Page 20 | Thread 18 - Corona Cohort Enrolling to Year 13 2021, Invasive Infections & Uni Uncertainty

Monkey2001 · 18/08/2021 10:09

Feeling glad that Shambala was cancelled as DS would have missed Freshers and start of term if he caught it there - he is moving back 4th September.

Fferny1 · 18/08/2021 10:13

There are reports in the newspapers today about the very high levels
of positives from Boardmasters. Lots of 100% positives in friendship groups apparently.

I've got one as well who''s refusing to engage with any uni open days as well. I don't think he even knows what he wants to do & I'm not making decisions for him. He's only recently turned 17 and is too young to plan at all it seems.

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 18/08/2021 10:18

Dh, ds and dd went for a mooch round Warwick yesterday: very positive reception: but I don’t think they could imagine it with students in!! Ds will definitely be happier in a campus uni: hoping to look at Bath, Bristol and maybe Exeter as part of our West Country hols next week - Durham tour booked for September… ds is still
Immersed in EPQ and not engaging with courses/uni choice much, but is starting to think no to trying for Cambridge (slightly sad about that but I do think he might not get on with the pressure so I can see where he’s coming from)

blahblahblah321 · 18/08/2021 10:25

That's a worry about Boardmasters, DS and friends are going to Reading next week - although fortunately (or unfortunately?!) most had Covid last month and DS a few months ago, so I'm hoping they'll have antibody protection..

20newnames · 18/08/2021 10:31

NCTDN yes, let us know what you think! DS says he’d be ok at Bristol or Durham but would much prefer the campus aspect.

Monkey Exeter is not on our list as it’s just too far away. Bath and Bristol are already 3hrs but the extra hour or so just pushes Exeter out of the equation for DS.

Andwhenyougetthere DS has just decided in the last week that he is not applying to Cambridge. It was all he ever wanted up until six months ago,but actually I think it is the right decision. He is predicted AAAA so stood a chance of getting in but said he doesn’t want to work that hard to just be average. I can see that from a work life balance point of view he is right. My only concern is that he’ll regret not trying. But he says he wouldn’t want to go even if he got in so he’s clear on that. (Nothing to do with not having to cram for entrance exams, honest!!)

Glad to hear that your lot liked Warwick, I haven’t been for decades but it is on our list for the next few weeks. At least we can say trip there.

20newnames · 18/08/2021 10:33

That is a worry about boardmasters. DS is doing Reading next week but has at least had one jab so fingers crossed…

Seeline · 18/08/2021 10:43

WE're hoping to fit in a trip to Exeter in the next couple of weeks too. Don't r really know anything about that one at all.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 18/08/2021 10:55

So, I spoke too soon…

DD has tested positive this morning, after going to Boardmasters, and having first vacc (sharing a tent with 3 friends, all of whom have also had first vacc, with one having had both vaccs).

Unfortunately, she’s been camping out in DS’s room with him, since getting home on Monday, as we decided to decorate her room while she was away. 🤦‍♀️

Volterra · 18/08/2021 11:03

Really sorry to hear that Piccolo 💐 I got the impression it had just started kicking off amongst the kids down there shortly before Boardmasters started. Hope she makes a speedy recovery.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 18/08/2021 11:19

Thanks, Volterra.
She woke up with a sore throat and runny nose, which is why she took a LFT test. We’ll order a PCR fo her.
DH and I have just tested negative, so just have to hope we stay that way.

Zandathepanda · 18/08/2021 11:22

Piccolo sorry to hear about Dd. My older Dd said everyone she knew that went there has tested positive - I read your message and had my fingers crossed for you.
I’m in half a mind that it might have been better to get in now anyway to take the fear away of going back to school. Apart from a weekend taking Dd1 back to a new Uni flat, discovering it was inhabitable, and packing it all back in the car and driving back down again, we haven’t been anywhere. And Dd has lots of coursework she’s put off too. Did get to spend the night at Jesmond Dene hotel which I have always wanted to go to - justified the price of a suite because we have had zero holidays since 2019.

MidLifeCrisis007 · 18/08/2021 13:05

DD is another positive from Boardmasters. Official PCR result came in first thing this morning.

However as someone said on Twitter, given the state of the portaloos down there they were more concerned about catching cholera than Covid!!

Reading Festival is going to be a disaster for those schools that go back the following week. So many new Year 12s and 13s will be carrying the virus.

Monkey2001 · 18/08/2021 14:14

Sorry to hear about the Boardmaster positives. My niece was also at least single and possibly double jabbed, which might have reduced severity, but did not prevent her getting it.

Agree re Reading and impact on start of term as it is so popular with 16/17 year olds. School starts on 6th Sep for us, so people who are carrying it will hopefully know by then! I think for the young ones the isolation is the worst bit, most have an unpleasant few days, but it is inconvenient more than alarming.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 18/08/2021 14:32

MidLife, DD tried to tell me about the loos, but I was gagging at the first mention of them! 🤢

MidLifeCrisis007 · 18/08/2021 14:49

@Alsoplayspiccolo

MidLife, DD tried to tell me about the loos, but I was gagging at the first mention of them! 🤢

There is a brilliant TicToc doing the rounds of the loos. Seeing is believing!

DD goes back to school on 1st Sept - worryingly close to Reading. (She's alright as she'll be recovered by then and hopefully have some immunity to reinfection..... well near term at least).

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore · 18/08/2021 15:53

I’m NOT going to google for pics of those loos!! Sorry to hear about the ‘positive’ results @MidLifeCrisis007 @Alsoplayspiccolo. Dh was in work yesterday and suddenly felt really rough: did a PCR (he works in a lab - not COVID but they have the capacity to test in house) but luckily negative as I might have killed him given we are due on hols next week!! Only uk but still!

MidLifeCrisis007 · 18/08/2021 16:49

To be honest DD coming down with Covid couldn't have come at a better time! We were on holiday last week and she was just planning on some down time between now and Reading anyway, so this is forcing her to recharge her batteries a bit at home - who knows, she might even get her physics books out

I'm so pleased she'll be going back to school with some immunity to the virus... it should prevent further disruption to her schooling!

I doubt any of the Boardmaster positives will become very ill - most would have been in need of a few days R&R anyway! They do party hard at these festivals!

Nard75 · 18/08/2021 17:15

DS1 doesn't want to engage in any open days either. His first choice is Warwick for which he has done the on line open day but apart from that he said he doesn't see the point in actually visiting any universities. He is predicated A's so could give Oxbridge a try but said the application process is too difficult. We were disappointed by this as we feel that even if he gave it a try there is no guarantee he would get a place and he could always decline it if it wasn't for him. We have left it at that as he doesn't want to discuss it at the moment.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 18/08/2021 17:17

DD has been on such a high since she got home that some forced r&r will do her the world of good.
Unfortunately, it means that we’ve had to cancel what might be the last appointment with her ADHD consultant, before she’s moved over to adult services, and poor DS now has to wait another 6 weeks to have his braces removed 😩

Piggywaspushed · 18/08/2021 17:25

Just got back from Cambridge where I held up well. Think we walked about 10 miles...

The in town colleges were annoyingly all closed up but we did mooch around Homerton, Selwyn and Fitzwilliam, which were all beautiful in the sunshine. DS seemed to like Homerton because there are shops nearby but Selwyn seemed the most secluded and calm.

By the end DH and DS were sulking a lot a bit about all the walking. I normally hate a walk but there were no hills!

Monkey2001 · 18/08/2021 17:45

@Alsoplayspiccolo as of Monday the household of somebody who tested positive no longer have to isolate, are you sure DS can't have his braces removed?

Heifer · 18/08/2021 18:00

So sorry to hear about all the positives from Boardmasters - hopefully minor symptoms.

DD is off to Leeds next week but had covid last week so she should be fine.

I can't say I really enjoyed our mini trip to Nottingham and York tbh. We got stuck in traffic on the way to Nottingham and was 4 hrs late. Which didn't give us much time to look at Nottingham, after we walked around the hockey Centre (which was fantistic and DD loved) DD decided we didn't need to get out of the car so ended driving around the campus she would be applying to), she got to see how close the onsite accommodation is and liked it along with the Science bits and medical centre so was happy enough to sit in the car instead of getting out and walking around - can't say I was impressed with her after being stuck in a car all that time, I thought we needed to walk around but it was late and we needed to get on to travel to York - and to be fair I guess we did see everything we needed to (apart from Nottingham city itself).

York - well I LOVED it. DD liked it but not enough. She hated West Campus (it didn't look great tbh) and was a bit like a stroppy teenager who didn't want to be there walking around doing the tour. She didn't moan but you know the body language. Obviously not loving it. She did perk up when she saw the Biology building and greenhouses and she did say the East Campus accomodation looked ok but it won't be top of her list, although she isn't ruling it out, I think it may be 1 of the 5 but who knows.

We will be visiting Bath, Bristol and Swansea in late Sept.

@Piggywaspushed - sounds like you did well on your cambridge tour, I did smirk at your DS and DH moaning about all the walking.

Thanks for the heads up re Bath slope - tbh I had forgotten about that - it's been years since I've been there - and have never had to walk to the uni, always walked around the city after catching the train - or been driven up to the hockey pitches at the top so never walked the slope.

I can't believe where the time has gone - only a few weeks left and DD has so much to do. I don't feel like she has got the rest she needed or the fun either! Damn Covid, although she wasn't that ill, it's still 10 days of feeling rough etc.

Piggywaspushed · 18/08/2021 18:06

York West Campus does need TLC and it has less green spaces by the old colleges these days because of expansion. One great feature is the covered walkways, though! No getting wet! Also, no hills...

Monkey2001 · 18/08/2021 18:13

Piggy glad the Cambridge trip went well, it is a lovely place. @Nard75 I think you should heave a sigh of relief that DS doesn't want to apply! It is a wonderful place, the amount of contact time they get is fantastic BUT the application process really draws you in and they sort of fall in love with the place! We went through it twice with DS1, he was predicted 3 A*s from a pretty average school, one of the top scorers at GCSE, got a very high admission score, threw his heart into it and was rejected twice. Each time it hit him really hard - I was very pleased that DS2 has no interest in Oxbridge. I don't know whether he still hankers after it, I hope not as he loves St Andrews, but some people carry the rejection with them and you would spare your child that if you could. Obviously some get in and love it, but should only apply if they are passionate about the course and subject and love studying, not because they are clever and love Oxbridge or the idea of Oxbridge.

Heifer · 18/08/2021 18:36

@Piggywaspushed

York West Campus does need TLC and it has less green spaces by the old colleges these days because of expansion. One great feature is the covered walkways, though! No getting wet! Also, no hills...

To be fair on West Campus there were loads of green spaces, but just old and tired. DH is (was) a Landscape architect so we got the full flippin tour chat of what was wrong with the upkeep etc, the design was ahead of its time etc etc. DD was happy to listen as DH can do nothing wrong in her eyes... On the East campus as it's newer there is much less shrubbery so it easier to see it all, whilst West Campas lots of green space pops up but lots of bushes and Willows etc. And geese, lots of geese.

Re Nottingham being too big, we only looked at University Park Campus as that is all DD would need to be on, so that probably helped her decide she loved it.