OR 2022 - We are no longer rejects. We are parents of fabulous offspring who will do wonderful things

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

Wonderful tongue in cheek title thread by he words of @ eightytwenty.

Soooooo our thread started out back in March 2022 when our dc were Oxbridge wannabes. After thousands of posts by their nervous Mums, nail biting, discussing applications, grades, will they get to interview won't they, debates such as private vrs state, the Scottish system, then some got rejected and some had interviews and entrance assessments then much more nail biting and eating and drinking a lot and a loooong wait over Xmas 2021 the remainders were then rejected. Then more nail biting for offers to come in from the competitive Unis they had applied to with some ending up with only one or two options - our Covid Kids had it tough.

Finally May came and their actual A-levels then the brutal wait for results. I don't think I can recall any of our DC not getting their first choice?

Lots of DC off to top Unis and achieving the best grades in the land. My DD is off to Bath to do Politics and IR and I am incredibly proud of her, she is a grafter not naturally super clever but loves to learn and god I am going to miss her but she is ready and so I happy for her 😥

So please carry on our lovely supportive thread so we can see where their journeys take them.

TWAT x

@doubleshotcappuccino Twins??!! I have DS doing last year of A-levels but he is very different from DD with his laid back attitude AKA wants to do well but can't be arsed!!

@MrsGethinJones Welcome and oooohhh how exciting!! Please let us know how you got on I am feeling a bit stressy about it all. We are the PM slot too and I have visions of hundreds of parents running up and down stairs with huge boxes and waiting hours in queues to get their room pass (I do tend to get a bit anxious in these situations so feedback would be appreciated!).

@Geamhradh Yay you made it to Bath safely, I am envious as I wanted to make a weekend of it but DD didnt want to travel up tonight and I am far too tight to pay for a hotel in Bath on a Saturday night 😱

@Volterra Ah it is a shame you can't be there too and i hope your joints get better soon. Glad to hear your house sale is all through now, so stressful at times.

Geamhradh you made it! How fabulous.

I just packed the car and it all fit in THANK FUCK! Plus the cat knows something is going on and loves DD, I think he is going to be very sad 😆

@Puffalicious Interesting to read about the intense workload, I wonder if they will find it a bit of a shock to the system after such a long summer holiday? With all the excitement of Freshers and moving I think they can forget what they are actually going to Uni for. I am sure our lot will be fine though 😊

Well done @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango 😀 Our cat is going to be very sad when DS goes again and the dog. When he got back on a Friday night last year he'd have cat on lap and dog at feet.

@Puffalicious , glad it is going well. I guess they start them as they mean to go on ! Feel sorry for those who don't have FM .

Haven't quite made it, but on last leg- train from Paddington to Bath.

@MrsGethinJones welcome! What is your DD studying?

@Puffalicious lovely to hear the news of our old hand freshers!

My hand luggage is full of the "optional" reading books that DD hummed and ahhhhd about getting, other kids said "optional never really means optional" so she used some of her 18bonus (Italian kids get £500 to spend on cultural things) to get 5 hideously weighty bricks.
We have to pick up saucepans and cushions from M&S this afternoon and I've booked us into a well reviewed fish and chip place this evening. Non perishable Sainsbury's click and collect tomorrow afternoon. (The hotel will think I'm setting up a squat)
I think what others have said about the build up being more stressy than the actual going is true. I'm fine now, but have probably cried every day for a fortnight. DD only caught me once and that was actually Kirsty thingy at the end of the funeral! Typical.

Well done @Geamhradh , nearly there and definitely winning. So much to organise for you , your DD will be grateful. DH’s parents buggered off to Spain when he was 16 so when he went to University in Aberdeen I doubt very much his parents did anything like this for him. Sore subject so I don’t dare ask. Glad to hear it is easier now. I cried at Kirsty at the end of the funeral and had to turn it off. I haven’t cried about DS yet but we are used to him being away in the week the last couple of years and he is only an hour up the road.I do wonder if it will hit me though and prepared for it.

The piles have been consolidated on DD’s bed so she can’t come home until Sunday lunch time 😀

@Geamhradh Will you be walking up the hill with that lot?!

Don'ttttttttt.
i am collapsed on the bed at the hotel while DD puts her makeup on (in case we meet any fruit eating rugby players) before we venture out for our saucepans. We have (quite rightly!) been named guests of the day at the Hampton and so have 2 free drinks in the bar and a late checkout. The lovely man on reception (after telling me that if I'd booked this room only today and not 3 weeks ago I'd be paying £400 a night!!!!) is going to book me a taxi once DD decides what time she wants to go up the hill. (she has to speak to her housemates as she doesn't want to be first or last)

We walked to the hotel from the station as the taxi queue was enormous, and yes, every person had 4 suitcases and a parent! The city centre is teaming with young people. I feel about 103.

Hi again everyone- thank you for the warm welcome!
im sorry that i didnt post sooner @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango To send you an update - we ended up leaving the campus for lunch, then were stuck i traffic trying to return for 1pm! The campus was really busy at that time but had definitely quitened down by around 3ish. DD was ready for me to leave by that time! I just helped her make up her bed, put away some shopping and left her to it. Next week will feel very strange, as there is just the 2 of us, so I will be home alone for the first time in many years 🙈

I hope that everyone else who had DC moving in today managed to do so without too much bother.

@LimeTreeGrove DD will be studying Politics and IR. Sorry of i missed this earlier on the thread but what will your DC be studying?

@MrsGethinJones Thank you so much for the update and glad it all went well. Both @Geamhradh and my DD are studying Politics and IR too. Is she on any of the group chats? They may have already been in contact. Hope you manage to enjoy some of the peace and quiet at home.

Gosh, it's all so exciting for you all. Your cat being sad has made me really sad, Tango. I really, really don't like cats🐈 😆so it's wee face in my mind has had a real effect!

I think you deserve an absolute medal Geamhradh-your journey and organisation makes me shiver in total admiration!

Volterra DS has the equivalent of further Maths (Adv Higher) and, indeed, these lectures are much simpler for him than those without it. He did actually say that he couldnt imagine picking it up quickly if you dont have it. Maths is only 1/3 of his credits in 1st year so he has plenty other stuff to stretch him (Statistics and Earth Science). So far the ES pub/ social has been the best - maybe that'll sway him to study it next year 😆.

@Geamhradh your last post made me chuckle. It will be quite strange heading home for you I imagine. You say 103. I feel like it was yesterday.

Bet they’re having a blast.

DS off to Bath in the morning. Car is mostly packed and we leave at 7, aiming to get there 10-10.30ish.

Glad to hear it went well for you @MrsGethinJones.

I have been focussed on practical things but did burst into tears on DH earlier, thankfully DS was not around.

We plan to take stuff up to his room then leave him to it really. We will stay in Bath on Saturday night then are taking DS and his gf out to Sunday lunch before leaving properly. His gf is also going to Bath but they got together after the decisions had been made.

Despite my frustrations at DS really not being proactive at all, I earlier found out that he has plans to go out with some people from his accommodation tomorrow night so I’m really pleased with that. I am just hoping his room isn’t too shabby (Eastwood so the cheapest end) and that the people around him are ok 🤞🤞🤞

Good luck with the drop offs today. We are PM slot so not setting out until 9.30 ish it is a 3 hour drive so will grab a bite to eat on the way. Took DD out for Pizza and cocktails last night as a final goodbye, she is so so excited now and is looking forward to meeting all her new found 'friends'. Just hope it meets her expectations and that she is happy and settled.

@Puffalicious You would like Hector he is a really sweet boy lots of fussing and purring goes on 😊

Good luck with the drop offs today 🍀

I’m a late joiner to this thread! Dropped DS off at Bath yesterday afternoon. He’s in Norwood. It was quite busy, but a good supply of cages on wheels available to carry luggage! He’s 8th floor and managing luggage / lift / tight squeezes in the corridors was a challenge (especially as the lift broke for a bit) but we made it! Have heard from him this morning and all seems well. Apparently his flat all got pizza together last night. It was very strange leaving him, and I’m trying to resist the temptation to message him every 5 minutes to ask what he’s doing now!

Good luck to everyone else dropping off!!

Morning all,

Hope all the droppers are coping!

Thought I'd come by with a funny story. DS1's friend arrived in Dundee last week- all settled etc. DNiece (3rd tear) randomly bumped into him as she recognised him from DS1's 18th party and they partied together.

This morning he went to change his bed (I was totally impressed by this- but i think that spillage was involved😆) and discovered that the additional sheets he'd bought are flat sheets and not fitted😱. He was in a state of despair and confusion 😅. He called his mum who tried over the phone to describe what to do- to no avail. DNiece has presently come to the rescue- she's shown him how to 'tuck tightly' (her words 😅) and is presently with him at Asda buying 2 new fitted sheets 😆.

Always the women coming to the rescue!

Welcome @HoneyDaze ! Very glad to hear it went well.
Can any of the Bath people shed any light on where the library/ student ID card is picked up? He knows where to pick the key but not sure about the card thingy.

Forget the previous question, WhatsApp says card comes in envelope with key.
That’s made me laugh about the sheet @Puffalicious 😀

Dont hold huge weight by these rankings but amused by the term Stoxbriidge (bet that comes from the St A marketing dept). But none the less pleasing Cambridge lower ranked than the Guardian and The Times.

Guardian Ranking

Good luck everyone! I dropped DS at Warwick yesterday and he’s settling in well. I miss him but I am already enjoying the smaller washing pile and less food to cook!! Haha. He’s only 2hrs away which is good as sure he will miss the dog a lot. Can’t believe we all got here. We passed Oxford on the way and talked about how much we both loved Warwick. Onwards and upwards and I hope they all enjoy every second - best years of their lives

<waves from Bath>

Drop off is done, we've left S1 to unpack & he's meeting us later for dinner. Drive down wasn't too bad (5 and a bit hours) but it's going to be weird going back tomorrow without him. He had a bit of a lip wobble after saying goodbye to his tortoise this morning but then our ndn dashed across as we were leaving with a massive box of assorted chocolate treats so all smiles again.

@MillicentFaucet Waving back, have a lovely evening I wish I was staying over tonight.

Just got home from dropping DD. Very tiring but lovely lovely day. Even though she had a PM slot we arrived at 11.30am and they still gave her her keys. Very smooth as nobody waiting and didnt even need to get of the car just people waiting to give out envelope with student ID and door key. Then had to lug her stuff up 4 flights of stairs so that was todays workout done. Small and basic room but she loves it, helped her unpack and decorate her room, had lunch (£1.50 for a jacket spud with beans - v cheap!!). Left her with a few of her new corridor mates all giggling and saying hi, then a tearful hug from me (DD didnt shed a tear) and off I went.

Feels very strange to think she has left home now and will take some getting used to, I keep reminding myself that she is ready for this and that she is going to make many happy memories I hope.

@Geamhradh All the best for tomorrow.

She hasn’t gone @TangoWhiskyAlphaTango , she’s just temporarily absent and will be back and it will be like she has never been away 💐
@MillicentFaucet glad the drive down wasn’t too bad and hope you have a lovely dinner.
Think we have broken the back of the packing now.