years ago in Egypt set into some jewellery. Hit me with your inspirational ideas please!

In other news, had to have rescue Spaniel pts - during lockdown. I now have another who appears to be on speed but is also the biggest cuddle monster ever.

That was an update and a half there Ursula.

I have absolutely no idea about 21st presents, my parents bought me a drop dead gorgeous gold watch for mine, which I still have. I've just looked at a few photos and I think it needs to be a named item on the house insurance. A friend bought me a really good dictionary - I still have that too. The jewellery sounds lovely - one off with history, does it get better than that? Apart from that the only thing I could think of is a gold pen/pencil set - something she could still be using in forty years time.

I'm sorry to hear that you've had such interesting times, I'm more sorry about the dog more than the conservatory floor to be fair.

It was such a shame for pts Spaniel, but his behaviour had got worse and worse. He bit me as I mentioned earlier, but it got to the point where if I was sitting downstairs in the evening DD had to phone me to say she was coming down so that I could take him outside.

During the hot weather if I was sitting outside and he was with me, if anyone appeared round the corner of the house (DD or DH) he wouldn't let them approach. He then bit DH quite badly and the following morning would not let him down the stairs into the kitchen.

Then one day he was inside with DH as it was very hot. I came into the kitchen to get a drink and he wouldn't let me in. I had to use a kitchen chair like a lion tamer to get to the sink. He then went to get me round the other side of the table and I had to use the chair to get into the conservatory and exit the house that way.

I think he had something neurological going on. His eyes were a bit unseeing some times and he had little interaction with people (apart from trying to savage you). I like to think he had a happy 8 months with us.

Yikes, he does not sound like he was sort of dog that was liveable with.

I don't know about 21st presents. We were looking at a nice weekend away somewhere for dd, but that's not happening.

A nice handbag?

dd is impossible. She's not into anything like clothes or makeup (which is just as well as I'd have no clue where to start). Nowhere to keep a car of her own.

I'm sorry to hear about your dog woes Ursula. I have no advice re 21st birthday presents I'm afraid. Are 21 year old girls that into handbags? I'm not so sure. Or maybe DD and her friends aren't into designer stuff.

Sorry I haven't updated for a while. DS is planning to head back to Leicester in a couple of weeks. He will be living alone, so is hoping to form a support bubble with five friends who'll be sharing a house. Otherwise he won't have any face to face interaction apart from the occasional seminar (which might be moved online).

Ursula, sorry to hear the sad news about your dog.

Have all the DC headed back? DD has been back for two weeks now, but more and more of the things she was told would be face to face are preparing to go online. I can't decide if I am fretting overly or not. She has much more space to study at her flat. Her room at home is tiny, but of her flat mate goes home, I'd really not want her on her own. Tbh, though we are not in local lock down yet, we are on the watch list, so she is probably better where she is. That isn't stopping me from worrying though!

DS has had a full week's tuition, his flatmates have all moved in bar one. He was told 50% of his hours would be online and as he's not complaining about it I'm assuming that's what he's getting.

dd heads back this week. She is utterly desperate to go back.

DD has been back all summer as her job is in her University city. She has been popping back and forth but has now decided as more students return that she had better not as DH is 'vulnerable'. So vulnerable that he has decided not to visit her on her 21st on Saturday so I'm going over with cake and presents, taking her and two of her mates out for a late lunch, then some cocktails then they are off to an 'event' and I've booked myself into a hotel for the night.

I'm really looking forward to it.

Good for you Ursula. I reckon you'll be fine this weekend if there are no current regs in your dds area.

I'm classified as vulnerable, but nothing will stop me from seeing dd, unless it is actually against the law (in which case I will consider the circumstances) or if she has an active covid infection and she's coping well with it.