UEA freshers (2019 starters) part 2

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread and hope you don't mind that I set up the next thread @juicy0. Just did it to ensure that we carry on chatting seamlessly

Weirdly the day we had her put her sleep I saw on Facebook a post from someone we sold a puppy to 7 years ago, saying she thinks she needs to re home her dog. I messaged straight away as it felt like it was meant to be to have her back.

The dog is full sister to the one I have. The family are going through a rough time and think it's kinder to re home the dog. I'm not sure it will definitely happen, they said they'll bring her next weekend. But they are all upset and may have a change of heart. It would be great to have her though. Our 2 would probably be happy living with anyone as long as they were loved, fed and walked! So maybe this one will be the same.

I dropped ds back at the train station this eve. He will stay with his gf tonight. She lives in the student accommodation right in the centre of Norwich. It sounds lovely accommodation.

@icanbewhatiwant that sounds like a great situation if it come off with the dog, I’m sure it would make your current dog feel much happier and would be much nicer than bringing an unknown dog into the family.
I hope it works out.

Yes, @icanbewhatiwant fingers crossed that your dog2's full sister comes back to your fold. That would be the best-case scenario for everyone.

Isn't the central Norwich student accommodation really expensive (some of DS's former school pals are housed there too)?

@icanbewhatiwant - I am so sorry to hear about your dog. I hope you are doing ok. Fingers-crossed for your dog's sister. That would be amazing!

Ds still hasn't signed up for a house yet although they are revisiting one on Monday to make sure the whole group has seen it and I know ds is keen so let's hope he gets it sorted.

icanbewhatiwant I'm sorry about your poor dog, they are such a huge part in our lives, aren't they? It does seem serendipitous that there is an opportunity to take care of the sister dog. I hope it all works out for you

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 yes it is expensive accommodation, but ds's gf applied through clearing and the only accommodation available was in Pablo Fanque house. She isn't paying full price. I would say she's done well as it's really nice accommodation, but they are all mixed ages in her flat and she has to travel to and from UEA each day. Whereas most students are already there. So she would have preferred to be on campus.

Thanks for the good wishes about the dog. Our mat in front of the fire looks lonely without her. The other dog doesn't ever sleep on the mat...she prefers her bed in the porch. As for her sister, I'm not sure whether that will come to anything. They think it's kinder for the dog to re home her, but can't bare to give her away. She wants a few days to think about it. Then if they want to go ahead they want a weeks trial. I'm not sure I want her for a week and then they say they can't live without her and want her back. They are just over 100 miles away from us. So it isn't like they are local. So I'll wait to see if I hear from them again. I have a feeling they won't part with her.

@icanbewhatiwant do you mind me asking has your DS had any results for any of the work/exams he’s done?
My DS is on the same course as yours and he says he’s not had any results/feedback about any work he’s done.
He’s struggling a bit at the moment, he’s a bit low and having issues sleeping and I think he’s worried that he’s maybe failed some units, no feedback isn’t helping.
I’m a bit worried he could drop out, but I may be overthinking due to being in Canada and knowing I can’t see him till Easter.

@Itscoldouthere I know ds had a maths exam and a chemistry exam before Christmas which he only just passed. He's not good at maths or chemistry. Also had results from the biology exam before Christmas, he did very well in that one. But no idea about any exams or results this year. I have just messaged him to ask. He's awful at replying though. I'll let you know if I hear.
Has your ds had any help with sleep yet? It's really hard when you can't sleep. I get brief periods where I can't sleep, but thankfully only lasts a week or so at a time. It's is debilitating.

Hmm that’s interesting, DS says he hasn’t had any results from exams, I may have to ask him again, maybe he failed and doesn’t want to tell us, but I’d be surprised as he took maths to AS and he’s got a chemistry A level (although only C) but who know, I know from our personal A level dramas, anything can happen, anyone can fail if you don’t put the effort in!

@icanbewhatiwant well I’ve asked him again and told him I know others have been given results from Christmas exams.
He won’t like it and may not reply to me, but I think we need to know what’s going on, I can’t wait till the end of the year to find out if he’s failing, it would have a major impact on our plans and the whole Canada thing, so I just have to be upfront with him 😬

He saw a person from student services last week about his sleep problem, but it sounds like they weren’t much help and told him to see a doctor.
He hasn’t made an appointment yet, but think he might.
I’ve had 2 sets of my friends offer to have him for a ‘cosy home’ weekend to try and lift his mood, they would pick him up and take him back, feed him etc he knows them well (since birth) but he doesn’t want to do it.
I’m coming back to UK in a few weeks, hopefully he’ll be ok in the meantime.

@Itscoldouthere that's good you have such kind friends to offer help. It's a shame he won't take them up on it. Yes a gp appointment is probably best. But they may prescribe tablets...your ds might not like the idea of medication. But for short term it might get him back into a sleep routine. They might make him struggle to get up though.
Ds has replied with "I don't think so" so he's just as vague! I asked if he'd had any results this year. I said I know he had results in December but were there more after.
Ds was telling me how they can start choosing modules for next academic year soon. He will be glad to not do maths or chemistry anymore as he's just scraped through with those. So they have definitely had those results. Ds hasn't told me his grades for the maths though. So not sure how he did. Biology grade very good though.

Forgot to say that's good you can come back. Only 4 weeks and they have a month off. Are you back for Easter? (I'm sure I read that up thread)

@icanbewhatiwant thanks for all the info. My suspicion is he’s probably had the pre Christmas results but isn’t telling us 🤦‍♀️
It’s tricky all round really with the Canada move in the mix.
I’m coming back to sort out the house in a couple of weeks, in theory it’s due to be sold just after Easter , so I’ve got a lot to sort out.
We will all be home at Easter for the last time in the house, which I’m hoping will be nice.
Hopefully DS will be ok till then, it’s such a shame he won’t take up my friends offers, one only lives 30 mins from UEA and her son is currently living in our house whilst I’m in Canada, so she love to have my DS, but he’s just not interested.

@Itscoldouthere I don't know how it works at university. But if they get a bad grade in their subject do they get dropped from the course? Ds seemed to think he wouldn't be able to continue if he failed the maths element. Not quite sure why he needs to pass a maths and chemistry exam to continue a biology degree. It's obviously part of the course.
I can understand your ds not wanting to stay with friends. But you did say they were very close friends. So perhaps that's a little different.
Good job you are due back. You might get some answers. Though no doubt you'll be busy.

@icanbewhatiwant I don’t know if they can fail bits or not? I would have thought not and if a module is failed they would have to retake it?
DS told me they have to get at least 40% in the end of year exams to continue into year 2, but the 1st year results aren’t carried forward towards your overall degree grade.
My friends son had to do 2nd year again on his course, as he failed an important unit and retaking the year or dropping out was his only option, but that was a different course (and not UEA).
Perhaps others on the thread know more??

Yes ds had to get 40% in the maths. He didn't tell me what he got though!

I don't know the answers to the rest though.

@Itscoldouthere if your DS doesn't want to stay with friends is there anything you could get him or do for him that might perk him up? I'm local and would be happy to shop for and deliver a little pick me up parcel to tide him over until your visit.

Re UEA progression requirements, this information is on the website:

In most standard 3 year UEA undergraduate degree courses, this is how the marks break down:

Year 1 – your end of year marks do not count towards your final degree classification but you need to get at least 40% in each module to pass the year and progress to year 2.
Year 2 – this year will count as 40% of your final degree
Year 3 – this year will make up 60% of your final degree classification
www.uea.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/advice/ask/student-support/if-i-finish-the-year-with-an-average-of-69.5-does-this-get-rounded-up-to-a-first
Also see here:
portal.uea.ac.uk/learning-and-teaching/students/results-regulations/results-and-reassessment

Your DC should have the exact info pertinent to their particular course(s) in their student handbook (whether this is a physical or an online entity).

@juicy0 thank you so much for your kind offer, that’s so thoughtful of you. However I’m just going to leave him for now, I think he thinks I’m backpacking too much!
I did manage to squeeze his Christmas exam results out of him, he insisted he’d told me Biology and Maths and said he only got Chemistry last week, but I’m certain he’s never told me them before, thankfully he’s passing everything reasonably well.
Things have started to progress now with our house sale, so I’m glad I’m coming back in a few weeks, as I’ve got so much to do back in the UK.

@Itscoldouthere that's good he has told you the results anyway. It's not long until you are home.

@MarchingFrogs thanks for the info.

@icanbewhatiwant yes, I beginning to worry that he had failed his exams and didn’t want to tell us.

My mind does go into overdrive sometimes, it’s a combination of feeling guilty that I’m so far away, and the fact that he goes off the radar all the time, he’s really bad at keeping in contact, so of course at times I do really worry.
We have had some stressful years with A level (and retakes) and although I know he’s smart, he is also lazy if he’s not that interested in a module and he’s a gamer, anyone who has a gaming child will know how difficult this can be at times.
Obviously this was something I could keep a check on at home, but now it’s all down to him, which is challenging for both him and me 😬

I beginning to worry that he had failed his exams and didn’t want to tell us.

It is best to consider all eventualities with DC - you just never know. And particularly with bright but lazy boys who are bad at keeping in touch!!!! Gaming has a lot to answer for!

Glad that things are going well with selling your property @Itscholdouthere, and coming together in Canada too. Not too long to wait until you're back for Easter. How are you coping with the chilly climes - or are you on the coast so it's warmer (am I right in thinking you're on the Montreal side or have i just made that up)?

Any news on the sister dog @icanbewhatiwant? Really hoping for a happy outcome for you all.

Hopefully, 40% isn't too high a hurdle to jump re progressing into Year 2.

The geographers don't seem to have much in the way of end of year exams, do they?

@NewModelArmyMeyhem18 the gaming thing is definately an issue, we’ve debated it for years, for my DS it’s had some very positive points, he has a very good set of friends online (that he meets in real life as well) and they are a very important part of his life.
However, my concern now is that his sleep problems are possibly linked to gaming, at home he couldn’t stay up till the wee hours gaming as we always kept his computer downstairs in a family space and we made him go to bed.
Now it’s in his room and he can access it whenever he wants, it just seems too likely that he’s been staying up late gaming, then finds himself unable to sleep !
This has such an effect on everything and I’m not sure if he will have the self control needed to make the right changes.
That’s when I hate the gaming!
And I don’t know the solution!
We are in Montreal, I’m getting used to the cold although it’s been milder for the last few days +2 but it’s due to be back down to -11 by Saturday.
I’ve got all the right clothes now, but you get face freeze at -11, I end up with a very unattractive bright pink face
I’m seeing lots of photos from friends of blossom and daffodils back in the UK, I’m sure it’s going to feel tropical to me when I return.
I’m a bit confused about end of year exams and when they actually finish the year, I’m just presuming Biology does end of year exams, I could be completely confused.