University 2020 entrants - Parents chat - Third years, final frontiers, graduation cheers, (for some)

[sammyjoanne]

Here is the previous thread from when they were second years www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4366703-University-2020-2021-Part-12-Now-they-are-second-year-students-Hard-work-starts-and-getting-more-and-more-smart?page=4&reply=120485264

Ok title sounds a bit cheesy, but best I could come up with lol.
Feel free for placemarking :)

@aibutohavethisusername thank you! And @mumsneedwine thanks. , and yes f1 has gone well!! Hope dd ok too x

@sammyjoanne graduation day is so lovely and the phd sounds amazing.

Dd finished her initial research associate work on the publication and they have asked her to write the introduction so she is over the moon because this would normally be done by phd students and she's still getting paid just over £20 per hour. She's looking to apply for a couple of research posts at Cambridge (which is not far from where we live)...hopefully the work she has just done will help and boost her CV ...still 2 heavy months of dissertation to complete first.

@aibutohavethisusername thanks :) , wow south korea. Would love to go there, it just looks amazing. Glad shes having an amazing time.
@Daisysway ooh thats great shes doing that, writing the intro and getting paid too. It all counts as work experience too. Good luck on the cambridge applications, and most definitely the experience will help :)

On Tuesday Exeter DD graduates. This is the child who I wasn't sure would ever live independently but who has coped happily with uni. And although she's back with me at the moment she moves out in September to start an internship at a church as a junior member of their ministry team. I shall probably cry on Tuesday but she will kill me if she sees me doing so!

Her twin finishes at York at the end of this month and then starts a job as a prison nurse.

So the university journey is ending for us - for now. York DD has her eyes on a masters at some point and my former uni keeps reminding me that alumni get reduced fees on post grad courses. So I might just take them up on it one of these days!

@Empra123 enjoy your day on Tuesday! Graduation for ds on Friday, I will definitely be crying too as there have been a lot of highs and lows along the way. But ds has overall had an amazing experience and I'm just bursting with pride !! Tbh I won't actually believe it until he actually walks across the stage! Maybe I'll meet you and your dd too @sammyjoanne !

@Empra123 thats amazing they are both doing really well and have an amazing future infront of them:) Enjoy the graduation :)
@specialted Im so glad your DS has come through and got his degree :) second year was a challenge for DD and a very tough year. shes come from a 2:2 to a 2:1 and the last two years have been amazing for her. I will cry lol. Maybe we will meet you and your son :) Her graduation is friday at 10.30am, but afterwards we plan to have a quick snack at greggs and be in the learning zone for a bit (its where we usually eat greggs when its crap weather lol), and then we go to grizedale bar for drinks around 12ish. Galico lounge at 7.30pm for dinner :)

@sammyjoanne ds graduation is at 1.45 so may see you in grizedale bar after!!

Hope you all enjoy your yps graduations...such a special day.

Already cried when DS got his results, he got a 2.1.

he had a very tough 2nd year, lockdown hit him hard but with a lot of work & support he pulled it back.

I will cry again.

4 years done😊🎓

Congratulations @Eve to you and your ds 😊

This will probably be the final post now our DC have all graduated, gone on to futher courses, and grad jobs, taking a year out etc.
Its been one heck of a journey. From when our DC started. Covid, freshers week, how to do a circuit laundry wash, clubbing, learning how to cook, and flat groups chats on cleaning rotas. Internships, marking boycotts, and finally graduating.
I was so so sad to leave Lancaster on Saturday just gone. Daughter also moved on the same day. The uni has served her well and was there for a support for her when the chips were down end of second year. Graduation day I did cry. Over the two days we drank at Grizedale bar, Water witch, pendle witch, and ate at the toll house one night, Gallico lounge graduation night, and graduation day we could not resist a Sultans for one last time and had loaded fries shared with mum.
Daughter is now settled in Worsley with her b/f and living with him and his family for the next few weeks, and shes exploring the Trafford centre this evening. Will be catching the bus in the city a few times so she can explore and get her bearings. She wants to get a temporary job as she doesnt start phd until early October. I wish you and your DC all the very best. Ill keep the thread open if mums net lets me. Hopefully we can come back a year from now and all do an update on here :D Take care everyone xx

So glad the graduation went well@sammyjoanne .

Good luck to your daughter with her PHD...

All the very best to you and your Dd @sammyjoanne. I recognise that same sadness at the end of an era but I can honestly say that a year down the line, we and our Dd have such lovely memories to look back on. Dd is delighted that a 'lounge' is opening in our home town - Gallico was her favourite! Do you remember we were both in there at the same time without realising it at one stage?
Very best wishes to you and yes, let's update in another year.

thanks @Daisysway 😊
lol @choirmumoftwo haha yeah our love for gallico i remember. there is a Navarro lounge on manchester campus which could prove deadly for DD lol . and now daughter is hooked and wants to go to the one in west bridgeford nottingham our local. its that tapas every time lol.
Speak to you all in a year and best wished to your DC :) have a good one xxx

I've enjoyed hearing about everyone on this thread ! We had a lovely graduation day, was v sad to leave Lancaster after packing up ds house. Onto the next chapter now, DS has just returned from his third boys holiday this summer and has one more festival before starting grad scheme back home in sept. Good luck to everyone's DC, hope we can pop back occasionally to hear how everyone is doing

and that's it - DS2 starts his grad scheme today and DS1 finished his grad scheme Friday and into a permanent role.

all done with education and onto the world of work and the next stage in life.

Though I must confess when I see all the back to school front door photos I have a small yearning for small boys again!

Congrats @Eve thats fantastic news :) And I was seeing memories on facebook when they first started school, they all grown up now. Glad you enjoyed graduation @specialted . It was a fab day and the weekend was amazing. Hope he is enjoying his grad scheme. DD1, shes had couple of months off. She has been learning Spanish for the phd placement. Just picked up the keys for private halls for manchester last week and has been settting it up. She is going to move in later when course starts, but for now wants to stay with the boyfriend at his mums house (in manchester) until last week of september. DD2 is now moved into studio with boyfriend at Nottingham city (our local). Hes enrolled for his college course and shes enrolled for Notts trent. Both have part time jobs so they are all sorted.

Am I the last parent standing?
DS has just gone back for the final (5th year) of his Integrated Masters + placement year. Feels like a long haul.
His younger sibling has just graduated and is taking a gap year before starting their grad role next summer.
And the youngest is going into final year with plans to follow up with a Masters.
I see freedom way off in the distance!

Hi @ShaunaTheSheep Im not sure if our DD technically counts lol. Shes technically a 5th year, having done her integrated masters, but has started her 1st year out of 4 for her phd. DD2 and DD1 will both graduate in 2028.

@ShaunaTheSheep my 2020 DD is still about. 4 year degree and took a year out to do a placement (no integrated placement) so this is her last year. Finding it strange to be back at uni. Has flat in a really lively area and freshers week is annoying her (although she has been out clubbing).

Looking at grad schemes/jobs as didn't get an offer from her placement (hardly anyone did. With hindsight wished she'd not done a year's placement (she'd recommend her summer internship though). Pretty shocked at the offer rates for the schemes she's interested in (Civil Service) and a bit worried that some might be cancelled. Had a TeachFirst assessment centre so should know in a week or so (much better chance with them - 80% who make it to last stage get an offer).

Any tips from those those who have been through the job hunting stage welcome.

Job hunting tips:

start looking now, grad scheme are being released from early Sept. After Xmas is too late.

search on every job board not just rely on grad ones

apply for lots & explore careers in a wide range of companies

follow as many industry companies on linked in

use careers service a lot, they run cv , interview etc workshops

interviews cost time & money to get to - choose which interviews to attend

practice the aptitude/ reasoning tests

& don’t get down hearted about rejections

@SandyIrving One good thing about placement is shes got a head start with work experience so that will go in her favour. Fingers crossed for her getting a job at the end of the degree :) @Eve you have good points there, especially the careers service. One good thing about being alumni is you do get that advice and help 🙂

Hows everyone getting on?
Dd due to get her Masters grade this week crossing all fingers and toes that she gets the Distinction...I think she's worked her score out at 69.7 so praying it gets rounded up given she got 78% in her dissertation and it was just one module that knocked her score.

She's got two interviews this week (one being her dream job) and the other quite exciting too. She's currently stacking shelves in Sainsburys (Xmas staff).

Hi @Daisysway i do hope your daughter gets the results and job that she is working towards.

My daughter is still working in South Korea and is probably coming home in late February or March time.

it is going to be very strange at Christmas time. I’ve already sent her some advent gifts but I need to hurry up and send her Christmas presents tomorrow or Monday.

I know she was looking at Masters but I’m not sure what her current plans are for when she gets home.