End of Year 13: Results, Summer and plans for September and onwards

[Rollergirl11]

Noticed the current thread is almost full so thought I better start a new one for discussing results day and our DC’s plans for uni/gap years or anything else!

Just catching up on the thread here ... it is good to hear how everyone's DCs are doing. @legosnowqueen I am sure once he gets over the disappointment about Durham he will find somewhere else he loves. Sorry to hear about your DD's boyfriend and that she is finding things hard @MirandaWest. Hopefully the uni are being supportive.

DD is still absolutely loving Edinburgh and can't believe she is nearly at the end of the first year already. She will be home next week for 10 days, then back for exams straight after Easter. She is also currently flat hunting for next year, as the Scottish system is very different. She and her three would-be flatmates have put in an application for one they really like, so keeping fingers crossed on that.

How's everyone doing?
Can't believe we are at the end of 1st year already as it seems only 5 minutes since our DC were in the midst of A levels!
My house is full of DS's stuff now and his car is taking up space on the drive. He brought everything home last week then went straight back on the train for various sports and social events, but his lease runs out next week so he'll be home properly in a few days. Then my older son will be home a couple of weeks after that as he's just finished his finals. It will be lovely to have them both home but I've got used to a tidy house and there are some things about a full house that I don't miss!
Hope everyone is well and that the DC's exams have all gone according to plan. Anyone got any exciting plans for Summer?

That'll be lovely to have them both home @MrsAvocet

Great your DD is loving Edinburgh @PumpkinKnitter

DD is still at university with 3 exams to go in the final week of June then she's back home around the end of the month. We only hear about rowing but she appears to be loving it. I think she'll go back to her river tours job over the summer as its fun and pays well. She'll have until early October off.

Hope things are going well for everyone else.

DDs year really hasn’t been how any of us would have liked. She wwnt back to uni towards the end of April and had already deferred her exams to the resit period in July/August. She did some choir things one of which I went down to see. Her boyfriend also went back there a week or so later and I was hoping things would be OK but he then broke up with her a couple of weeks later as he wasn’t sure how he felt about her or about anything much I think.

She's devastated and wishes she’d never met him as then a lot of things would have been different. She came back home a couple of days later and has basically been in her room. She has started having therapy sessions with someone in Bristol and has been continuing with that which is good.

She was talking about having a year out which would have been difficult given the house we’ve signed fhe contract for but her being OK would be more important.

She spoke with her senior tutor and has discovered that she can have a supplementary first year where she’s able to 'bank' the credits she’s had for the year and then only have the lectures for the courses she didn’t complete after Christmas. One of the courses had lectures before and after Christmas so she would have those before Christmas but would have more time available. She would also only have half the student fees altnough a full maintenance loan.

She seems fine about this but I do feel worried about it all. I also have stopped trying to ask her too much as it seems to make things worse and so I feel rather redundant.

Ho hum. Things don’t get easier as they get older…

She’s said she wishes she’d had a gap year before uni. I did suggest it at the time but she was very sure she didn’t.

Sorry to hear things are tough @MirandaWestbut it sounds like she has options which is good and their health comes first as you say.

Ds has a stewarding role at a big sporting event coming up but is also full on at uni until the end of June. He’s had a good year, has made friends and o think has a ‘special’ friend but we’re not being told any details 🤣. We’re on a 10 day trip as soon as he finishes and then he goes away with friends. He’s hoping to get a job but there’s nothing in the pipeline as yet unfortunately.

Sorry to hear things are hard for your DD @MirandaWest and hope she finds the right path through for her.

Good luck for the GCSEs as well Ithink We also have a non counting first year just need to pass then no exams second year. I have no idea how DD is doing as all she talks about is rowing but we have been told I only need to pass. Which is true.

Good things are going well Light

Sympathy @MirandaWest sounds very tricky, good she has options for next year. Hope she can find the best way forward.

DS is in the middle of his exams but he only has four so will finish them on Wednesday. He has asked to come home asap because he wants to play on the computer. I have said he needs to stay at least until his sister finishes her GCSEs on the 18th! As we are so local he can still go to things from home so I am hoping he will go along to some end of term stuff. He's not into balls or big loud parties though. He has struggled quite a bit with the work and lectures and self motivation/organisation so we are not expecting very good results (honestly we are just hoping he passes!) At least his first year doesn't count towards his degree grade or anything like that and hopefully from next year he can start to specialise/choose courses a bit. I think it can be a shock to the system if you have never struggled at school or sixth form and suddenly degree stuff is hard.

Any gap year parents in here? I haven't looked on here for a long while because my YP took a gap year and is just getting ready for uni now.

@MirandaWest- sorry to hear things haven’t gone to plan this year. Sounds like “plan B” is well established though and I hope that is successful for your dd next year.

ds has had a good first year. Passed everything (so far), has thrown himself into the sports club there (he’s on the exec committee already!) and has a girlfriend! He has exams this week and next and is staying until the last week of June. This works well for DD’s end of GCSEs.

No clue what his summer plans are. We have a family holiday to Japan and otherwise I’m just hoping he gets a job!

Sorry to hear about your DD's problems @MirandaWest but glad the University is being supportive - I hope everything works out OK.
Best wishes to your budding student @MyOtherProfile My elder son took a gap year and it's a bit weird at this stage isn't it? Most of their peers from school are finishing their first year at University, most of the young people who will be their peers at University are currently doing A levels and they're kind of in the middle! It was nice to have the certainty, accomodation 100% confirmed etc but slightly strange too. I hope all goes well for your young person.
Good luck to those still doing exams. DS passed all his comfortably thankfully. I don't think they count towards his degree but his confidence has had a boost as he's done well even in the subjects he's not as keen on. He is looking forward to next year as a lot of his first year was fairly generic stuff studied alongside students on different courses but next year has some more specific modules that he's really excited about. I have to confess to being quite relieved as his communications with home seem to have revolved around sports, clubs and his girlfriend so I was unsure as to precisely how much study was happening, plus my mother in law died towards the end of both my DS's exam periods. It wasn't unexpected but still upsetting for them both. Keeping my fingers crossed that DS1's finals have gone well. He's far less communicative than his younger brother and says they were "fine" but that could mean anything!

Nice to hear the updates, although sorry to hear about the bumpy road some have been having.

My DS finished his exams last week and is now staying in Durham until something like 25th, as seems to have lots on. He’s been doing some volunteer training and is applying to be a Frep, which is a fresher’s week organiser in his college, an d applying for a JCR committee role too as well as lots of going to the pub and beach, as far as I can make out. His contract on 2nd yr house starts on 1 July, so I will probably go up with him then to get the keys, have a night in the house and then come home. I think having someone there to help check things over and read meters etc might be helpful. And then he has a job in school holidays and a couple of holidays with different groups of friends.

He’s had a really good year and it’s whizzed by. He definitely went with a positive attitude about meeting people, getting invovled and working hard and has been fortunate to meet some very nice people. Once the group for 2nd year house was formed (within a month of arrival) he definitely felt more relaxed and secure. It’s been really good to see his growing confidence and that he decides to go for things and join stuff I wouldn’t have imagined him doing. For him, the collegiate system has been great and also the catered college has been so good for meeting people and easy socialising with lots of people. That said, he’s looking forward to cooking with his housemates next year, but being catered for a year has helped lots. Guess I will have to clear his room out as it’s become a dumping ground for our various junk, laundry etc and no doubt the food bill will double…but it will be lovely to have him back for the summer.

Good to hear the updates. There are others taking a year out or starting uni this year @LouisCatorze and @legosnowqueen DC are starting this year.

Japan sounds great @QueenMabby

We now have a date for DD returning home at the end of June though it sounds like its her luggage will be returning home and she's off to a rowing camp. At Easter her stuff was in 3 rooms hoping to reduce that over the summer as it goes on to October. We have not planned travel yet - DD tells me I travel like a teenager booking last minute but that's as I need to be certain who can travel when. Last time I spoke to DD she hadn't renewed her passport.

Yes it is a bit strange @MrsAvocet although quite a few of DS friends also took a gap year so they've travelled together quite a bit. I wonder if many first years will have had a gap year when they get to uni.

Thank you for your kind words everyone. DD has been starting to improve a bit in the past few days and I’m hoping it continues that way. She has quite a few plans for the next few weeks which is good,

DS has just finished his second year and is doing an exchange year in the Netherlands next year. He had a gap year too so will be nearly 24 when he finishes. Is weird thinking that other people in his year at school are graduating now.

MyOtherProfile DD is a gap year student. She worked full-time for seven months, then travelled in SE Asia, and is just back. Has her place at Exeter (main campus) to start this autumn. She will spend the summer working. She doesn't feel left behind because quite a few of her current workmates will also be going up with her, so she has a ready-made friendship circle.

It seems as if it might be a bit of an anti-climax going up to uni a full year after A Levels though. Certainly, it's not going to be the same whirlwind experienced by those who go straight to university at 18, I don't think.

Sorry to hear that your DD has been having a very tricky time @MirandaWest . Hoping that the break over the summer will give her proper rest and some perspective and clarity on the right path to follow going forward.

@MrsAvocet sorry to hear of the loss of your MIL.

Hello, thanks for tagging me @MsPengiunswe hope that DS will head off to Manchester in September - he feels very positive about the course. As always, it hasn’t been plain sailing - he had a breakthrough seizure at school 5 days before his first A level exam, followed by several more in hospital later, & they kept him in overnight. However, he recovered quickly & was determined to take the exams. No medical reason for the seizure was found & the docs put it down to exam stress & upped his meds. So proud of his strength & determination & now the exams are finally done - yay! @MyOtherProfileI think there will be quite a few students starting who have taken gap years or resits etc. If DS goes to Manchester there will be a few friends also starting & he will also know a couple of friends who went last year.

@MirandaWestthat sounds very tough for your DD, & also hard for you to try to support/not inadvertently say the wrong thing. At least the uni are being supportive.

@MrsAvocetso sorry to hear about your mother in law’s passing.

Good to catch up with everyone’s news, the year has certainly flown by in some ways! Most of DS’s friends are back from uni now.

Congratulations on your DS getting through the exams and to you for supporting him @legosnowqueen Hope he's very happy at Manchester, good to know a few people already.

DD is back on 28th June and I think here until September, returning early for rowing. She has exams next week but as usual we are just hearing about rowing. She was very excited to have her first medal in a regatta.

DC finished their Foundation Diploma a few weeks ago and are currently preparing for their exhibition (Art, obviously). We’re going to the private parents’ viewing which I’m really excited about. I’ve never seen their work formally presented. Then they come home, family holidays, visits to friends, results (on A level results day), and start their degree in September, staying at the same Art school as they’ve loved it. This year has gone REALLY fast. And my baby has grown up.

That sounds great @Neveragainisaid congratulations.

DD is now home, finished exams on Friday then spent weekend rowing and now back for 2 weeks and will be working full time at her river tours job then has a free place on a week's business course in Oxford with free accommodation. Then she's back will do some more work then go on holiday with some Oxford friends then back here a week then back to Oxford for rowing trials end of August and will then probably stay in Oxford until term ends. Had a great first year, lots of fun. Has accommodation next year 2 mins from her college owned by the university and says a very fun group of students. No exams in year 2.

@MyOtherProfile my youngest DD2 took a gap year after going to Reading and lasting for a week. She took a year out got a job, then moved to student accommodation locally so she’s got best of both worlds.made her more confident that year out as before she had anxiety issues. Hope your daughter is feeling much better @MirandaWest . @QueenMabby glad your son has had a good year. Off to Japan next year for 50th birthday, and doing research on it and looks superb. 👌 hope you have a super time.

Hope everyone’s DC are doing great 😊

TheDD (Manchester PhD) is doing great, working in Spain and Portugal and is enjoying her time here and abroad. DD2 past her theory last week and got a mid 2:1 and passed into second year. She really thought she flunked her reproduction and genetics module and would have to resit but it’s all good. DD1,DD2 and their boyfriends are coming with DH and me to Cornwall this weekend for a week. We haven’t been all together since Christmas so I’m just so happy we are back together again.

Nice to hear from other gap year parents @LouisCatorze and @sammyjoanne my yp is still traveling - I guess at least it's preparing us for September and uni. My youngest has decided probably not to do a gap year so it will be interesting to see what that's like next year.

It’s been soooo long since I posted!

Having a good summer here; both DC have jobs to fund their holiday lifestyles and DS starts a very short internship next week. DD had a fantastic first year all told.

And they are finally doing their own washing at home!! This is the bit of parenting I was getting weighed down by - working almost full time and doing the washing what felt like every day - madness. They have laundry baskets in their rooms now and do their own - sorting, loading, unloading, drying, ironing, putting away : the lot, I’m not involved (apart from seemingly endless questions about settings on the machine and what is coloured and whites). It’s taken a few weeks but we are there and it is so freeing!!! DD is finally learning to cook - she was catered this first year so no need before. DS is an excellent cook but the skills only seem to appear when his GF is staying over…

well jealous of all the Japan trips! DH and I have been talking about it for a few years time: I’d like to go for a month or more as everyone I know that has been wants to go back as it’s so wonderful and so much to see and experience. Japan people please let us know about your trips!!

@MirandaWest i hope your DD is having a good rest over the summer and is feeling better. Sounds like it’s been v tough.

@legosnowqueen do let us know how DS gets on when he starts. Exciting stuff. 😊

@LouisCatorze loads of DDs uni friends have had gap years, I wouldn’t say it’s an anticlimax - rather it’s less stressful for them! One of her closest friends has had two gap years - lovely girl.

DS is planning his gap year after he finishes 🙄 Not content with doing a 4 year degree he wants to delay the rat race even further.

Don’t blame him really 😆

Well done @SooperOuting I have failed miserably to train any of my household to do laundry, though the boys do at least bring theirs down to the utility room which is more than DH does! In fact I was complaining about this the other day. With just DH and I at home I only need to wash a couple of times a week, with the boys home it's been twice a day some days with all the sports stuff on top of normal clothes. 🙄
All peaceful here but plenty of news. DS1's graduation is in a few weeks. He got a first so we're very pleased but I'll be even more pleased when he gets off his backside and finds a job. And DS2 passed first year with distinction. He's been busy rebuilding his car and doing some volunteering related to his sport so hasn't worked this holiday. He'll be going back in a few weeks as preseason training begins a few weeks before the start of term. Can't believe second year is nearly here. But the biggest news is that I'm going to be a grandma as my DD and her husband are expecting their first baby in the new year. All very exciting though I'm realising how out of date I am when she's asking me for advice!
Hope everyone is having a great Summer and enjoying having their DC home - despite the extra laundry!

Fabulous news @MrsAvocet- congratulations!

Ds has returned and after a family holiday he seems to be busy socialising and playing sports. He now has a girlfriend who we’re getting to know and has a few hours a week tutoring lined up. It’s his first experience of this so he’s not charging much and I’m not sure this person he is helping will work out. They need more teaching than tutoring so I’ve told him to review it with the organiser at the end of August.

He’s also taken a sports qualification so is hoping to get some work related to that for the next academic year. I’m a proud mum as he got an email last week to say he made the Dean’s List. I had no idea what this was (and it probably means he gets a free lunch or something) but it’s nice his hard work was recognised.

Unfortunately he’s not pulling his weight round the house unless nagged into it so we’ve told him that’ll need to change for the next academic year (ie, we won’t be doing his washing and will expect him to cook at least one dinner a week).