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

Our electricity is back on. Thank goodness. Had to throw bread, ice cream and frozen veg away out of the freezer drawers in the kitchen, but the big freezer in the garage is fine. Ds3 made his way through a tub of half thawed ice cream. I told him it hadn't been thawed long enough to make him ill. Dh ate a large bowl full too. The rest went down the drain.

Some of you have had wet university visits...a bit like our Sussex visit.

DS says ideally be on the Vale, as 80% of first years are on the vale. His top 5 as follows:

1. Tennis Courts - close to campus, good social life, not en suite 2. Chamberlain, nice, sociable, but expensive 3. Elgar Court has really nice kitchens 4. Shackleton 5. Maple Bank - v cheap and absolutely tiny kitchens, people seem to like it though. He says he quite likes Jarret which is in Selly Oak, not the Vale, but very close to campus and quite sociable. Risk is that if you choose it they will just give it to you because everyone wants the vale. He says he would avoid Mason as people don’t seem to like it there, and avoid Pritchetts which is in the middle of nowhere.

Ok DS in Birmingham says - ideally you want to be on the vale where 80% of first years live. He quite likes Jarrett which is v near campus, quite sociable and NOT on the vale, but the risk of making it one of your options is that they will just give it to you as everyone wants the vale. But if you want certainty and to be close to campus that is something to think about.
Otherwise vale picks in order of preference are

1. Tennis courts. Closest to campus, very sociable, no en suites though. Tennis courts green community is also nice and if you put that down you will probably get it. 2. Chamberlain. Nice, sociable but v expensive. 3. Elgar court - very nice kitchens. 4. SsShackleton. 5. Maple bank. Very cheap, absolutely tiny kitchens, but people seem to like it there.

He says avoid Mason “should be good but people don’t seem to like it there” and Pritchett park “middle of nowhere”. Hope that helps!

God I typed that twice because it told me it hadn’t worked the first time!
Hi hum

Ah, OK. We were looking at Oakley Court on Pritchatts! It looks nice.

He has a very large musical instrument so the walk does matter a bit. Elgar looks really nice but a long walk . Tennis Courts is definitely in the running.

Chamberlain out of the question really, on cost. Shackleton is email plan so doesn't appeal.

We were also considering Jarratt. Selly Oak seems better to me because of shops but what would I know! The guy that showed us round on Open Day did say first years tend to live on The Vale.

What a great summary @Delphigirl!!

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant I didn’t go along today but have been before with ds1 & yes Glen Eyerie is up the hill opposite the main campus. Seems to be the most popular location amongst kids I know who went there.

I’ve been there before - yes it is. Quite a hill too!

Great news about your power being back @icanbewhatiwant

It's amazing how much is affected by having no electricity! Lots of people here are cut off but we have been ok thankfully

Off out for dinner tonight for DS2 birthday - was coming home for a takeaway and cake buy knackered after a week on location so asked if we can go to him. We sent details of an Italian bistro for dinner at noon that we managed to get a last minute cancelled just texted to say can we go to wagas as he and girlfriend haven’t got smart clothes ?!?! We are booked for 7pm ?!?!

*cancellation

Smart jeans and a shirt would do ….

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant we walked up to Glen Eyre today in the freezing cold and driving rain! I didn’t really notice much of a hill though? Maybe a gentle slope but nothing they would be too onerous and not far at all. We drove to look at Wessex Lane but I preferred Glen Eyre. Dd isn’t bothered, apart from that she particularly disliked the lime green in the kitchens we peered into! She says she wants an en suite but it depends on cost.

I think it would be fine to live in Selly Oak, there’s enough student accommodation there for there to be a decent social life? And it’s so close to campus - and Aldi. But the Vale is much nicer.

Thank you @Decorhate and @crazycrofter.
Glen eyre is slightly pricier but Dd set on an ensuite there, if she gets in, she makes a case she needs to be nearer campus for extracurricular music stuff and she wants to try and get a job on campus to offset the cost a bit (we'll see) The buses are v good though and great they get the free bus pass incase she ends up in Wessex lane. 90% of applicants got one of the top three choices last year so fingers crossed

I'll let Dd know that the 'Hill' she has heard about is more a slope .

Took Dd out for a 'spoons lunch at her request today we are just along the coast from Southampton, the 15 min walk to the pub was awful. Sorry to everyone else who had to experience it!

I think my DD put Masons first on her list because it’s more affordable than Chamberlain and closer to the uni than Elgar Court. She’s also put Tennis courts, green community and Aitken.

Has anyone ever applied for accommodation for Nottingham? I can't find out for sure on the website but I think from what I've read elsewhere that they don't select actual buildings but rather types? ie catered/non catered, share/ensuite etc? is this true? I wanted DD to select Rutland Hall & Sherwood as we could afford ensuite there because it's 31 weeks but shared elsewhere. I'm assuming the full process is explained once in the accommodation portal but you can't get in there until you've firmed...

By Buildings I meant Halls.

Try studentroom @heifer am sure I remembered reading something on there when Dd considered applying. Notts is the one where mainly catered right?

My Dad was in Sherwood halls when he went to Nottingham - many many years ago @Heifer - seeing a friend who’s daughter was there tomorrow and can ask for you

@icanbewhatiwant Glad the power is back on.

DD had a really mixed day at Southampton yesterday. Trains delayed so late, then told to go to Highfield to register, buses so delayed that the round trip journey to Highfield and back to NOC's meant they missed lunch and just got there in time for the talk. Luckily DH always packs 'emergency sandwiches' so that really paid off!

Ended up feeling that Marine Biology was very much second to Oceanography, and said that all the kids in her group felt that way. None of the students were doing MB, only Oceanography so she didn't get to speak to anyone doing her course. One professor was amazing, passionate and enthusiastic, and the other, who did the practical experiment that DD said should have been fascinating and she was really looking forward to it managed to make it dull.

On the plus side most of the course is by the campus so if she wants to be in Glen Eyre that's not a problem, and she liked the Oceanography guy who did the talk, and liked the ethos.

Still not found her 'this is it' uni. Singing - sorry meant to say nothing is firmed yet on our list.

We're at Portsmouth early March - fingers crossed she loves it.

DS and I spent a very wet day at a Nottingham offer holder day yesterday. He's about 90% sure he's going to choose there over Birmingham. No buffet on offer, just a cuppa and a goody bag (travel mug, bottle opener, notepad and pen)

@Heifer DS also wants to stay in Rutland, initially because it meant he could afford ensuite. However, after looking around he preferred the shared bathroom room 🙂 I've no idea how the application process works but I get the impression the 31 week let's aren't popular so fingers crossed.

Heifer just looked on their website and couldn't see anything but did see this this
Applications for first year Undergraduate and Postgraduate students starting September 2022/23 will open on 4 April 2022

Glad you got your goody bag @mummyinbeds, hope your day wasn't as windy as ours. How are your calves? DS wants Cripps and an ensuite - mainly because he likes to spend three hours in the loo he doesn't want someone else in the bathroom when he needs to go.

@heifer just found this

We got a free lunch at Southampton. The queues were very long as everyone was hiding from the rain but it was worth waiting for - a hot meal - I had crispy chicken, Asian slaw and fries, dd had BBQ pulled pork, melted cheese, fries and jalapenos. Very tasty! Dd isn’t 100% sure though. We revisited the city centre, by which time it was dry and she liked it - less manic than Birmingham on a Saturday. But I don’t feel she really came away with a conviction that she wants to go there, although it was ‘fine’