Thread 34 Covid Cohort - Heat 'Waving' DC to final exams and drinking more

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

...water

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. It's all relative!

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 continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will find a thread within the Further Ed board.

Possibly a move to Parent of Adult Children Board in future? Post Results?

Previous Thread

@Zebracat o’neill - only because they have a 50% off sale and he needs board shorts as well.

@Delphigirl are O'Neill good for skinny boys? I might need to investigate. DS doesn't do shopping ever. I could see him going on holiday with just one pair of tracksuit bottoms (not jeans though because they're waaaaay too uncomfortable).

That is really rubbish @ExtremelyDedicated after all the effort that goes into deciding which course is the right one. And to pretend it's good news is absolutely infuriating. And then to tell him in a mealy mouthed email in the middle of exams 😡😡😡

I hope he feels happy with the alternative, or can find something else that excites him. Is he allowed to dump RAU as his firm and firm another of his offers if he wants to?

I agree Ealing.

@ealingwestmum I decided to bite the bullet and tell him, the email was in his account so he would have seen it and it was better to find out at home rather than when he had got back to school (boarding from tonight). It’s not so much that the course was cancelled, these things happen, but the email was long-winded and unclear, if I hadn’t been keeping an eye on them he might not have realised what was actually happening (I had to read it twice).

That article makes hard reading...so much this year has been murky. As IB students get to clearing first it may be an issue for A level kids this year, putting more pressure on next year as well. It just seems like its pushing it down the line, year after year.

I really think it would have been fairer on our lot if it was 50% TAGS and 50% exams for their A levels.

@Zebracat most of the parcels I’ve had handed to me at the door seem to be Pretty Little Things. Probably not a good choice for those wanting to buy ethically/responsibly but apparently very cheap! I don’t think dd has fully decided which one she’s wearing to prom next Sat yet.

My dc are fully independent when it comes to buying clothes 😇🤣So much so that I haven’t dared buy them anything since about 12-13, but I did take a risk and buy one of those ‘vintage 2004’ T-shirts for DD’s birthday and she’s worn it at least 3 times so far, so I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself 😂 But I wouldn’t dare buy a bag or anything too significant!

Really hope it all works out ED, I’m sure he’ll be pragmatic about it all and make the call right for him.

Just remembered another snack that has gone down well here, Greggs bakes from Iceland

There was supposed to be a photo there

Just caught up after a few days away.

DS finished on Thursday and has started working in the local pub so I’ve barely seen him since then!

DS2 has 3 more GCSEs and finishes on Thursday.
Trying to decide what (if anything) to do to celebrate, nice meal or something.

@ExtremelyDedicated that’s terrible about your DS course. I guess they’d run it if they could but such a shame when he’s spent time choosing that course over anything else.

@Shimy i’m so shocked to hear about that back pack thread!! I don’t understand why people are so nasty sometimes

@singingstones good luck for your endoscopy. Would recommend sedation and great that hubby can collect you. Be aware there are restrictions on what you can do for the 24 hours following the sedation, no driving, operating heavy machinery, signing legal documents etc. Also be sure to follow the fasting instructions to the letter, they will cancel you if you’ve eaten at the wrong time and there is a chance they won’t be able to see everything they need to see

Just catching up on the quickly moving thread.

@Shimy I remember your backpack thread. Totally crazy reaction. There seems to be a theme on MN that once your DC is 18 there must be zero parental input at all times.

@ExtremelyDedicated how annoying that the course has changed at this late stage but good that you spotted the email and have discussed it.

DD has been busy with various music things since finishing exams last week. Proud parent moment watching her play at a festival this weekend. DS GCSEs continue this week and one the following week, he’s definitely running out of stream.

Good luck to those with exams this week.

Thanks all for the supportive messages today and last night. I am feeling a bit calmer now, we went through the course specs and DS thinks the alternative one will be OK, there is an open day coming up so we will go to that and talk it over with them then. He’s gone back to school now. Last exam on Weds but they have some fun stuff planned for this week.

In other news DD had a college open day yesterday and has finally decided to go there instead of staying at school. The place has really impressed us both, in terms of the staff, the setup, the facilities and the location is easy enough to get to too. Just got to decide subjects now, it’s history, biology and one from psychology or chemistry. Last GCSE exam for her tomorrow.

@Monkey2001 Re fee unfairness… will it infuriate you even more to hear about the family I know working in Middle East as ex-pats whose kids have EU passports & went to Scottish unis on zero tuition fees? Parents never paid a penny of tax in the UK.

@ExtremelyDedicated Glad to hear your DS is still feeling positive despite the curve ball there.

@Heifer Biology was reported as yeah okay. He's a bit laid back but I think that got him through covid fairly unscathed so can't complain. Friday tennis was followed by Saturday tennis then Sunday tennis. I think he's just had enough of revision. Managed a couple of hours for Tuesday maths.

@ealingwestmum Best typo of the day there "rank over"

Eww, intuitive autocorrect at its best :) Nothing to do with post menopause blurry eye sight!

I sigh with resignation! Of course the EU loophole has gone now, you need to have settled status for UK funding now. It was a weird thing with EU competition law that Scotland was allowed to discriminate against England, but not against the rest of Europe.

That was bizarre with the Scotland/EU situation, couldn’t believe it when I read about it.

Final week is here, good luck to those with exams left 🍀🍀

We are in the home straight - good luck to all with exams this week!

Good luck to all sitting papers today! 🍀
DD has Latin literature paper 2: Two hours with Virgil and Horace.

Organic chemistry this morning for DS. He hates organic chemistry with a passion but has worked hard to fill the gaps in his knowledge so fingers are crossed that today won’t be as bad as feared 🤞

Good luck to all exam sitters today.

Good Luck everyone. ☘️
ED ds has handled course cancellation maturely.
I hate it when someone doesn't have the grace and dignity to apologise.

Good luck to everyone sitting exams today. Last push for us all …

Good luck everyone- English here today

Hope today’s exams go well! Just GCSE chemistry here.