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Original poster

Thread 19 - Corona Cohort, Enrolling on Year 13, hopefully NOT unlucky for some

999 replies

OrangeCinnamonCocktail · 02/09/2021 22:37

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OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 20/09/2021 13:51

Bristol has had a druggy rep for ages. It really puts me off it.

Various social studies have shown that universities with a high proportion of students form elite public schools have more of a drugs issue. Leeds is becoming more popular with that set so maybe that's the connection...

Piggywaspushed · 20/09/2021 13:54

I still think alcohol and binge drinking is probably the bigger and more realistic threat to most.

As a parent, it feels scary. DS has barley drunk any alcohol and has definitely never been anywhere near a drug.

It's quite a big deal in my mind because it's how my sister broke her back but don't want to scare anyone!

EssentiallyDisorganised · 20/09/2021 14:06

I don't think either of mine has tried drugs, they virtually never go to parties. DS drinks the occasional bottle of Kopparbeg but that's it so far. Alcohol and spiking are my biggest worries.

estherfrewen · 20/09/2021 14:25

DS says definitely drugs in his (state) school - dealers come from Leeds. Year 12 he told us about someone hanging round outside school and selling stuff and he went to Police to make report about it with DH. Hoping so many years of sport means he will never be tempted. I worry about alcohol when he goes to Uni as he has never really drunk at all and am concerned he may go crazy! He is so disapproving if we ever have a beer at home it is like living with a maiden aunt sometimes .

Predicted grades out today and UCAS form needs to be in by Friday. Will be so happy to see the back of that personal statement now. App,Yong for either history/ancient or medieval history depending on the Uni.

Monkey2001 · 20/09/2021 14:33

There is certainly a lot of cannabis around in Bristol, I smell it in parks when dog walking. When DS was in Y8 he had a friend in same year who had a phone number for his drug dealer, I thought that a very alarming thing. Thankfully the friends left the school. It was sad because he was a super bright boy with no motivation to work.

Agree about rich kids being a draw for dealers.

Piggywaspushed · 20/09/2021 14:35

Oh, don't get me wrong - there are drugs . Schools do have drugs ; just not everywhere!!

Oblomov21 · 20/09/2021 16:00

Yes my ds is on Roaccutane. He has only been on the since July. He was only on 20mg, lowest dose. Went to 40mg for a week, constant nosebleeds at night, went back to 20. Joe says he wants to quit. Sad

I feel very differently to all of you re the drugs at Uni. I don't see it as a problem. It is, if you have a generally addictive personality, MH issues. In which case that is something that any parent would be working on : monitoring their child's well-being anyway. My 2 are so anti drugs, fitness fanatics, they get on my nerves as I sit down to watch Scarface, with a glass of wine and a family pack of crisps. They seem horrified that I tried a few spliffs at Uni. So I guess it's not a concern for which Uni my ds applies for. Don't most that aren't interested just not mix with those that do?

Oblomov21 · 20/09/2021 16:12

Crazy let me know if I can be of any assistance re Roaccutane.

crazycrofter · 20/09/2021 16:16

Thanks @Oblomov21 and sorry he’s getting disheartened. Dd had it and it took at least 6 months to do anything. But she didn’t suffer too many side effects. Her skin has got worse again though recently. Ds is mainly concerned about muscle aches, given he works out every day.

I’m not too worried about drugs. Cannabis is ubiquitous now anyway isn’t it, you smell it everywhere and some of dd’s friends have been smoking it since year 9. Other drugs - it seems to be a certain ‘set/type’. Dd won’t touch them I’m sure. Ds has ADHD and is a risk taker/impulsive so I worry about him. But if he wants to take drugs I can’t stop him!

crazycrofter · 20/09/2021 16:17

@Oblomov21 has it affected his fitness routine?

Delphigirl · 20/09/2021 16:45

Oblomov the difficulty comes when all your flatmates are chopping lines of ket and coke on the kitchen table and it is an accepted part of going out every night - there is a lot of pressure on you if you are the kid that doesn’t want to let involved and it frankly isn’t much fun if everyone in your flat is out of their heads all night every night

Oblomov21 · 20/09/2021 17:00

Yes he's had loads of side effects, all common and known about: the dry skin obviously. hair receding, muscle aches, back pain, knee pain, trying to think what else, the feeling of brain fog, emotional rollercoaster.

Oblomov21 · 20/09/2021 17:01

Yes he's struggled with boxing because of it. And disturbed sleep because of severely pouring nosebleeds 3 or 4 times per night.

Fiddlersgreen · 20/09/2021 17:05

@Oblomov21 I am moving to 10mg roaccutane so your DS can try a lower dose if he wants to. The dermatologist said it will help with side effects to be on a lower dose

Oblomov21 · 20/09/2021 17:09

Delph of course that goes on too. I myself have seen more Coke than an ice-cube has. A bit in Portsmouth for my BA, tonnes in Bristol for my MA.

Was that in year 1? Your Brum Uni Ds1? When you move out of shared accommodation in year 1, and choose who you share with in year 2, it might be slightly easier to move again?

Oblomov21 · 20/09/2021 17:10

Cheers Fiddler. He's very anti any medication right now. Sad Which I'm particularly gutted about because you will recall how hard I had to fight to get him on Roaccutane in the first place.

Oblomov21 · 20/09/2021 17:14

He's says it's like he's been medicated for 4 months and not felt at all like himself.

Fiddlersgreen · 20/09/2021 17:22

Yes I remember the struggle you had.
That’s a shame but after 20+ years on the pill (on and off, mostly on!) I know how he feels!
Maybe best he takes a break and revisits the idea later on. Does his skin look better?

Delphigirl · 20/09/2021 17:51

Hi oblomov, no Brum DS has been fine in his flat. In Brum there are drugs of all sorts around, most dabble, some a hardcore, some don’t touch it, but there seems to be room for all. He has been describing to me what he saw in Leeds when up for the weekend. I think if he had been put in a flat with his schoolmate’s Leeds flatmates he would have really struggled to cope. Schoolmate seems to have embraced it even though he was a pretty straightforward beer-drinking medical student when he arrived, because that’s what everyone is doing there. DS is v worried about him.

Piggywaspushed · 20/09/2021 18:54

I have such a blind spot for drugs. I am a v open minded person and, as a teacher, have seen and heard all sorts. But I remain a 'just say no' type. Never done any myself (even though I was very suggestible re drink and stuff as a teen), never even saw drugs until , of all things, my PGCE! (Maybe York is as coy and sheltered as those tables suggest! Did PGCE in Nottingham). It's the lack of control, and the Leah Betts type stories, I guess (and my sister) and me being risk averse these days. I honestly also don't think cannabis is as widespread as all that. Alcohol still the chief poison of choice!

Also, I like sleep : would drive me mad to be with party hard types.

Monkey2001 · 20/09/2021 19:26

Must be the old Grange Hill "Just Say No" song still teaching into your life!

I think it is a generational thing. I have never been offered drugs of any sort, or knowingly seen people taking them, although my mum tried a bit on the 60s. My dad died of lung cancer when I was 16, so maybe that was similar to your experience with your sister suffering from excess.

@Delphigirl that is a sad story about your DS's medic friend, there is so much pleasure to be found at university without drugs. Your DS sounds like a lovely friend, hope the drugs do not get out of control.

Heifer · 20/09/2021 19:37

I just asked DD to name name unis that you associated with drugs- Straight off the bat Bristol and then asked her to name a northern one and she said Leeds - so it is well known even amongst unstreetwise Y13s on the Wirral...
I was pushing her to look at Bristol this weekend as she liked the course but wasn't sure about city life, but she has just said she doesn't really want to go away this weekend anyway so can she stay home. So guessing Bristol is out then. Maybe having read your comments and more online I will leave it. Drugs are definitely an issue for me as I am VERY unstreetwise, never even smoked weed but I have a very addictive personality (can't even stay off the diet coke) so I worry about DD. Although I don't think she would touch the stuff, I do wonder if she was surrounded by people taking part if she would be drawn into it or at least be very uncomfortable.

NCTDN · 20/09/2021 19:48

Oh great. DD has Bristol and Leeds in her top 3 AngryShe's oblivious to this apparently known fact for there.

NCTDN · 20/09/2021 19:48

@Heifer I'm exactly the same as you.

Piggywaspushed · 20/09/2021 19:50

@Monkey2001

Must be the old Grange Hill "Just Say No" song still teaching into your life!

I think it is a generational thing. I have never been offered drugs of any sort, or knowingly seen people taking them, although my mum tried a bit on the 60s. My dad died of lung cancer when I was 16, so maybe that was similar to your experience with your sister suffering from excess.

@Delphigirl that is a sad story about your DS's medic friend, there is so much pleasure to be found at university without drugs. Your DS sounds like a lovely friend, hope the drugs do not get out of control.

Yeah, poor Zammo! Grin