Some of our young people are half way through their degrees (2019/20 intake): lockdowns on repeat, light at the end of the tunnel with vaccinations (?) and the legacy of COVID-19

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose is all I can say!

Hmm there is one that does removals if you get everything in boxes. He’d still likely need to bring some stuff back for washing but could make it simpler. Will forward to him and see what he wants to do.

My DD just took it in bags in 2 Uber journeys!

Zanda that’s very poor form on their part. If it makes her feel better many don’t do placements, it doesn’t mean they won’t get good employment when they graduate, it’s just a nice opportunity for some leverage if you get one. Some employers just lack common courtesy and take advantage because of the current job market.

It is a very hard time to get a placement. Sympathies.

DS applied for quite a few summer internships and got through the first stage for a couple, but can’t find anything, not even 2 weeks work experience in a solicitors office.
His best mate at Durham put all his energies into getting a placement (not law) this year and was knocked back many times. DS thought it was game up and mate signed up for their house for next year, then finally got offered something.

Sadly loads of places don’t get back to them at all, even to say thanks but no thanks

DD applied for a few paid internships, had a Zoom interview but wasn’t successful. She did get an virtual unpaid one though so will at least be good for her CV and the paid online note taking work she had over Easter is looking like it’s happening too.

That’s great @Benjispruce3!

My son is doing some applications, had a bad interview for a paralegal thing and not heard back, then a good one today but that is just a filter for a one week assessment in the summer so we shall see and has just been called to a paralegal assessment day (online) next week with others in teams which he and I think will be worth trying for even if it would not really be the job he is after. His friend has apparently just had three separate work experience weeks set up over the summer through connections. I am obviously just not prepared to ask anyone to endure my children on any kind of work experience - I don't think I would like to ask.

Yes it is. She was a bit miffed as some friends had managed to get paid internships via friends and family in high places. That’s life!
Just had a long overdue FaceTime with DD and after her last 24hr exam on Thursday, she has event after event until the end of June. Very happy that Durham are going ahead with their summer socials as they’ve missed so much. She’s staying up until mid July when she moves house.

Yes, my DS is doing the same @Benjispruce3! It is really good that sports and events are back on after the year they have had.

We don’t even know anyone to ask re internships

Dd actually has had a paid research job the last few months and volunteering at a vaccination centre. So things are ticking over. It’s funny how they suddenly grow up. In the first year she was desperate to find the perfect flat before Christmas for the following summer and then gave the contracts to us to sort. Whereas she’s organised it all herself, albeit last minute due to changing plans and has negotiated some tricky contract stuff herself. Once done, she sent me over an email from the agent who was very impressed with her organisational skills! Where’s my baby gone?!

DS made over 40 applications for summer internships and did manage to secure one - but it was a very time consuming process.

His housemate has just got a placement year organised, but it’s commutable from their student house so he will still be living there, albeit working while the others are at university for their final year.

@blametheparents the working housemate should check pdq that they still count as a student for council tax purposes. The exemption only works if every occupant is a student.

A placement or sandwich year as part of a university course means that the household is still exempt from council tax.
Which is lucky, cos I’m sure it’s an extra expense that none of them would like!

Good ! Not an issue I’ve had to deal with but I know of households where a graduate stays with their student housemates who are doing longer courses and they’ve been stung with CT Bill.

Meanwhile DD whose household signed up for the same house for next year reports that one of the girls has said they may not be returning next year after all 😫. She’s had a tough time for various reasons for which I have great sympathy but I am now bracing myself for much angst and potential financial implications

@VanCleefArpels, DSs best mate had to drop out of their house share for next year due to getting a placement, but they filled his room v quickly. Similarly DD when a room became available in theirs. So I’m sure they will find someone to fill it if that happens.

@bigTillyMint oh I hope so - problem is everyone is sorted for next year (it’s one of those places where everyone dives in in December) and because of lockdown etc they are a very tight group and I suspect won’t want any old bod in the room. They signed the new tenancy back at Easter time

DS has signed his tenancy agreement and paid his deposit but we have had no request to be guarantors. We do for older DD. Is this completely strange? I'm worried that he may have missed something.

@VanCleefArpels - Surely the person that is leaving is responsible for the rent that they have signed the tenancy agreement for?
I know that it would be better to get a replacement person for the house, but I always assumed that in cases like this that the person that leaves has to pay out and that it wouldn't impact those that were living there?
It must also be hard if the outgoing housemate just finds some random person to take their room as I guess that there is nothing that the remaining housemates can do about that.
I hope it works out ok for your DD and that it is not too stressful.

DS and his housemates had (amazingly) checked out the Council Tax situation before the placement was confirmed! They must be growing up!

Yes that’s my understanding blametheparents - and if not paid will go to their guarantor! No wonder keen to get a replacement

My DS is still struggling to find a placement for his third year, it's so tough for students ... he's had a few interviews and we've also tried asking people we know but it's proving very challenging. As others say, it's hard not to get too involved, I know his Uni has an 'employment support office' (or whatever it's called) but I can't keep nagging DS to use it ...he says he has been in to contact with them. His Camp America job is looking less and less likely to go ahead as the US Embassy is still closed so no travel visa .....

DD is definitely going to Ftance in September, planning to use something like Airbnb for a precession language immersion course as the rental she is looking at doesn't start until nearer the start of term.

She had just succeeded in signing up for the course, when France introduced the 10 day quarantine for travellers from the UK...

Oh .. found this thread again !! .. I've name changed and been off here for a while .. My son it at Uni of Nottingham .. few shared house dramas this year ... he's going back to Broadgate in a studio for final year !!

Ragwort, I was wondering about the Camp America. I think I read a little while ago about your dc planning to do this and was wondering how he had managed to arrange all that.

Dc hoping to do it next year instead....

Hi @BrumCahoots welcome back.

Can I just rant to you all please. My DD is in the middle of her final exam and it's so so hard. She almost gave up at lunchtime and this is the topic that she felt confident on and had helped her housemate on some homework questions. She says the questions are based on complex ideas that were touched upon for 5 mins at the end of lectures with no tutorial time or homework questions set on them. She knows the exams have been made super hard but she expected standard theorems made extra difficult or weird stuff presented in an easier format. Instead it is the weird stuff made extra difficult. It just seems so unfair given the year they've had.
There - rant over! Cheering myself up with wine 🍷
Hope all your DCs are managing exams OK.

I hope your DD is PK @chocolatenutcase.

I had a very upset DD on the phone the other day, mid exams. They had 24 hours to write 2 x 400 word answers and 2 x 300 word answers for her neuroscience exam. It took her three hours to answer the first one. She had slept badly the night before and was very tired and had a headache. Luckily the next three questions didn't take as long.

One of her friends took 11 hours to answer the first question, then pulled an all nighter to answer the rest, submitting his work just three minutes before the deadline!

In a way these open book 24 hour exams are more stressful then traditional exams. I think in an exam hall the adrenaline keeps you going.