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.

Thank you @sluj that's so helpful. Glad you enjoyed it

Just seen this, seems they've listened to feedback and made a change to the rules :)

Ds is in a chat group and apparently after yesterdays complaints those students had gown refunds and they are now allowed to go further away wearing them.

The weather for weds afternoon afternoon is now showing as rain, I hope that changes.

Ha ha. I didn't see your message @juicy0 when I typed mine.

Glad to see that UEA have been reasonable. Even with the refund on gowns/mortarboards for yesterday's graduates, you'd be annoyed to have missed out on good but informal photo opportunities.

We'll probably be getting monsoons by the end of next week, in the wake of the super hot weather!

Ds has had an email with his qualification on. He says people are saying that is all they will get and no actual certificate will be posted out. Anyone else heard the same...or is he just hearing stuff that isn't true? (again!)

Ds1 will be gutted about the gown rules changing. He got a shiny embossed UEA certificate about September last year after he left in June. There is no way they won't get a certificate.
I forgot to tell you the single lane roadworks for the last 6 miles on the A11 just outside Norwich are causing huge delays on both carriageways so leave extra time.

@Sluj thanks. Yes that A11 has been shut a while and has caused huge delays. When the Norfolk show was on it became gridlock. We can avoid it from our direction. Thankfully.

Thanks for all the updates everyone - we’re travelling up the night before so should be ok for roadworks

Graduation day for us. I'm glad it's not as hot as the previous 2 days. We are about 30 miles away, it cloudy and cool at the moment.

Have a good day @icanbewhatiwant

@icanbewhatiwant have fun! This will be us tomorrow, in the late slot which is handy as we are 3 hours away.

Enjoy the day @icanbewhatiwant our turn Friday morning at 9am 😩

Thanks. 1.30pm slot is a good time. But as we aren't far I guess any would be ok. That's annoying for those further away. I think it's @juicy0 that is even closer than us or have I got that wrong? I'll let you know how it went.

I hope Ds enjoys it anyway. I'm really struggling with his bad temper and the mess. I have just collected 6 glasses from the living room just from him yesterday. But he is leaving a general mess everywhere, if I try any conversation he snaps back. So I daren't complain about leaving stuff out. He still hates our newest dog, he growls at her as he walks past. He won't let her in the living room when he's in there on his own, but has our old one in there with him. He knows I'm not happy with him, so I think today won't be as nice as it could have been. He's always been bad tempered....but I'm sure he wasn't this bad.

@icanbewhatiwant have a great day and hope your DS1 enjoys it too.

All went well. Ds didn't cheer up much though. He told me graduations are for parents not students. He chatted to a few girls but his mates were either different subjects so not today, or didn't go. So no one to have photos with which was a shame. No queues for the gown. Ds was in the photo tent about 30 mins queuing. The whole ceremony was 80 mins. We watched all the science graduates, though mostly were biological science. Then we went for a walk and took a few photos near the ziggs. We were told to return the gown by 7pm. The longest wait was for a photo by the UEA sign. I thought it was a good day. Not sure Ds though the same. He's probably sad to know university is all finished though.

Yes you're right @icanbewhatiwant we are only 30 mins away thankfully as we have to be there at 7:30am. My mum is coming as a guest and she will struggle to be ready by that time 😂
I'm sorry your DS didn't cheer up much but I hope it didn't ruin the day entirely. Did you enjoy it? I wish DD had booked a photo but she says she's rather o take one, no pressure then! There will be no group photos for DD as none of her friends are at the same time but she's hoping to meet some friends at their ceremony at 5pm to take a couple of pics.
I wonder how many of us are finding it quite an adjustment to have our D.C. back at home after a period of them being away and experiencing independent student life? I understand it's probably equally as hard for them as it is for us but trying to re establish a few ground rules early on is how I'm approaching it for now, mainly around clearing up and laundry!

I forgot to say ds's group today were the first 2022 graduates.

@juicy0 Yes I think like adjusting to being home doesn't help. Ds was a bit like Billy no mates having his pic taken by me beside the UEA sign. Everyone else was taking group photos. His housemates and closest mates were either on a different course or not bothering with graduation.

We watched the 1.30pm on live stream as DS2's girlfriend had her graduation today - the filming is very good

@icanbewhatiwant we were thinking of dropping DS2 and his gf off at 7.30am and then going to the park and ride - will we be ok to do that or do we also have to be there at 7.30am? (from your experience of today)

@NotSorry I'm sure that will be ok. You need to be in your seats 20 mins before the ceremony. Unless you are having parent photos. We weren't. That was a longer wait, we just hung around while Ds collected his gown then went for photos.
Park and ride is all quick and free. No waiting at all.

Thanks @icanbewhatiwant

no parent photos booked!

It sounds like it went pretty well @icanbewhatiwant I think graduation day, or multiple days with three years' worth all having it this year can be a bit flat for the DCs as it is effectively the official confirmation that undergrad days are over. DS1 was pre-covid and had all the department and group photos as part of his day (not at UEA), but I think at the end of the day it also hit him that uni had finished. And for these cohorts the covid disruption has been another thing on top. Although the resilience they have all shown is another thing to be immensely proud of.

DS2's graduation is last thing on Friday, so no early morning rush. He headed back to Norwich earlier today and we'll meet him at his house on Friday afternoon.

As he is planning to go back in September to carry on playing sport do a Master's it is probably a bit different for him. Although he's also opted out of the official photo, though more than happy to have a new suit for graduation!

Ds doesn't own a suit. He just wore cream chinos with a white shirt and tie. But most didn't have suits on, so he was pleased. A couple just had shorts and t shirts.

The best photos we have are with the UEA sign. Someone in the queue behind offered to take a photo of us all. I'm so glad as they are the best ones. Also someone asked us to take one of them outside the old biological sciences block, so we asked them to take one of us too.

Just home after a lovely day. We managed to take plenty of photos around the campus before heading into Norwich for a fab family lunch. I thought the ceremony was very well managed and I was impressed with the transformation of the sports hall.

@juicy0 glad you had a good day. I've no idea how the sports hall usually looks. Neither did Ds.