Thread 31 Covid Cohort - Hopping through Easter and Revision

[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 30

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

@Heifer don't be scared of a gap year, they can be great! DS1 had an enforced gap year because he got no medicine offers first time round, but the extra maturity was good for him, he didn't manage to do all the things he wanted to because it was 2020, but he had a job, saved money, learned some life skills and started university more ready than he would have been. It is a great year for growing up.

@heifer he has no insurance! He put down Birmingham as that was his only other offer but it's higher than Notts (A* AA - would have been AAA if he had firmed them because of his EPQ). I'm not sure he really understood!

DD headed out last night with friends to watch the new Dr Strange movie...tonight is Prom, after Prom party and sleepover. I expect Saturday will be a lost day as she recovers. After missing out on GCSE prom its nice to see her planning a good night out. School thinks it important to have a celebratory weekend and then get their heads down, hence the timing.

She's finally in a good mood - Chemistry mock came back an A, which after the previous mocks is a massive relief for everyone. It was only one paper, but the one she found hardest in January. The all got D's on the paper in January so she has been super stressed about it.

@Wheresthebeach I hope you DD has a fabulous time tonight. Write off Saturday as being completely unproductive recovery day! 😁

Well done on her Chemistry mock, that's a great mark.

@Monkey2001 I'm scared that she will waste the time during a year off. Or regret it if anyone else goes off to uni although I think when she chats with her friends they all feel the same way and may well say they all want to defer.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn fingers crossed on both hands and feet for your DS then :-)

@Wheresthebeach fantastic mock result, especially in Chemistry, well done to your DD, hope she has a great time at her Prom and hope Saturday isn't too rough...

Popcorn I hope they don't have an allotted drop off time.

We too have no backup, ds went for his 2nd PwC choice Reading, which has higher grades, so a pointless assurance really.

@Oblomov22 I shall make room for you on the scared bench then - welcome! 😂

I really hope we don't have allotted times too, although I suspect that DS will be desperate to get shot of us so he can start meeting people.

@heifer I think £50 is too much too, but I’ve said to dd we’ll give her £50 a week the following two years as well when she’s in self-catered, which might be a struggle for her so she needs to put some of year 1’s money aside! I really hope she does that.

But I do also want her to need/want to work as I think it’s really important that they get used to the realities of working life. I remember when I worked at PwC you’d get the odd graduate who’d clearly never worked before and they were always a bit clueless and immature. I don’t want my dd to be one of them in 3 years time!

Hope tonight’s prom is fun @Wheresthebeach . We’re all going to watch Dr Strange tomorrow- well ds is going with friends.

@crazycrofter I'm just worried that DD doesn't put money aside this year and will then struggle with what she has in the next few years - I would rather give her less now and then more later. But that is us with our situation so it's not going to be right for everyone, there is no right or wrong was is there. I want DD to have fun, not be worried about money but at the same time Im not willing to pay for her to live the high life. She can do that when she is earning her own money :-)

How did drop off used to work pre covid? everyone given a day and it's up to them what time to turn up?

Perfect timing to boost her confidence with that Chemistry result Wheresthebeach, well done to her.

In 2020 we had an allocated drop off time and parents were not allowed in, but actually it was fine if you were late and we were allowed in! In 2021we just chose AM or PM so they could manage the flow of people picking up keys. I expect it will be even more relaxed this year.

I think we were probably over generous in the money we gave DS, but my friends were paying accom and letting their DC live on the minimum loan, so we did the same. He also visits his girlfriend a few times a year, which is expensive because he is in St Andrews and she is in Sheffield. There is gym membership, choir and at least a couple of balls a year as it is St Andrews and don't underestimate the cost of laundry - a wash and dry is about £6! Covid cohort had cheaper years because the opportunities for going out were significantly reduced, so he has saved enough money to be able to afford private accommodation this year.

I also made DS responsible for value of accom by saying we would pay for the cheapest and if he wanted to put better accom as his first choice the difference would come off his minimum loan.

Oh yes, @Monkey2001 theres laundry! Dd has gym membership included in year 1, but that’s something else she’ll need to think about for year 2. We’re on the same page @heifer! I think I just want to spread the cost to us, but then there’s the risk that she’ll spend it! I think she’ll be ok though, she still has money saved from her Christmas job.

You did mention before that gym membership was included crazy. Where does it state that, do you have proof?

For some reason I can’t copy the web address @Oblomov22 but search student memberships on the website and it says halfway down the page (‘from 2022/23’)

I may well be doing DD a massive disservice tbh. She is also good with money usually, but I think it's because I worry we won't have enough to bail her out if she does go mad. But I've remembered she has her own pot that my Mum left her! She doesn't want to use that for uni (ha wonder why when bank of mum and dad are there) ;-) but I think knowing it's there does make me feel better that if she blows her money and doesn't have enough to live off then she can use her own to bail her out. I suspect we will end up topping her up to maxium loan, which would actually be £47 per week whilst at uni plus she will have about £19.50 from loan so £66 per week (31 weeks). Surely that is enough whilst being catered? I have to be honest, I really don't know what is enough.

Meant to add if she does have £66 pw then I would expect her to buy her own stuff (apart from larger costs). I will carry on paying her mobile but won't be up grading the mobile as I usually do every 2 or 3 years. This one will have to do as although it's 2 yrs old there is still 15 months left to pay.

From 2022/23
Student residents living in our Jubilee and University Park Campus accommodation as well as Dagfa and Varsity accommodation locations in 2022/23 will have access to the Sport, Health and Wellbeing Package included in their accommodation offer. This includes complimentary UoN Sport and Fitness Membership as well as access to an enhanced programme of social sports and activities right on your doorstep to better support your health and wellbeing.
www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport/membership/studentsportsmembership.aspx

Crazy, found it thanks.

Ds has the choice of the Jubilee site gym aswell. All that swimming pool, gum, classes etc. I'm so short, fat and unfit Durham and Nottingham hills killed me, but don't let that stop my jealousy. Do you think anyone would notice if I killed him, buried him under the patio aka Brookside, and went myself?

Hi everyone, I’m so sorry I’ve been awol for the whole of this thread. I’m even a whole year older- 53, sob!
What to report? DS firmed Plymouth, insured Cardiff and deferred both. He also has deferred the Canadian option.
He has been working hard - more mocks after Easter have shown good improvements but he is never going to do brilliantly in timed exams because of his processing issues. But I’m feeling a lot more confident that with consistent revision from now on, he might get what he needs. That has been helped by his geography NEA which scored 54/60 or 90%! That is 18% in the bag of his final grade and a huge boost to his confidence, so thank god for that.
He is just desperate for it all to be over. He has some massive European trip planned with his mates for July - after Glastonbury and some other festivals.

DD is also working hard for GCSEs and is organised and calm and zen. Exams suit her brain. Lucky.

Re shopping for uni - my top tip (I’ve done it 3 times so far) is… Sainsburys. The biggest one you can find. You can get everything they need there with nice designs and good quality dead cheap - and it is SO much easier than braving IKEA and more choice as it isn’t stripped in early Sept like iKEA is. Honestly - bedding, bins, lighting, fake plants, pots and pans, glasses and plates, toiletries, everything. Except an airer…. Never found one of those at sainsburys…

Hi Delphi - Nice to see you as it were. Glad your DS has firmed everything. Nice to have those decisions done.

Thanks for the 'well done's on the Chemistry all, the timing has been perfect for her.

Can't believe we start in a few weeks...be nice when this is done!

@Delphigirl our Sainsburys has an Argos inside it so that's the airer sorted. I have had so much Sainsburys houseware stuff over the years, mostly through the now sadly defunct double up Nectar points scheme. Very good quality and very reasonable prices.

And if Sainsburys isn’t cheap enough (we’ve got a big one near us and I find it a bit pricey!) then try Home Bargains and/or B&M Bargains! Their crockery is great, we’ve got lots of their mugs. Also, Aldi do things like airers don’t they?

Good to hear about all the high marks in NEAs! Ds finished school today and has it all under control apparently. He’s planning 2-3 hours of revision a day in between cinema, gym and Breaking Bad and is confident it will be enough… I’ll report back in August!

Dd is also chilled as she’s ‘done some revision already’. She’s got two days left. I’ll be quite glad when all these exams start actually!

Good to hear / see you Delph.