Thread 21 Corona Cohort - Nervous waiting, so frustrating

[Monkey2001]

Continuation of OrangeCinnamonCocktail's threads

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Previous thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/a4354626-Corona-Cohort-Statements-Scripted-Grades-Predicted?msgid=111487286#111487286

@Piggywaspushed yes in Nova Scotia where for obvious reasons many of the places have Scottish names and associations!

@delphigirl job done! Now the nervous wait. I'm keen for DD's application to go in, but aware that once it has done my stress levels will be going up, not down!

@Delphigirl

Well DS has done it! Applied to 4 courses at three unis in the UK (Southampton Cardiff Plymouth) and one in Canada (Dalhousie) all for ocean related courses. Phew. Fingers crossed he gets some offers. One also needs an interview.

My niece just graduated from Dalhousie! from the sounds of it she's had a great time.

@Delphigirl Congratulations on her getting the form in - fingers crossed

Congrats. Love the sound of Dalhousie. Just sounds cool.

I believe, we are all duty bound, as a support to Delphi, to organise a road trip there, Dalhousie, asap, for Investigative purposes only.

Put you name down for the road trip below.....

I’m up from that @Oblomov21! @Shimy can be group leader waving a red umbrella to keep us on line

Delighted to hear she liked it Shimy. It will be interesting to see (assuming he gets offers) whether he stays in the uk, which is the safe option, or embraces his inner Canadian and heads off for an adventure in the Maritimes…

I'd probably end up in the wrong Dalhousie!

Lol to the road trip, Oblomov. My little Citroen won’t handle the camber on the Atlantic!
Following the accommodation discussion with interest. I lived in some awful dives as a student, and thought it was characterbuilding, but our girl complains about sharing a bathroom with one other person at home, so we shall see.
I’m trying to encourage more independence, making her own appointments and suggesting a bus back from town. It’s not going that well. We are doing virtual Warwick this week. I know it quite well as ds1 went there, but it was a long time ago, so it will be interesting to see if it has changed much.
Maybe getting ahead of everyone here, but wondering if I could make some changes to her bedroom when she goes. Obviously it will be her room during holidays,, but I could really do with the use of it in term time. So I’m thinking of buying a double bed with storage in the base so that her stuff, so much stuff, can be swept away, and I’ll have somewhere for guests, or for me when my insomnia kicks in. Is that mean?

Ds1 at UEA was paying £160 weekly in the student accommodation. That was en-suite. He turned his nose up at the shared bathrooms in the ziggs. He went in with a group of lads for the rented student house year 2 and 3 they chose luxury student accommodation. Ds didn't discuss how much they wanted to pay. So theirs at the higher end for Norwich at £100 per week plus bills. Ds would have preferred somewhere cheaper, but he'd made up a group of 6 and felt it might be difficult to join another group. He thought it was much cheaper than UEA accommodation until I pointed out UEA accommodation was 38 weeks compared to 52 second year. It is still cheaper but not by as much as he thought. There was no catered option at UEA.
Ds2 is looking at Sussex. Also no option of catered. They told us Sussex was the most expensive accommodation outside London. But en-suite isn't much difference to UEA. But I don't know how much it'll be when they rent away from university. DH's daughter was telling me dh and her dm paid all her rent between them, she had the maximum loan too. Going back a few years, she's 35, so not sure how much loan she had. Plus she worked several jobs. I hope the cost of living won't be massively high in Brighton. Ds1 has just been living on his maintenance loan (almost full loan) he's not needed more. He does have a summer job where he earns well, but he hasn't needed to spend it. Ds2 also shook his head when I mentioned shared bathrooms. Spoiled children, obviously. Though to be fair I wouldn't be keen on sharing with lots of people. They said at Sussex one lot of accommodation was 2 bathrooms between 12 students.

Congrats at getting the form in @Delphigirl. Canada would be amazing!

DS just heard he has a place on Lancaster Access Programme which he’s quite excited about as in reality (discounting Cambridge v v slim chance) it is his no. 1 pick.

@Zebracat that's not mean as long as she can come back to her room. Ds3 has a tiny 8x10 bedroom here. Ds1 and ds2 have fairly big bedrooms, with double beds. Ds1's room is bigger than ours (but we have en-suite) I know ds3 would love to move into ds1's bedroom. But I feel that is mean as I feel like ds1 has had his room taken. So I didn't move ds3. But the fact no one will be your dd's room when she's home is different. Plus ds1 I'm sure will move back home next year.

@Delphigirl .

One of the options we looked at at UEA on Saturday was two showrooms with loo, plus separate loo for 14 people!

@Seeline @Piggywaspushed I hated being there. Ended up in a shared room to add to the misery. Was dingy thirty years ago. One of the reasons I didn't settle at UEA. Few fond memories though I do still see friends from that corridor.

I'm up for a road trip - especially to Canade :-)

@Monkey2001 - thanks for the link re accomodation costs. You're right I do need to see it over the 3 - 4 years not just 1st - but I've still got to pay it for the 1st year so do need to consider that too :-)

@Zebracat - what your DD doesn't know can't hurt ;-) can you clear everything away when she isn't around and then put it all back just before she is due back? I would want to come back to my own room - at least until I've left uni and moved out completely.

Not sure I want to go to Canade but fancy Canada!

Did anyone else apply for Birmingham Commonwealth Games tickets? I've just heard back, only got Athletics! - no hockey or netball... :-(
Will need to apply again later.

Ahhh, I had my GAP year in Canada: so you need me on the road trip as, umm, cultural guide. In case you are offered beaver tails and turn them down.

It’s an amazing country and Canadians really are the nicest people on earth: just so welcoming! Fingers crossed @Delphigirl for your Ds!

I have got an ancient aunt in Toronto so please could I join the Canada expedition as some kind of cultural liaison?

We've been to QMUL today - I had forgotten it's been a while since DS went anywhere busier than Cardiff so he was a bit 👀 at Mile End and Whitechapel but quite liked the campus. It's small and feels like a little haven amid the hustle and bustle. Walking across London Bridge later on, he did start to quite fancy London I think.

Now holed up in Brighton ready for Sussex Uni tomorrow. We have had Deliveroo pizza and watched Police Interceptors, which he used to make me watch with him when he was about 12

@estherfrewen is it too late to apply for the Lancaster access program? We are attending a webinar on it next week.

@Heifer we didn't get round to the Commonwealth Games tickets, with no plans for the summer holidays yet I didn't want to scupper any particular dates by having Games tickets booked. Will have to see nearer the time.

We haven't looked in great depth at costs/types of accommodation yet. My halls were 1 shower room with toilet for 6 people and I don't recall it being a problem as we all got up at different times. Rent was £30 a week self catered I think and we could claim housing benefit. Luxury! One thing that was pointed out about ensuite is that if you have friends round or a party in the kitchen area the friends have to go into people's bedrooms to use the loo.

In my second year house we had one bathroom and one extra toilet between 6. We did indeed all get food poisoning once, that extra toilet was very much needed. At home we only have one bathroom between 4 of us and no extra loo, DS has shared bathroom at school, so hopefully expectations aren't too high.

I think DD could live with shared bathrooms if it came to it. The main concern is her eyes, she could qualify for registered blind if lenses weren’t still able to correct (now -8.25) and can be forgetful with her glasses.

Things have definitely changed. The tiny 70’s home I grew up in is so different, and yet I don’t have memories of it being a total mess like ours can be now with DD at home 🙄

Hi @BlueMarigold - I think it must still be open if they’re doing g a webinar. We originally saw it back in May I think but there was a bit of a delay at Lancaster - not sure why. We registered interest and were then sent a link to the Application Form inSeptember. It might be worth filling that in anyway and submitting? This is the link to the form if you haven’t got it. We only fit a couple of criteria - degree was only as a mature student and two others I think. Was surprised he was accepted really! lancasteruni.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9MpxNESp02767em

@estherfrewen thank you! We will give it a go. Does it mean you have to put Lancaster as a first choice?

@ealingwestmum I went through uni with that sort of prescription and contact lenses with shared bathrooms (and indeed in shared houses for many years afterwards) and its never been a problem. I can't remember if I took my glasses back to my room after putting my lenses in - they live in the bathroom permanently when I'm not wearing them now. I can't do anything without one or the other, now at -10.

@BlueMarigold - they haven't said so. Just said any offer would be a normal offer and if course completed successfully a contextual offer up to 3 A level grades lower. That was on original details about it a while ago. Nothing said about making it firm choice yet. Will let you know if hear more . We have said yes so now they contact school for reference

@ealingwestmum DDs prescription is now -9.0 and gets slightly worse with each test. Hopefully they will settle now she has stopped growing! I hadn't thought of her eyesight having any impact on her living arrangements - what are your concerns? She uses contacts most days, but manages quite happily with her glasses when she wants to. I imagine we'll have to keep paying for lenses/glasses etc as that will eat a huge chunk out of her (minimum) loan.