2017 seems so long ago, now they're fledgling graduates.

[latedecember1963]

4 years since A Levels and the wait for August and confirmation of where our chicks were about to fly the nest to.
It's been 4 years that has sprung a few surprises along the way, not least this lovely series of threads.

Prehaps we should have a 'girls' weekend in Bristol together. Reclaim our youth. I can feel DD blushing as I type.

Like the time, when DD was in sixth form, and one of her richer friends suggested they went on to a posh Kings Road nightclub. They were immediately recognised another friend's mum, who was kind enough to invite them over to her table and buy them drinks. Poor DD was acutely embarrassed. Perhaps impecunious students would not mind.

Dd had some photos done today wearing gown etc. Thanks for the heads up about that @Carriemac
She was originally not going to bother & wait for the proper graduation to take place next year but changed her mind. Didn’t let us know though

We will have some sort of family celebration next week once everyone is home.

I went to Leeds today @Decorhate and took oodles of pictures of the med grads and their friends .
DS2 even borrowed a gown and we had a proud mum shot with DS1 And DS2 in gowns in front of the arch . It was lovely , all the medics in good form - such a nice bunch .

@Carriemac Yes my daughter was really pleased to see so many of her classmates today that she hadn’t seen for ages.

Aha, I’ve found you!

Congratulations to all those who have landed jobs/passed exams/had their jabs!

DD still has 3 months of her Masters to go, and is waiting to hear about a possible job, having jumped through an incredible number of hoops already including getting v close previously. It’s so stressful for them. And us!

Good luck with her job hunting, Tilly.

DD has her results - as she was hoping, Merit on her MEng, and 2:1 grading for her exams and overall, but a First for her project, which she's delighted by.

That's great @ErrolTheDragon she must be delighted

Congratulations Errol's dd! Brilliant

Congratulations to Errol's DD and good luck to Tilly's.

The Leeds event sounds like lots of fun.
Congratulations to your DD, Erroll. 🥂

Forecast for sat pm is now for rain, and CV cases are going up a lot there so we've decided not to go. We'll have a zoom celebration instead, and DH will do a day trip to pick up the first half of her accumulated stuff.
Disappointing but I'd not let myself get too attached to the idea.

Good luck to everyone with the celebrations. One twin had his marks transcript today and an email which said no graduations at least until Autumn 2021 (not that I think people bother with the law conversion course anyway). His twin has his feedback on the failed exam and will decide whether to appeal or just resit.

Well done to the Errol daughter.

Our holiday still hangs in the balance in July and as expected the email from the holiday company last week was that unless the destination becomes green or else a July double jab rule change comes in (not likely before August) then it is likely to be cancelled. We will wait and see. It is not that important if it is cancelled but would be nice to have a decision either way.

We had a lovely day with dd taking photos in the hired gown and then going for a nice meal in the evening. There were actually quite a few families taking photos so dd stopped rolling her eyes and got into the spirit of it all, helped I think, by the arrival of the actual degree certificate and the boyfriend being an enthusiastic photographer.!
Good luck to everyone else with results and celebrations.

Fingers crossed for both Xenia and Tilly daughter, and well done Errol daughter. DDs school friends are starting work and I think she is frustrated about having 2 years to go with a further two years of F1/F2.

The latter is problematic as she is interested in a competitive speciality so probably will have to be tactical and aim for training posts in her field but in less popular hospital trusts. So in a sense another two years of temporary living. Luckily after a certain level London jobs become less sought after (would be consultants start looking at places they want to settle in) so as long as she gets the right training, London, but probably not Bristol (which remains super competitive) become possible.

Who knows. As I suggested on another thread, she might meet a Scottish crofter and become a rural GP. @GoodbyeStranger is on the lookout.

I am pretty exhausted after a quick trip to Bristol to pick up flat keys for my self isolating DD. It involved carrying a mattress up many flights of stairs. I then bought chairs and a table from the British Heart Foundation (£35!) but could not face lugging the table top up. Luckily there was a nice young man who was waiting outside (for a letting agent) who carried it up for me. I gave him £5, well worth it. I hope he gets the flat, though DD will probably agree with him that her mum is totally embarrassing. I then met another neighbour who is interested in potential dog walkers. All good. A good take out Indian (Mint Street) and good breakfast, and then a journey home via a farm shop outside Bath. DD does not need to be back till the start of September. I am hinting that DH and I could have a Bristol city break before then.

A productive trip, Needs!

DD and her BF are hoping to find somewhere in the same area they are now, so she should be able to carry on walking Bob the Dog. It's a good arrangement for students and new grads.

Your dd sounds like she's got clear future goals Needs . DS still claims to have no idea what area he'd like to specialise in and is suffering major imposter syndrome about the very idea of being a doctor at all.
There has been total silence from ds for a week or so. (We know he's alive because he contacted granny on her birthday after a reminder ). I'm guessing it's something to do with him moving this week from a small house with a couple of older girls to a large house full of many rugby lads, much football watching with accompanying carousing no doubt. They're all in the same year so hopefully they'll all have to shut up and do some serious work at the same point.

Well done to your DD @ErrolTheDragon, but sorry to hear you had to miss out.

Well done on Bristol trip @Needmoresleep - my DD is currently clearing out her flat ready to move into a short term let tomorrow to finish her MSc diss.
Then we will be going up to Liverpool to pick up her from Bristol train and DS from Durham train (with most of his worldly goods as his next houseshare starts in October) for my mums funeral.

So sorry to hear about your mum @bigTillyMint

Tilly, as a fellow veteran of the Elderly Parents board, I am sorry to hear that your mother has passed away. I hope the funeral goes well. And that the trains arrive as they should. That in itself sounds like major coordination.

Thanks. It’s been a long time coming NMS, and feels very strange now it finally has happened.

The funeral isn’t actually till Friday - picking up on the same day would be way too stressful on top of everything else!

hope it all goes smoothly, Tilly.

Sorry to hear about your mum, Tilly. Hope all goes well on Friday.

Condolences Tilly .
DS2 is now isolating due to posit e housemate so can't move our on the deadline- hope the landlord ( who has been terrible all year) will not harass them.

Yes, sorry about the mother. Mine died when my children were smaller as did my father and my siblings' children were even smaller - both my parents died in their 70s. It means we were so busy, all working full time whilst having small children and the parents hundreds of miles away. Had they hung on into their 80s it would have been not necessarily easier but different. I suppose we can just never predict these things. It is always very sad.

My working son is still doing fine (week 4, paralegal) and the Bristol one is back in mid July when the tenancy ends. So all is well.

BTM, it was a long time. My mother reached the age of 90, and though reasonably content had long been saying she wanted to die. My mother's heart stopped unexpectedly, we had no idea she had heart problems and indeed had had a GP check up three days before, in the autumn before lockdown, and just when a care home was looking inevitable. I will confess to only feeling relief, for her and for me. I hope the funeral will be a chance to remember your mother before old age struck.

I also hope that probate is painless. Ours still have not finished. The lawyer seems to be incapable of replying to an email (currently I am asking what still needs to be done) within two months. Yet the charges are huge.