Thread 30 Covid Cohort, Mad March Hareing Towards Exams

[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 29

I've made this one a little bit earlier as things are so busy, at home and on thread, so please feel free to use up previous thread first

@Oblomov22 hope the Thai was good last night and Durham was good today! We are almost there and DH booked a Thai for tonight too!

@HarrietDVane congratulations what a fab offer!

@EwwSprouts how was it today ?

I practically did share a room. There was a wardrobe that separated two tiny rooms that used to be a double. Those rooms still exist... cheapest rooms in Vanbrugh College. Avoid...

There were so few halls where I went, I had to lodge with a family. I do remember that my second and third year house cost £110 a month each. Electricity was on top - we had to feed 50p into the meter at very regular intervals or your shower went cold halfway through!

@Cantonet

Bangor rooms are all ensuite apparently. The ones we saw are £140.00 a week in flats of 8. All self catering as well which suits Ds. I can't remember what I was paying back in the day in Liverpool. I remember i had to move halls as I was in the 'party' hall with a serious course & 9am lectures. But I do remember the multi shower cubicles & the passive aggressive notes in the kitchenette.

£140/week en suite sounds super cheap! I find it easier to think of annual cost, is that around £5k?

I've just checked @Monkey.
The precise cost is £141 and it's for 40 weeks, so it's just over £5600.

Well done Fruity Dh!

Finally home. Knackered from driving, plus Durham is very hilly. It was so beautiful. Ds felt differently about the colleges, expectations not the same as he has predicted. 3 hours of course lecture 10-1pm today, very impressive, but course is new so they are still learning. Hmmm. Ponder ponder.

@HarrietDVane Congratulations on the offer!

I hope people enjoyed the Durham offer day. DD is still to hear from them

Durham was interesting. First stop run the the picket line where they were so close to the crossing they almost impeded people getting off the road. Whatever the merits of their case I felt it was unreasonable as term has finished so was squarely aimed at applicants.

We got up "cardiac hill" to find they were closing the entrances to biosciences as the electricity had gone off. The welcome talk was given by a last minute stand in. She confessed she had no idea what would be coming on the slides. She was actually quite entertaining though and clearly very experienced. Then offer holders went off to do lab time. Parents could go but they said there would be too many so we all politely sat in the atrium. DS & I reckoned there was a maximum of 40 offer holders. DS met 3 holding Cambridge offers. Only hotel style biscuits on offer.

We went into to the town to look at the Bailey which is lovely but DS has decided on self-catering. Nice lunch in Bills. More research needed on colleges as there was quite a different vibe given off by the ones we looked at. But it will be his firm.

Thanks all! DD1 is leaning towards Bristol as insurance - I have some qualms as it's not a campus university and she's not in the least bit streetwise. But the (contextual) offer is surprisingly low (BBC) so I can see why she's tempted by it. We have an offer holders' visit booked for this weekend so we'll see if she likes it.

@Oblomov22 What were his thoughts on the colleges?

Fingers crossed @NCTDN! So many still waiting to hear.

We had a great day in Durham too. The glorious weather certainly showed off the beauty of the place. She enjoyed the taster lecture but the course is a slight compromise - Anthropology + Sociology rather than Geog, but likes it so much that is happy to make that compromise. Only about 12 offer holders plus guests in the sociology taster, some no shows I think. Did 3 full colleges tours, and popped in to three others. It has changed her college preferences, so well worth doing.

Thank you Eww, Oblomov and GR for the updates. DH and DD on their way up now. I have purposely given them no information other than a list of colleges, he has been coveting the title of captain hindsight of late, hope he’s not thinking of going into politics…

Thanks @EwwSprouts, @Oblomov22 and @GoldenRuby heads up on strikes is good we stayed overnight in a lovely 2 bed apartment from AirBnB. Thai meal was fab - at least 3 other families in there doing the uni offer day🤣

Doing 3-4 colleges this afternoon, booked in for library tour and need to find dyslexic support people. Thinking snow, south, butler and cuths ……

…. After 6 years in person visits to 35 uni offer/open days at 25 different unis across 3 children …..(plus two unis just as virtual ones) this is our last one!!!

Had a letter from school yesterday giving details of last day in school, study leave, graduation evening, prom, leavers hoodies and year books. Definitely all becoming very real now!

@Fruitygal Snow & South - we just did South as they are the same layout/ rooms inside and share gym/music/laundry/formals hub. There is a Starbucks inside the Calman learning centre. Sharing as we didn't spot another option on campus.

@ealingwestmum They won't miss the colleges they all have furry mascots outside!

Different kids, but same colleges picked as you Eww and Fruotygal

DH on the other hand keeps banging on about Castle. Because his old boss told him that’s where DD needs to be. And he’s ignoring the small fact that DD wants SC!

@ealingwestmum hope dh copes and doesn’t clash with dd over colleges! My dh has this annoying habit of making grand pronouncements/opinions without having a clue what he’s talking about/having done no research!

Glad the Durham day went well yesterday for those that were there.

For anyone visiting Durham today there is also a cafe in the Teaching & Learning Centre (just opposite the Lower Mountjoy campus). Not a Starbucks but seemed ok.

[quote crazycrofter]@ealingwestmum hope dh copes and doesn’t clash with dd over colleges! My dh has this annoying habit of making grand pronouncements/opinions without having a clue what he’s talking about/having done no research!

Glad the Durham day went well yesterday for those that were there.[/quote]
Totally Crazy. And then says stuff like ‘unlike you to drop the ball on Bristol’. Wtf.

Parents who come out with no your DC should be doing this all themselves they’re adults/their life would be having a field day

Great to hear the Durham updates! I do want Thai now though.....

Something lovely about York (who have form for this). They have offered emergency scholarships to all current Ukrainians students, and to refugees and displaced students who have now lost university places.

How wonderful of York @Piggy.
Will they be allowed in by the Uk Government without jumping through impossibly placed hoops though?

www.york.ac.uk/york-unlimited/our-priorities/student-to-shine/eas/

I think York is facilitating this through sponsoring. They really are a very socially aware uni. Still sulking that DS didn't choose it!