Thread 38 Covid Cohort, After Results Day

[CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee]

ALL our children are heroes of their own stories, they have thrived through a once in a century catastrophe and they will succeed

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results (life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). 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 Sept?

Previous thread

www.mumsnet.com/talk/further_education/4613457-thread-37-covid-cohort-2020-results-thread-heroes-of-their-own-stories

@Zebracat Thanks for that tip!

I’ve just been shopping for a few more things for Ds (the list is quite short tbh). Needed a saucepan suitable for an induction hob but all were £££. At the last minute spotted one on sale at Robert Dyas for £6!

Done Sainsburys, Wilko, Home Bargains and Next today. Could not find just normal hi ball tumblers anywhere!!

Ds has bought plates, glasses and (rather randomly!!) a butter dish from the local charity shop today: he's decided to buy preloved for kitchen stuff where he can so it's not precious and also more distinctive! His plates are retro 70s stuff so definitely will be one of a kind!

He's finally got round to joining facebook and been added to some uni chat groups, but think he's mainly observing so far. I'm hoping for a trip up the York Christmas markets next term, and sort of hoping DS will stay up other than that...

@Piggywaspushed I’m just giving Ds some old pint glasses!

Thanks for the tip @Zebracat.

DS is taking the pint glasses he has liberated from local pubs, apparently ours weren’t good enough for him 😂

He has a pint glass. I was after the slightly smaller ones, usually perfectly easy to find. Everything was aimed at cocktails, gin, wine, or was little small very thin tumbler. I may do a celebration lap round a shop when I find some! If not, then pint glass will be multi purpose...

@Piggywaspushed . These are not bad .Is it mean that I thought I would give her all the non matching ones and buy myself some new?

I can get both of these in my tesco shop? Any good?

Today my DD bought her first uni thing - it’s a fake plant for her room.

I wanted to buy DH some pint glasses earlier this summer because he keeps nicking my gin glasses to drink beer in as they hold more than any of our other glasses. Could I find any? No. Tried Sainsburys, TKMaxx, M&S a few other places.

We have some of those very sturdy half pint glasses with handles that you get from beer festivals so I’m sending DS with a couple of those, but he mainly drinks from water bottles, so does DD.

Yes, that's sort of what I am after. Habitat do good, solid ones in Sainsburys so I'll need to look again!

I was going to buy them new just so they were boxed for transportation!

I suspect it is the modern generation and their obsession with water bottles that is driving the glasses out!

I think you said you weren’t planning an ikea trip but I got those tumblers @278Newnames has posted from there.
Tesco great alternative though if you have a large one near you.

DS got his room allocation, he got his first choice which is great but is now grumbling at the single bed as his 2nd choice had the 3/4 bed! He made the choices though!

Have been to Asda today and bought duvet, pillows and bedding. Got a massive Dunelm order coming this week (there isn’t a branch near us and we couldn’t face it the same day as ikea!) and then we are nearly done. Just need to pick up a chopping knife as Asda didn’t have any and I can’t seem to order one.

I was very pleased to have my age checked by the delivery man when DS's kitchen knife arrived 😂

Ha, DD has finally managed to source a bread knife - she went through huge palaver getting someone to unlock the secure knife storage in Wilko, only to realise she didn’t have ID on her.

I feel like she has a LOT - we may have to get a storage locker when she comes home next summer.

Dropping off and visits etc - drop offs with DSs - one was south coast so 2hrs 30mins and other was south midlands so 1hr 15mins. So both done in a day - 1hr to empty car into room and another to sort room. Then left for an hour to meet flat then return to take for food shop plus lunch or early dinner then home.

DD is Durham so best part of 5hrs so booked Airbnb 2 nights in case early or late drop off slot.

in terms of coming home or visiting. I popped in to both at 3 week mark on way home from my uni course and a work event. Arrived at 5pm took out for early dinner plus supermarket trip and a chat. Both good so no concerns. Both came home in mid November for family birthday celebrations.

Dd is back from Reading with the worst sunburn I’ve seen in a long time 😱 She forgot to put sunscreen on and her whole back was in direct sunlight. So she hasn’t dared have a shower yet as it’s too painful.

Shes been clearing her room of tat for moving though. I’ve said she can just take what she’s got to start off with - rug, cushions, bedding, mugs etc- and then maybe I’ll get her something half way through the term.

DS1 got really burnt in Crete. It's not nice.

I have just realised that not only will euphonium have to get to uni but also large and cumbersome music stand. Might need to get a bigger boat.

Knowing just how much DD is going to want to take (even if we have to bring it back as won't fit) - I am grateful DH has a van. Even if it means I have to catch the train as only a 2 seater. I was very pleased to see that there is a direct train for £17 Liverpool to Nottingham at certain times! It takes about 2.45 hrs which is slightly more that the car, but how cheap is that. DH will have to pick up DD Christmas, Easter and end of term to bring everything home, but DD can catch the train home other times.

I did a big Amazon order yesterday, so I'm hoping got everything now. Ah need DD to pick a rug and duvet cover.

DD has slept most of today. She went to Leeds for the day yesterday, took them 5 hrs to get out of the car park! so got back to her friends at 6.00am, slept them came home lunch time. She didn't enjoy it at all. Far too manic for her. She much preferred Board Masters which just had a different feel.

I think she can now slow down, most of the socialising has been done, no more holidays or trips booked. We are going to have some days out (we have a Rib boat in Anglesey so will try to use that a few more times before she leaves). I'm guessing there will be some leaving parties though. Hoping she will start to focus on uni this week. The PC and printer etc will be arriving end of the week so she can start playing around with the software and then decide if she wants to use the training she has been provided with...

Re Doctors - are all your DD/DS signing up with doctor local to uni or staying with current one. There is one on site at Nottingham and DD wants to switch but I was thinking with her only being there for 31 weeks is it a good idea or not. She can't switch until she has an actually room number anyway so got a bit of time to decide.

@crazycrofter hope the sunburn eases quickly. It's so easy to get burnt in the UK.

@Piggywaspushed I had forgotten about glasses so thanks for the reminder :-)

We are still waiting for Warwick to confirm accommodation. It's a bit frustrating as we went get bedding etc until we know what's going on. We made a start on kitchen stuff but can't really do much more until we have all the details.

DD will only be 45 mins away from home so I hope we'll see her from time to time! We have a short break booked during October half term and I'm hoping she'll be able to join us for the part that falls over the weekend, but we'll play it by ear. Although she wants to go at the moment, she might change her mind once she makes new friends at uni.

@Heifer dd enjoyed the social side of Reading and loved the music, but apart from the sunburn it sounded like a bit of an ordeal to me 😂 Loads of drugs everywhere, noise all night, crowds absolutely packed in, which was especially painful with sunburn and very rowdy mosh pits, plus tents being burned at the end. Interesting to hear that Boardmasters is different.

We're only an hour from Nottingham (or will be when we move) so definitely doing it in one day. Dd made another friend who’s going to Nottingham at Reading too!

@Heifer DS is now planning to register at GP in uni town after some consideration. The registration docs for the uni asked if you intended to, they also emailed separately requesting them to do so. DS's logic is that if he needs medical attention up there he'd rather it was all straightforward with a local GP and if there are any problems getting temporary care he'd rather it was here where he has me to support him. My only concern is whether they will register him as having learning difficulties, he is registered as such now and it means I can support him as his carer, he gets flu jabs and an annual MOT which is a very good idea.

Despite us confirming (and paying for) halls last week nothing has come through with details of moving in times, getting a bit irritated.

crazy, DD came back pretty red/brown but thankfully not burnt.

She does, however, have some lovely henna tattoos all over her arms and legs…by lovely, I mean, inappropriate (think the sort of childish doodling adolescent boys seem to feel the need to draw on steamed up windows/dirty vans…) , so I hope the good weather doesn’t last!!

She got home at lunchtime, had a shower and something to eat, and has been asleep ever since!