Thread 29 - Covid Cohort - Whirlwinds and Waiting

[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 28

Glad it was fun @Fruitygal

Congrats @GoldenRuby - DD has many friends waiting for offers so hopefully they will start coming through now.

Great news golden.

Congratulations @GoldenRuby!

Newcastle are starting medicine offers this week so we have everything crossed!

@EwwSprouts halls in St Andrews are not bad - standard catered is £7k pa, but that includes 19 meals a week - they say it is £4,500 accom, £2,500 catering and kitchens and bathrooms are cleaned every day. Andrew Melville cheaper, it is very ugly but they have fun! Private accommodation is more of a problem.

That’s just great GoldenRuby.

Thanks for flagging Student Finance is open Shimy. Haven’t got a scooby if I need to do anything or if DD can manage it all, I never had any input into UCAS.

What is the window for finance applications? DS doesn't have a bank account!

Well done to your DD @GoldenRuby!
I read Anthropology at Durham [

@Piggywaspushed they don’t need a student bank account any current account will do. Most just convert one of their current accounts into a student account. That’s what the kids did - we bank with hsbc

He hasn't got an account at all!

I think you’ve got until May, Piggy, at least, that’s what we were told.

OK , great
Not ever easy to get into a branch during lockdown !

@GoldenRuby congratulations!!!

Sorry @Piggywaspushed thought you just meant student account - wow! Amazing he got to 18 without it - DD uses her phone wallet for everything x

He never buys anything!

How does he manage without a bank account @Piggywaspushed?! Does he use cash?

Good news about the Durham offer @GoldenRuby.! Is that her favourite?

He does have a savings account and a kiddie bank account but neither allow withdrawals or have cards. Its a bit annoying that you have to wait until after results day to open a proper student account.

Sorry, cross posted with you @Piggywaspushed, but how?!! Do you go clothes shopping with him? Doesn’t he go out with friends to places requiring payment? I’m just imagining what my bank balance would look like if my kids didn’t spend anything!

Thanks everyone. It is the first offer for Durham from her school, which is a bit of a confidence boost (even though she knows each dept. works to their own timetable), given that she has friends with Andrews and Exeter offers and she is still waiting for these. No offers that we know of for Edinburgh yet. If she gets an offer from either of the Scottish ones it is likely to be AAA so it's great that Durham is a grade lower. She is worried that her mocks haven't gone well so Durham feels more realistic right now.

Mine has been a late adopter of banking too, it has been painful weaning him off the GoHenry card that he had from about age 12 but only started using because places went cashless in lockdown and onto a proper bank account with all the associated codes, passwords, security logins etc. Before that he used to ask me for cash and I'd take it back off his GoHenry.

As I have said before crazy, he never goes out. He doesn't shop . If he did, I'd give him some cash, or he'd use birthday money. There just isn't anything he wants or needs! It's the difference between urban teens and us out in the sticks partly.

He also doesn't have any money so nowt to put in a bank account!

Mine don't shop much either, bits of food here and there but they don't go to the big town very often,, take us along when they need clothes. Shampoo etc comes in the supermarket delivery, occasionally go to Subway with a friend but there's really not much to spend money on here (small town).

@crazycrofter it is currently a three way tie at the moment, between Durham, Andrews and Edinburgh. The Durham course is a slight compromise - sociology rather than Geog, but she loves the city. She could have applied for combined honours in social sciences and picked Anth & Geog, but that is much more competitive, and would have been A*AA, so she played it safe(r). We are down south but have friends close to Durham, so likes the fact that if she needs some support there is someone nearby.

@Wheresthebeach I'm exactly the same on how to treat dd.

Do they need to convert to a student bank account? What’s the difference between that and a normal current account?

DS has had an account with card for a couple of years now but never had more than a few £ in it at a time until he started his Xmas temp job then every payday he just squandered his money away on fizzy drinks, McDonald’s and trainers!

@Piggywaspushedhe could open a Santander 123 account and get a 3 year Railcard free - all dinner on line, no need to enter a branch. However, don't do what DS did and delay activating the railcard as it has to be e since within a month of opening the account or you lose it.