Thread 28 - Corona Cohort Awaiting Offers, Advance Notice, Gap Years and New Jobs

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

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 27 Here

@icanbewhatiwant that's so hard! Is it feasible to go to travelodge for the weekend?

Poor you icanbe, how are you doing today?

Sympathies on lack of power, is it worth getting one of those camping stoves so you can do hot drinks?

Cam I ask what is happening in Southampton today please ? DS got an offer last night.

I just went to the BP garage for hot drinks. Charged mine and ds3's phone a bit on my journey. dh is borrowing a generator for the fridge and freezer. @NCTDN we have 2 dogs and the gecko, so can't stay anywhere. Maybe it'll come back on sooner. Ds2 is off to football this eve. so at least he won't be sitting around bored.

Fantastic news @Oblomov22, well done him, sounds like he fully deserves it.

@Piggywaspushed - was a spreadsheet involved? Has Piglet entered it into the system yet? Are you pleased he has ditched Bath? was it the hill ;-) Birmingham and York sound 2 great choices.

@icanbewhatiwant - really sorry to read that - must be a nightmare. I'm not sure where you are in the country, is there anyone here nearby that can help? ie we have LOTS of camping stuff but Im pretty sure you're nowhere near me, but others may have too.

Typically it's now halfterm and I feel rough. Spent most of the day sleeping yesterday. Tested negative but am just testing again now. Sore throat, headache, generally achy.

Had email from school yesterday with Mock timetable for DD for middle of March. This 2nd lot of mocks are much shorter - just 1 paper for Pys and PE and 2 for Bio. (no mention of core maths)... Last time she had 10 papers, this time 4 (may be 5/6 with core maths, she is the only student taking it so may be in her normal lesson).

Good luck anyone visiting unis today, if anyone is visiting Nottingham or York let me know what you think :-) We are off to York on Wednesday although spanner in the works they have just mentioned only having 1 visitor for the morning talks so I may not go (if ill I can't anyway of course). Not sure if the mornign talks are that important as looks like the afternoon stuff is what DD will be interested in. @Fruitygal did you go to the morning talks too? Introduction & Student lift talks, Accommodation Talk?

@icanbewhatiwant Fingers crossed your power comes back soon.
A camping stove is a good idea if you can get one. Definitely get that fire on early.

Ds is on his way to Southampton. Only involved a few cross words from me first thing. A friend’s parent is kindly taking him, arrangement was to drop him to theirs for 7.30. He didn’t want to leave our house until the last possible minute. No concept of allowing time for delays on the way - and that if someone says they are leaving at 7.30 they probably expect you to arrive a few minutes before that. This is a regular issue here. Le sigh.

Haha , no not the hill heifer! Bath came second and it wasn't a spreadsheet but similar! The splendid isolation at the top of a hill di make him declare Bath a bit windswept. He liked Birmingham campus a lot. Mainly with Bath it was the course : he prefers the idea of a multi disciplinary course. Details on modules and things are a bit scant on Bath website. He is aware of its excellent reputation for social sciences but the course appears a bit 'cold' in a hard to define way. The placement year was a draw but Birmingham has excellent employability stats and the degree has economics in it which is a plus point. Birmingham is also better located for getting to/home.

Not pushed the button yet! Scary thought!

Also, he wants to play in a brass band!

We have been to quite a few tings that say one gest only heifer and no one ever comments. Hope you feel better soon.

This is when I am always annoyed about being a teacher as can't go to Weds events . Unless I skive which, after all the cover I did before half term, is sorely tempting!!

@Piggywaspushed I know what you mean. I know mid week offer days give a feel for the uni but I can't go on Wednesdays.

We can't go on Weds ones either, I would have to take a day off work and being part time I don't get many, DS refuses to take time out of school unless its completely unavoidable.

@Heifer we all went to morning talks 3 of us - no one said it was just one and most kids were there with two I’m on my 3rd child and 26th uni open day or offer day visit so most of what they say is not new and we only really found out one bit of new info which was accommodation opened on 31st jan snd was first come first served. But if you are on first child ? I think these talks are invaluable.

@icanbewhatiwant Oh that sounds a complete nightmare. Hope its on sooner.

DH/DD off to Southampton - trains delayed, and then they got on the slow train by mistake! They had planned to be there for 9:30...looking like 11am now. Sigh.

Oh blimey ican, hope it is on before Monday!

We have booked a Nottingham offer holders day in April but we intend to both go (as in DH, me and DS so 3 of us). It does say one guest for some talks but we’ll see on the day.

Yes I hope it comes back on sooner. The stuff in the fridge is room temperature already. Tesco delivery came yesterday, so milk, cheese etc will all need to be thrown out I expect. We have a chest freezer in the garage. I hope that will be ok. Dh borrowed a generator but it's not working properly, it's just been serviced too.

Trains have been cancelled so Ds isn't sure whether they are going to football. He wanted to drive there, but I've said no to 4 big lads in his tiny car, he needs to drive along the A12 and his car is very slow, he isn't a confident driver on a route he's never driven, so I won't let him. But there maybe a bus service instead.

Absolute nightmare Ican, hope you get sorted soon

Can you put your food outside @icanbe?
Hang it up in a plastic bag. It's pretty cold still today. We did this when we had a 36 hour lower cut. If you don't open the chest freezer things should stay frozen. The upright fridge/freezer maybe won't. Milk & cheese will still be fine. My dad eats cheese that's been out for days ( the French runny ones though )

Hope the power comes back soon ican it's easy to forget just how much we rely on it these days.

Hope you're feeling better heifer - have to say my LFT was still negative having had symptoms for at least 4 days when PCR was positive. Needless to say, LFT is refusing to show negative now! Last day of isolation tomorrow, although currently still in bed feeling rough. I've promised I'll drive DD to school on Monday for mocks - the last thing she needs is Southern rail on top of everything else. She's really panicking now as she has barely done any revision over the break - she is just so tired all the time and finds it really hard to concentrate. Quite how she'll cope with 2 x 2hr exams on Monday I'm not sure.

ican, fingers crossed for your power coming back on soon, I'd second what fferny said and try to store the dairy stuff outside if possible. Still very windy here despite relatively warm ambient temp, so would be kept nice and cool. DD2 has gone to coo at newborn lambs on her friend's farm, not sure it's the best day for it...

Very much here for OrangeCinnamonCroissant suggestion of an ongoing thread as the dc navigate their first taste of adult life. Mainly because I can milk you all for experiences of university applications while TWO of my dc go through the process at the same time!

@Seeline My DD is shattered too. It is a worry for the next few months as school has said work will be getting more intense.

The harder school gets, the more time she spends exercising. Which is good in one sense, but I think it's part of the reason she's tired. Swimming Monday am, gym Monday pm, and Wed pm, skiing Wed am, and Tuesday pm, Skating Thursday. Leaves her weekends free to work, apart from a run...but still. She won't listen to any suggestions about cutting down. Says she needs it mentally so I guess we have to go with that!

@icanbewhatiwant Fingers crossed the power comes back on soon.

I hope everyone heading down to Southampton has safe travels and a good day.

Hope you get power soon @icanbewhatiwant

Gosh, good luck with the electricity @icanbewhatiwant. We’ve just been for an inspection/nosiness walk round the local error - few trees down and lots of sheds blown over but nothing that looks too bad.
@Oblomov22: belated huge congratulations!!

We are off to York on weds so maybe see you there @Heifer! It’s a long drive for us so going up the night before so will definitely go to the morning stufff too to make the most of the day. Any recommendations for good places to eat the night before? We are staying fairly central to get a sense of York :-)

@Isthisjustnormal we like The Rattle Owl 🦉 and Skosh but more for just the two of us dining

@icanbewhatiwant I’d go with cool box or large plastic box outside to preserve the food. Fingers crossed 🤞 things are back on soon