Thread 33 - Lovely Jubbly Jubilee Break, then back to 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. Possibly a move to Parent of Adult Children Board in future?
previous thread

@EspeciallyDistracted It's really useful to know he has that option, although it kind of defeats the purpose of applying which is, in order to have a smoother ride at university, but anyhoo!

Good to see dc are having some downtime. DS just woke up from a very long nap, much needed!

In DS's course there will be quite a lot of practical work and he may need a bit more time to do things, or have instructions broken down into simpler steps (he can't follow most recipes because they are written in big blocks of text for example but if someone reads it out step by step he can cook ok) so it's important for his uni to know he has dyspraxia.

Thanks for the new thread!
Those of you with older dc - can you remember if they need their passport to register at the start of the year?

Ds’ UK passport expires soon, was going to renew until towards the end of the process it said you have to send off any other passports (Ds has dual nationality). So will wait now till he comes back from holidays. But with the current waiting times neither passport might be back before the start of term…

DS1 took his to uni and promptly lost it (twice), so I am going for yes...

I’m guessing yes as it proves your right to live and work here, same as starting a new job now.

Thanks both. I am annoyed with myself for not knowing about having to send off the other passport - though it’s the first time renewing the UK one so haven’t encountered this before. I’ve had a look on the Leeds website & there’s a form you can complete if you don’t have a passport. Has to be witnessed but at least that’s an option if his passport is not back.

I do remember ds1 needing his passport, I think it was for his second year accommodation so later on in year 1 but he didn't take his passport to university, he took his driving licence for ID. We don't go abroad, but for some reason I decided to renew it, the older dc's went abroad with school (by coach for ds2 so he's not flown) so got passports in year 8 they ran out shortly before university age. So I renewed ds2's too. He will take his driving licence for ID too.

I meant he will take driving licence for ID like ds1. He won't be taking his passport. I can guarantee it will get lost.

@icanbewhatiwant Leeds website implies they need both I think!

@Decorhate I can't see anything on Sussex site. It just says foreign students will need to show them.

Surely they can't expect people without a passport to get one just for ID?

DS enrolled on line 2 years ago (covid) so can't remember if he needed his passport. He didn't take it with him and the letting agent accepted a photo of it to rent his 2nd year house. He did need it this year as he got a job a needed to prove his right to work, so we couriered it to him - heaven knows if it will be seen again!

We've just renewed DDs - it only took 3 weeks.

I imagine there's ways round it if you don't have a passport. It might be in the small print on the uni websites somewhere. We all had to bring our passports to work a few years ago as most of us were working there before the current rules came in but there were ways round it for those that didn't have one.

May also need ID for opening a student account (if not got a bank account already).

Dh doesn't go abroad he still has his passport in the drawer. It ran out in 1980! He gets annoyed when people ask for a passport. He used to use his gun licence as ID he refused to get a photo driving license. But when we moved he had to renew his licence. So has that now. Recently I looked on the government website at how much pension I would get (trying to see if I need to volunteer NI contributions) To find your info you need to put your passport details in. DH wanted to see his pension too, but couldn't do it. Much to his annoyance. I can't see me using my passport again really as dh won't travel. Perhaps I will have to go alone once ds3 is old enough to leave. There are so many places I'd love to see, I can't believe dh has no interest at all, he'd rather look at tractors, cows and fast cars.

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant yes he needed it for that. But opened it before going off to university.

Doh: missed the new thread! Thought everyone had gone quiet ;-) will catch up on the gossip later but just marking my place!

@Decorhate I've just renewed my passport and had to send off my other passport (have dual nationality). I was so spooked by all the headlines of passport applications taking months to process I applied ridiculously early (decided absolutely NOTHING is going to get in the way of my summer holiday even if that meant actually moving in with Priti Patel until it was issued). It took less than a week for my new passport to arrive and about 10 days for my other passport to be returned. I think the delays are for people who are not applying online.

Yup, my passport came back speedily
too (standard renewal) - think it was about three weeks.

Ds2's came back quickly too. The old one wasn't returned until about 6 weeks later. I thought that was odd, on previous occasions the old one has come back first.

What do boys wear to proms these days? Full on tux seems to have gone out. If suit,w hat colour and style is in vogue? I do not want to make a mistake!

Sixth form prom not as dressy as a year 11 one round here.

@Piggywaspushed Dd says her sixth form prom is less dressy than year 11 so she’s not going for a full length dress. Although she is for the sixth form prom at her old school, so maybe it depends! Generally speaking dress codes seem to be a group decision - dd always asks around her friendship group to see what the consensus is. Can he see what other people are wearing?

Oh I just realised you said it’s definitely not tuxes so ignore the first bit of my post! I could ask dd to ask her male friends what they’re wearing - but probably makes more sense for your son to ask his friends. It’s best to blend in with the people you’re going with? (unless you’re the type of person who wants to stand out but I’m guessing not?)

As I established on his 18th DSs friends are proper nerds. Bless them. Asking them for fashion advice would be like Asking Trump and Boris for barbering advice...

Asking them for fashion advice would be like Asking Trump and Boris for barbering advice... 😂
Love that!
Gah...DD has a migraine (again). Refusing all discussion about ways to reduce stress...you can lead a horse to water and all that. It's driving me mad, but I'm going to have to shut up and leave her to it...