Thread 26 - Covid Cohort Hoping for a Stable, Successful 2022

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

previous thread

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.

@Monkey2001 thanks for the link!
I’m on a mission to ‘bag a bargain’ at the moment but if unsuccessful would be more than happy with Asda towels as already have some. I should say what’s left of them as DD has ruined all of my towels with her lotions and potions’
I can’t pack her off to Uni with what we are currently using
@Shimy they wash and ‘fluff up’ really well but not on sale at the moment. I’ll give you the heads up if I spot any reductions!
DD wants to take a double duvet even if in a single bed < eyes DD and Ddog>

DS1 has single bed and double duvet at uni, it works for him.

I think I’m going to buy hammam towels for DD - they are super-quick drying, take up less space and can be used for other things.

@Shimy towelling robe particularly useful if they have shared bathrooms!

If people don't t want to jinx it but want to spread the cost, could have as "change jar" where you put loose change. I sorted ours out at Christmas and there was will over £100!

We have an actual bottom drawer in her bed. Currently has some cleaning materials and stationery,until we know more.She has her own colour towels here, so I think Iwill send her off with those. They still look good.. I replaced our plates because they didn’t fit in the dishwasher so she can have the old ones, experience tells me that it all gets lost or broken anyway, altho having said that , I bought a middle one cheap and nasty crocks from Asda and was horrified to find her still using them 10 years on. Rug isa really good idea.

DS has single bed and double duvet. He has a couple of these that make his bedside table and hold a fair bit :

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/trones-shoe-cabinet-storage-white-00397307/

We put what we can in to store when back and they fit neatly into a corner in the hall. They get roped together with a bit of rope and a handle made so 2 can be carried to the car park.

@ProggyMat Aw thanks for that. Fantastic bargains on at the moment left over for Xmas, I'll be out there as soon as I can get my report done and stop mning .

Re: double duvet - I have always bought double duvets for ds's for school and ds1 uses it at uni. They just wrap around better and it's so easy to swap things at home if need be as it's the same size as their home beds. ds1 has single bed at uni with double duvet, sheets, covers etc and I'll be doing the same for ds2.

Don't forget hangers!!

A magnet for the radiator for key is another thing that DS finds useful.

[quote Monkey2001]@Shimy towelling robe particularly useful if they have shared bathrooms!

If people don't t want to jinx it but want to spread the cost, could have as "change jar" where you put loose change. I sorted ours out at Christmas and there was will over £100![/quote]
Oh that's an idea!!

What I have done is gone through my little list with Dd so she can tell me what she'd rather choose (e.g she is not bothered about choosing her can opener lol).

I'm moving Dd to dark towels @proggymat. She had a (surprisingly) lovely thick blush pink towel from Primark that is now greige as I keep on having to put it on a super hot wash. The mascara /foundation and violet blue shampoo combo is the worst.

Next month will be bath sheets and probably a corkscrew on the tesco shop. Wilkos, Dunelm and TKMaxx always good for a bargain and can vouch for Tesco standard towels too.

One 'frivolous' purchase for Dd has been an electric wax melt warmer. I understand no naked flames in halls and she is very partial to incense sticks and candles. I'm a total wax melt addict (I like soy-based ones) she likes helping me choose the scents of an evening. Hoping will let her feel more at home.

...not forgetting charity shops, the range, .home bargains, poundland.....

I think DS might panic if I started doing this so anything I do get will be hidden away as he isn't 100% sure he wants to go to uni yet. I have one of those ultrasonic essential oil diffusers and he likes that so it might go on the list.

Wondering if I could join you all-I didn’t know this existed but @Piggywaspushed pointed me in the right direction! I’ve got a DD in y13 (very VERY stressed-mocks tomorrow!) hoping to study psychology at Nottingham/Birmingham in September. She has offers back from all the places she’s applied for now but just got to get the grades!!

I also have a DC at Birmingham who’s just started 2nd year.

Some fab tips on here already, I can see. I am off to read some more!!

@Appuskidu

Wondering if I could join you all-I didn’t know this existed but *@Piggywaspushed* pointed me in the right direction! I’ve got a DD in y13 (very VERY stressed-mocks tomorrow!) hoping to study psychology at Nottingham/Birmingham in September. She has offers back from all the places she’s applied for now but just got to get the grades!!

I also have a DC at Birmingham who’s just started 2nd year.

Some fab tips on here already, I can see. I am off to read some more!!

Welcome @Appuskidu !

I'm not a regular on this thread - it vanishes off my "I'm on" list for some reason?!- but when I'm reading it, it's great!

It's nice to have someone to chat to. I only know one of DS's friends parents to talk to, and he's like a genius so it's sometimes difficult to really chat to her without feeling judged . I'm sure she isn't, we're good friends, but the anonymity of this place is fab!

DD got an email from Portsmouth today - converting her grades offer into an unconditional offer...that's put the cat amongst the pigeons! If she doesn't feel confident about her Chemistry she may take them up on it. In any event, it's nice to have and has given her a bit of a boost emotionally heading into mocks in a couple of weeks.

Welcome @Appuskidu and @sofakingcool. I find if I don't post every few days the thread comes out of 'threads' I'm on but if I add it to my watch list then I can find it easily. It irrationally irks me when it comes off my 'threads' list...

Hello @Appuskidu and welcome. It's nice, warm, fuzzy and sensible in here! I sometimes drop off the thread too but always hop back on.
Sometimes I wander off to new pastures and the reception is freezing cold so quickly hop back in here
You're at the same stage most of us are. DS is doing his mocks this week and next and really feeling the pressure of the grades he needs to achieve. He hasn't completed his EPQ as well and has Core Maths to do too.

@sofakingcool It vanishes off your 'I'm on' list after not posting for (some weeks??) a while.

@Shimy

Hello *@Appuskidu* and welcome. It's nice, warm, fuzzy and sensible in here! I sometimes drop off the thread too but always hop back on. Sometimes I wander off to new pastures and the reception is freezing cold so quickly hop back in here You're at the same stage most of us are. DS is doing his mocks this week and next and really feeling the pressure of the grades he needs to achieve. He hasn't completed his EPQ as well and has Core Maths to do too.

@sofakingcool It vanishes off your 'I'm on' list after not posting for (some weeks??) a while.

Oh I'll have to make a point of popping in more frequently!

Liking bottom drawer lists Thank you.
Welcome Appu.

yay, appu made it! You'll get your brains picked about Birmingham from us lot

DS has started his own bottom drawer. He went to IKEA to get a hotdog and came out with a cushion and a plastic plant 🤣

Welcome Appu, there are lots of people on here and it sometimes moves fast so don't worry if you can't keep up, just join in wherever, we all dip in and out a bit. There is a very helpful list at the top of the thread of who's DC are doing what.

On the subject of DS shopping - he did his first bit of adulting today (first day out of isolation) and bought me a bottle of wine. Apparently he was the first 2004 18yr old they'd had 🍷

Welcome @Appuskidu I may well be one of those asking questions about Birmingham

@mummyinbeds

DS has started his own bottom drawer. He went to IKEA to get a hotdog and came out with a cushion and a plastic plant 🤣

Sounds like my kind of shopping

Welcome Appu and congrats on the u/c from Portsmouth, Wheres

DS had an offer from Sussex today, ABB or BBB if firmed. He won't firm them as he prefers Exeter, and Exeter also wants ABB so Sussex probably won't feature in his final decision but nice to have nonetheless. Still waiting for the one he really wants, Nottingham.