University 2020 :6: The one with the results at the end

[MillicentMartha]

Hopefully as the title suggests we will actually get up to results on this thread! Only 5 weeks to go.

Old thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3918392-University-2020-5-Results-day-approaching-and-beyond?pg=40

I’m sick of waiting. It feels like I’m wishing away the summer just to get to results day and that life is even more on hold than ever. My child maintenance payments have ended along with tax credits and child benefit next month, which wouldn’t be so bad but I still have DS2 with SN living with me, so there are a few money worries..

DS3 and I don’t seem to have our usual easy relationship, he’s definitely a bit grumpy. (Me too probably!) We’ve argued a bit about him not being interested in getting ready for uni. I’m trying not to stress him out by going on about results day, but it’s on my mind pretty constantly, so I can imagine he’s feeling It, too. He’s the only one out of his close mates who is moving away. Some friends aren’t going to uni, some are going to our local uni so perhaps he’s feeling that a bit, too. He won’t talk to me about how he’s feeling. He’s still in that teenagerish phase where any of my opinions are automatically wrong and stupid. I’m hoping uni cures him of that pretty sharpish.

In previous years we’ve had a holiday to break up the wait, the exams would have only finished mid June, I’d have been at work till mid July so it would have only been a 2 month wait in total. This interminable wait since March is really getting to me. I work in a school but not as a teacher so there hasn’t been much I can do. I went in to work a couple of times a week through June and early July but that’s all I’ve done. I never thought I’d be missing work! I usually love the summer holiday!

So you aren’t alone. It’s not terrible or anything, just dragging.

Thanks for your response, I was hoping that if anything it would be nice to relate.

You've summed it up. The dragging has subconsciously weighed in.
Like you we were planning a week away somewhere.
I had a look at Cornwall, well that can f off price wise. I live in a holiday spot in South Devon so we've tried to embrace that more.

Yes money is an issue here too.

It does feel like so many changes on top of changes on top of uncertainty.

House swap anyone!!?

My house would need quite a bit of maintenance before I could swap it, unfortunately, but South Devon is tempting! Cotswolds?

To be fair so would mine 😆

I've never been to the Cotswolds, to be fair I've never been anywhere much in the UK, always chosen beach holidays. With guaranteed sunshine.

Where would you have liked to go on holiday?

We had a long weekend in Budapest booked. (Surprisingly cheap) My DSes seem to have grown out of beach holidays, sadly. I used to get away for a week to the Med with a friend when the DSes were with their dad, but can’t really afford that now. North Cornwall is my favourite UK spot.

DD is becoming more abs more insular. She works two hours a night at a cleaning job and that’s the o lot time she goes out. She’s properly grumpy about not yet getting an email about rescheduling her driving test (literally all she talks about). She says she’s not excited for uni because she thinks she will have to go without a car which will make life more difficult for her. She’s a bit of a grump. It’s her 18th tomorrow so I’m hoping the garden party with her friends from dancing might cheer her up.

I do recall that dd was quite stressed in the lead up to results day and that was in 3 years ago so in "normal" circumstances. I don't think that's unusual and I would imagine the stress has been exacerbated by the current situation.

I know that while dd was eager to leave home and excited by the prospect of going to uni there was still a fair bit of anxiety about all the change there would be which did lead to some grumpiness and tears.

It's a tough time even without the pandemic. Keeping fingers crossed for all dc that things turn out as they hope.

DD1 has just had an email regarding moving in to halls (UoG at Pittville) and they're staggering them moving in over six days instead of the two days planned prior to Covid. You book an hour slot on your selected day and that's your moving in time.

Tricky if it’ll be hard to get time off work, @suze28? I work in a school, that will be a nightmare!

@MillicentMartha I'm a teacher so same boat; we're going for the Saturday as originally planned. There's no way I can get a day off for moving in day, graduation day is different.

Same feelings here, along with maintenance etc stopping. Ds has admitted to friends that he's panicking about results day (unfortunately he was struggling to get things done in the months before lockdown and a few of his teachers had voiced pretty poor opinions of his work) He also doesn't know how much they've taken the NEA's into account, the DT one wasn't due to be finished until the beginning of may and couldn't be finished due to lockdown. Just so much unknown, plus his dad is being the usual arse

I had to phone dd's college as they've had no correspondence about collection of results.
Apparently an email went out but DD and another friend didn't get anything!
We've been told two different onsite locations.
No emails, you can ring to arrange them to be posted if you can't get there. But you won't get them on the 13th.
Sack of shite.

@thesunwillout that's pants. Everywhere should be making results available on 13th.

Just realised you can collect from two sites. Still rubbish communication.

Yes not sure which is the correct site though as had two different answers.

The lady who rang me back was office staff and a apologetic about head of year.

I think I've just got a short fuse at the moment.

That is pretty poor. It’s not like they couldn’t see it coming.

I thin most unis are spreading 'moving into halls' over a week. Tricky for the first ones in if they are the only one in their flat for a day or two.

I am a ball of nerves even though logically I know DS should be fine. I am exhausted, have been working full time since Feb with just one short break of 5 days off. I dont want to wish the summer away particularly as DS is my only and I'll miss him terribly but the wait has been so long. And the world feels very strange. DS has been fine although fed up with having no social life. He is cool on the surface but keeps bringing up results day so he clearly concerned. He has confessed he had no intention of going to his insurance so it had better all be ok!

DS1 is actually OK and seems happier than he was. He's keeping busy with tutoring and cricket. I know he's concerned as he's spoken to DD about it. He'll be desperately disappointed if he missed out on his firm but is happy with his insurance. Things would have to go seriously wrong for him to miss out of his insurance.

I think the thing which is keeping him relatively cheerful is the fact we're going on holiday on the Saturday after results and leaving him at home!

I asked DS to write a list of things he thinks he'll need to take to university. He is not a practical person at all, so I was expecting his list to be a bit hit and miss, and planned to merge it with a list I had drafted.

His list was surprisingly sensible and comprehensive. He thought of nearly everything I had thought of, and a few things I hadn't. Things like this give me reassurance that he has more common sense than I give him credit for.

That's comforting, when they surprise you like that, isn't it @Ironoaks

I think most unis are spreading 'moving into halls' over a week. Tricky for the first ones in if they are the only one in their flat for a day or two

OTOH, you get first choice of the usually limited kitchen cupboard space

HuaShan shall we put your DS and my DD in a room together together to compare notes? She is desperate to get into her firm, but anything could happen, and although her insurance place has given her a gift of an offer, she feels she had no choice but to put it down and doesn't want to go there.

She currently has a smoothie maker, a screwdriver and a cereal bowl to take with her. Nothing will persuade her to think beyond two weeks time. We're trying to have a few day trips keep her busy and letting her play a lot of sport. Her courses stopped abruptly the day after the Easter holidays and she has been drifting since. She admits she is having a few sleepless nights.

All of DD's schooling stopped on March 20th Hoghgyni.

Dd has discovered an old school friend is also hoping to go to Exeter in September, so they've caught the train there today to have a good look around the city together.
Nothing yet from her college regarding collecting results. I will be strongly encouraging dd to contact them next week if we've still not heard from them.

DS’s sixth form college has emailed him to say they’ll be emailing the A Level results out in batches from 8am on the 13th. There are 750 students in his year so it could take some time...