Another path- the first year ......

[chopc]

Apologies if I didn't tag anyone. Hopefully have inckueded all current posters

Chopc - Durham-History
@jano69 -Durham -History
@OnTheBenchOfDoom -Durham - Computer science
@Majaso12 -Imperial - Biochemistry
@bendmeoverbackwards -Bristol- History
@Pumpkintopf -Imperial -Physics
@ChimneyPot -Brown (US) - Open
@Stillcrikey -Bristol -MML
@Tenpastseven - Bristol -modern languages
@Longtimenewsee - Durham - Chemistry
@MidLifeCrisis007 - Durham -History
@BigWoollyJumpers - Exeter- History
@SeasonFinale -Bristol- History
@Notagardener LSE
@Revengeofthepangolins UCL - History
@raspberryrippleicecream ? -Maths
@derekthe1adyhamster Birmingham- Computer Science
@Vargas -Durham -Geography
@AvocadoPlant Exeter -History

What a lovely surprise for your birthday @pumpkintopf

My DD is coming home on Friday and we have tickets to the theatre to celebrate my birthday. I can't wait to see her and hear all her news.

She turned 19 last week and had a week of celebrations to make up for an 18th birthday in lockdown It is such a relief that things are going so well this term.

They’ve all had really worrying information about dd’s course exam results today, but seems they aren’t going to be getting their results still for some time. Really unfair I think to worry them when they have a long wait to get results. Dd is really worried now.

I fell off the thread again! Hope everyone is ok, will catch up with news later.

@Majaso12 that does seem a really long wait! Not sure how that's justifiable. Not sure if DS is the same, must ask.

Would the student accommodation still be with the boyfriend? DS hasn't sorted anything yet, I did have a quick look online for houses, complicated by the fact that they'd like a house 8 of them can share 🤦🏼‍♀️ I found one in Whitechapel..? And one in South Kensington that is definitely outside budget 😂

Only 10k a week, bargain..! 😅

@Dobbyismyabsolutefav happy birthday! Hope you have a wonderful time at the theatre and spending time with your dd 🤗

@Notagardener sounds fabulous- lucky things!

@Pumpkintopf. Yes still with her boyfriend. Dd certainly won’t be looking at anything at those prices, 10k a year is enough!

Thank you @Pumpkintopf the show was amazing and it was lovely to see DD. She is on her way back to uni now.

My DD has sorted accommodation for next year but she knows another flat who are having 'issues' with a flatmate which sounds really challenging. That's the downside of committing to share with people you hardly know so early.

Happy birthday @Dobbyismyabsolutefav hope you had a lovely time with your dd. What show did you see?

I’m in Barcelona with dd who has reading week this week! I’ve been before but she hasn’t and really wanted to go with me.

Thank you @bendmeoverbackwards we saw Moulin Rouge which was superb, would thoroughly recommend.

Enjoy Barcelona with your DD.

Really glad you had a lovely time dobby - sounds fab 🥰

Yes I do think there's a risk signing up to share with people you don't know well - but I guess in areas where student accommodation is hard to come by the pressure is there to get in early.

Bend how wonderful a trip to Barcelona. Still can't get over that we can travel again now!

Happy belated birthday @Dobbyismyabsolutefav and pleased you had a good time

Hope you are enjoying Barcelona with your DD @bendmeoverbackwards

We had a video call with my DS yesterday and had a "go" for not calling etc. Seems there isn't much news as such to share and he is just getting on with things. This is the issue with Uni so far away from home .......

DS's 4 year degree could soon end up being a 3 year degree. He's reading Russian and History. He did Pre U history at school and his P.I. was done on the collapse of the Soviet Union - and he went to language school in Kiev in 2019.

It's fair to say events in Ukraine are a total obsession for us in this household.

Oh I forgot about your DS degree @MidLifeCrisis007. Yes I can just imagine. It was the talk of our house yesterday but due to the Chelsea vs Liverpool football match due to Chelsea's Russian owner 🙈

Thank you @chopc

@midlifecrisis007 understandable so. Your DS's degree sounds amazing but might take a different direction now.

The news is very scary at the moment and I pray that Putin comes to his senses very soon.

Gosh I haven't been here for a while. Hope everyone is now all free of Covid. DD never broke out early, as she kept testing positive, and then was quite wrecked for another week, subsequently she developed a bad cough, but is now pretty much better.

She was very behind with work though and had to ask for a few extensions. I have to say, I have been really impressed with Exeter. She sends me screenshots of her tutors emails, and they have all been absolutely wonderful in their support. They have even checked up on her unannounced, to make sure she is OK. How lovely is that?

We spent this weekend down in Exeter in a quirky, but quite acceptable, B&B in the city centre. Having not really seen the city, or indeed the campus, she took us on the tour we should have had before she ended up there. It's hilly! Our legs are still stiff from all the walking, but it was so nice to see her, give her a hug, and just spend time hanging out.

@BigWoollyJumpers That's lovely to hear that Exeter were so supportive of your DD after testing positive for covid.

My DD had to apply for an extension for an essay back in December as she was unwell and it was very straightforward.

I'm got a few days annual leave that I have to use so will be staying in Exeter in a couple of weeks. I'm looking to exploring the city but will definitely pack my walking shoes!

Gosh I had a lot to catch up on.
I hope all the patients are fully recovered now.

DD went back mid January and won’t be home until the summer. She has an internship organised here for the summer.
I should get to see her at Easter as DD2/DT1 wants to go visit some US colleges including Brown. She would be applying for 2023 entry.

DT1 is also thinking of applying to Oxford so we would be facing that whole process again.

Hello to all, I keep forgetting to come back on here, I definitely know my memory isn't functioning as well as it used to. I now write things down that I think of during the day to talk to Dh about because I just forget otherwise and remember again several days later when he is working again. Hence the notepad.

Ds came down for the weekend a couple of weeks ago, so lovely to see him and I am glad he will be home for 5 weeks shortly. Academically, the marks for submitted work keep coming through slowly due to irregularities which means they must believe some students are cheating which is worrying. Ds is doing well although the strikes have massively impacted one part of his course.

Ds2 is in his second week of yr 11 mocks. He feels they are going well. I cannot believe he will finish school this year, no more uniform. So strange.

@BigWoollyJumpers your weekend in Exeter sounds great! It’s a lovely city, I remember from when we visited last year. Glad your dd is well supported.

Had a great time in Barcelona with dd, she loved it. We did all the Gaudi stuff, ate a lot of tapas and ice cream/waffles and enjoyed the lovely sunny weather we were lucky enough to have. She’s coming home again this coming weekend for my mum’s memorial service (it’s been 2 years since her death) which is a bit of a pain so soon after reading week but after this I think dd won’t come home again till Easter. She’s enjoying uni and busy with lots of activities.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom that’s terrible, how are they cheating?

Hope things go well for your younger ds in the build up to GCSEs. What are his plans for next year?

@bendmeoverbackwards I think the cheating is when students post on forums and they are usually spotted by the people who can help, so if you said I have this thing to solve, most of them spot it and say I am not doing your uni work for you. Whereas if you say I have this thing to solve, I have tried X,Y, Z but am still none the wiser could someone point me in the right direction ie nudge you without solving it for you then they will help.

Ds2 will be doing A levels after GCSEs, maths, further maths and computer science (same as Ds1) but he will do economics whereas Ds1 did physics. He will no doubt also do computer science at uni too. He started coding in primary school. Dh is also in IT so I am outnumbered. My degree is English Lit and I did manage to get Ds1 to at least enjoy it at GCSE he has also watched lots of period films with me but Ds2 is resolute, he refuses to enjoy it even though he is getting better at it. I thought if it was easier he might like it and I think he does a little but he is very black and white and a bit rigid.

Ah, Barcelona. It is on the list. Is it wrong that Dh and I have already started talking about all the city breaks we can do once we don't have to factor in the children and school holidays?

👋🏽 everyone. Been catching up with news of you all although not saying much

Me too, reading the updates but haven't contributed much recently!
Can you believe our DC will be home for Easter in just over 2 weeks? DD then has exams the first 2 weeks back, and then that's the first year done I think - although DD is planning to stay on and enjoy the summer term.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom nothing wrong with a bit of forward planning to forestall the empty nest feelings!

Any of your dcs coming home for Mothering Sunday? DS finished term on the 25th but o think he has a few plans with friends so may not come home til the following week.