UEA (2019) Surely 2021 (and getting on for halfway through our DC's degrees) things have got to get better????

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

New thread following on from the previous one.

Lots of and into 2021.

That doesn't surprise me @mumsiedarlingrevolta.

Did anyone watch The Trick last night?

DS has just changed one of his modules as he had two totally clashing. He's applying for a Christmas job too as he says he hasn't got enough to live on (could that be because he only did a month's paid work over the summer?). Don't think he's got very far thinking beyond the end of this academic year, in terms of internships, graduate training programmes, post-graduate courses.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 I did watch some of the trick. But I couldn't get into it.

Ds is trying to find Christmas work too. Or a Saturday job. But he seems to have a lot of face to face. He's also realising their house location isn't good. It's a 40 min walk to UEA. But with covid they never needed to go in in year 2.

A sense of normality in that DS2 had a field trip today. Into deepest, darkest Suffolk but a field trip all the same.

He is quite fortunate is that he has a holiday job to come back to, and has already got in ahead of DS3 in terms of return at the end of term - as they both end on the same day.

My DS went on the field trip too. He had a nice pasty for lunch apparently and that's all he said apart from the fact he didn't remember any of it from when we took him as a family trip. How much money did we waste doing lovely things with this boy who can't remember any of them? 🤣

How much money did we waste doing lovely things with this boy who can't remember any of them

you won't be alone in that @sluj

was the field trip for geography?

Yes, positioning of house rentals is key. A forty-minute walk doesn't seem too bad until you're doing it twice a day, almost every day! Is it closer to the city centre though? DS was saying that his rental is a long walk from a big supermarket which isn't ideal.

I know what you mean about The Trick @icanbewhatiwant. It was slow-paced and one where you really had to focus to 'get it'. And I already knew what had happened because I watched a long documentary about the same thing a year or so ago. We only stuck with it because of the personal connection with someone portrayed in it.

DS2’s was History

When they looked at the house I said it was too far away from UEA. But they didn't listen. At least they didn't have to go in for year 2. He can park his car on the park as it's free. But can only park for 2 hours which isn't long enough. So he's walking. I think he might get fed up with the walk after a while especially when the weather is wet. There must be a bus if he needs one.

My DS was on the geography field trip to Sutton Hoo, made more interesting by having watched the "Dig" film recently.

Sounds like a single destination that could cover more than one subject.

I did enjoy The Dig.

Yes we enjoyed "the dig" mainly because its local to us. Basil Brown actually lived in a village called Rickinghall. I work in that village. Though in the film it seems like he lives in Diss. We see Basil on his bicycle in the film....it is about 31 miles from Sutton Hoo. A long way to pedal. Our elderly neighbour new Basil too. Sutton Hoo is a great place to visit....though not recommended with a grumpy 10 year old (ds3 was 10 when we last went)

We went to Sutton Hoo when DS was about five. I don't remember that much about it TBQH, other than him and our friends' older DD dressing up as Saxons!

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 they've added a lot more now. Or at least there was a lot more last time I went compared to several years before.

We're clearly overdue another visit @icanbewhatiwant!

Hope all are well. Still coming to terms with clocks going back, loved the extra hour in bed, but now dark by 5pm.

Are there issues with the swipe into lectures / seminars system at UEA? DS3 quite miffed that he’d received an email about missing classes - I think what few he has are seminars rather than lectures - when he is adamant that he has been to everything. He suggested it’s a wider issue at the moment. ?

Just asked DS2- he says they click on a QR code, which is usually on a PowerPoint or on Blackboard? As far as hebis aware, he hasn't 'missed' anything (apart from something yesterday, my query reminded him, which he had forgotten was with a 'Blackboard' person).

Picked up DS2 and DS3 yesterday, thought it best to get them home with the way everything is going with the virus and if they've got the covid then at least they can isolate here

Good idea @notsorry. We were due to pick up DS on Sunday but he has tested positive so we can only get him on the 23rd. Christmas plans include some elderly folk so I am a bit nervous 😓

Oh no I was just reading a bbc news article about other students in the same boat

All LFTs here were negative, but I took DS3 for a pcr today as he has a bad cough, just in case

Oh dear. Let's just hope they don't get stuck at home though if there's a circuit breaker. DS is currently in another city with his girlfriend. Not coming home until next week. Hoping he's okay to travel (we've all had COVID and likely Omicron here) so we will be fighting fit by the time he arrives! Hoping everyone else and their DC stay well.

Well DS came out of isolation on the 23rd just in time for us to fetch him from Norwich then travel to relatives for Christmas. We are back home now but he has gone back to Norwich for the weekend to have NYE with his friends. Who would have thought Norwich would be his preferred party destination City city?
Happy New Year everyone

@sluj great that your DS came out of isolation in time for a family Christmas. Yay!

Happy New Year!

DS spent NYE in Southampton party central not (or maybe I'm missing something?).

Ds1 is back in Norwich as he went to a party with a local girl from here. I'm sure you have all read that on the other thread. But now no one is at his Norwich house. So I'm sure he will be back home, I can't see him wanting to stay on his own long.

I think this last part of their university time will go by quickly. If Ds stays there now I don't think we will see him until Easter, then the next time he returns it'll be the end of his uni days for good. We aren't far away so maybe will see him for odd nights. Ds2 is hoping to go to university this year, so it'll be one Ds back home and the other moving out. Unless ds1 finds a job away from home. Ds2 says once he's moved to university he won't come home permanently again.

Happy New Year to everyone!

DS2 returns to Norwich tomorrow.

I'm starting to think about Graduation ceremony. No specific date as far as I can see yet for his course; just the general 14th - 26th July.