University life for freshers (2019/20) - Christmas backpacking (or not) and festive homecomings with all the tinseltastic trimmings!

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread.

[Benjispruce]

Lol! Obviously I mean hear hear!

[Benjispruce]

Here here @zandathepanda!

[ZandathePanda]

Ginfordinner know the guilty feeling about taking over a thread (!)
Well done to Dd I know she has health issues so she’s done amazingly well.

Also anyone whose children have experienced someone taking their own life - make sure you talk about it with them. Make sure you are available to talk and if they are struggling, find a counsellor they can get on with. Speaking from experience, an old lady who lost a relative once gave me some good advice, ‘don’t let it take over the rest of your life’. Suicide has a habitat of passing pain on.



On a lighter note let’s bloody hope for good health and less bugs for all our offspring on the next thread, and may all the right questions come up on exams.

[Ginfordinner]

Thank you everyone. It has been quite a week so far, and I feel guilty about taking over the thread.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

New thread

[Benjispruce]

Yes well done to your DD @Ginfordinner.
Not been to York but from the M1 on Monday there were so many fields under water. Not so much in the way back down today so I hope the worst is over. We got back to a freezing house as the boiler had decided to fail. Can only imagine what it’s like for those affected by he floods.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Well done to your DD @Ginfordinner.

So sorry to hear of your DCs' friend losses due to suicide. .

Glad the Durham parents have been enjoying their halft-term breaks up there. Has anyone visited York since the storms?

[Baytreemum]

So terrible - Gin. So sorry.
Big boost for your DD with her results xxxx

[DitheringDan]

Oh GinforDinner. DS also heard last week that a former classmate had committed suicide. Not someone he knew well, but still shocking. Heart goes out to both poor families (I doubt it's the same person, as DS is a older than most first years).

[Benjispruce]

Awful news @Ginfordinner. Poor, poor family.
On our way home now and it’s raining. Got very cold today in Durham, I thought it might snow. Had a lovely time, such a nice, small city to walk around. I think we happened to be walking up to college on the hour on the first day, so students in and out of lectures. Was like trying to walk the wrong way through Ikea but with added backpacks! @bigTillymint no one ice cream, just hot coffees!

[bigTillyMint]

@Ginfordinner, that’s so very sad.

[Ginfordinner]

A mixed bag here. A family bereavement (not unexpected) followed by DD absolutely smashing her January exams and getting a high first. Then the shock of discovering that someone she used to play with as a child took their own life at the weekend.

I know the family quite well and am still in shock myself.

[blametheparents]

Nothing much to report here.
Things seem to be going well. Fairly easy start to this term so DS has made the most of it by partying hard! So far, he has always known when to stop and knuckle down to some work - let's hope that continues!
Exam results from the Jan exams come at the end of Feb so that will be a good guage of how he is doing. He worked hard over Xmas so hopes to do well, but I don't think he is sure what 'doing well' looks like at university yet. For both GCSe and IB he was strong on knowing the curriculum and the mark scheme and always felt confident that he had done what he needed to do. University seems different, I think.

[Jano69]

We're heading north now, should be at Durham around 4pm. Hope to get a good meal tonight and also plan to visit Seaham tomorrow or Friday. DH is talking about a walk along Hadrians Wall - have packed the walking boots!

[bigTillyMint]

@Benjispruce, we went to Seaham! Did you go to the fab 50s ice cream parlour?!
Durham is only a small cathedral city, but popular with tourists in the summer too.

[Benjispruce]

Another sunny, mostly dry day. Even managed a walk along the beach at Seaham- dog loved that. Durham itself is sooo busy with students it makes me wonder what it would be without the university.

[bengalcat]

Might take my green wellies up then just in case .

[Benjispruce]

Hi all. Nice dry and mostly sunny day in Durham today if a little windy. Enjoyed a takeaway tonight at our accommodation and DD has decided to stay over and enjoy the facilities. The river apparently broke its banks this morning but was down again by lunchtime. Was nice to meet some of DD’s friends and she’d tidied her room up for us apparently.

[Jano69]

@Witchend Hope the river doesn't swell any further.

Only 31 posts to our new thread!

Shall we help @NewModelArmyMayhem18 with some ideas?

I'm thinking spring time and hurtling towards end of first year exams!

[Witchend]

Have a good time in Durham those who are going!
Dennis wasn't that terrible at the weekend-lots of rain on the Saturday, but dry by the Sunday. The river was very full though-don't plan on any riverside walks unless you're planning on swimming.

[bengalcat]

I'm going up to Durham this weekend . Hopefully " Dennis the menace " will have gone .

[MrKlaw]

DS having issues with housing for year 2. One of his group is not sure about doing year 2 after poor results in exams so they don’t know if they can sign up for a 4-person house yet. Hopefully they’ll know quickly enough to not lose it

[Jano69]

@Benjispruce Have fun in Durham!

[Benjispruce]

Good to hear your DS has recovered well @Jano69. JB is further up the hill from Collingwood where DD is, I think. We are staying just outside Durham.

[Jano69]

No exams for DS although working hard on his summatives which are worth 40% of his first year exams.

So pleased you enjoyed your trip to Durham Witchend. Hope you have a good journey tomorrow Benjispruce. We're driving down on Wednesday morning and staying in a small apartment for a few nights. It has a washing machine so I may be kind and help the boy with a few loads of washing!

DS is still unable to play rugby after having glandular fever but hopes to play again after Easter. In the meantime, he's trying to regain fitness at the college gym and has also enjoyed playing mixed netball.