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 :)

@QuintanaRoo I smiled at the thought of those silk worms! Sounds an exciting project!
Nice to hear from you @EllenJanesthickerknickers, love the new name!!!

Ha! I can so relate to the silkworms jeopardy. Similar scenario last year with DD’s final year project dependency on several micro colonies of bees. And a vital bit of specialised kit at the lab at Kew that broke just before her pollen samples were scheduled for processing. Good luck to your DD!

Did your DC start uni in 2020? Please could you ask them to fill in my DD's survey! | Mumsnet

This is my friend's DD. Any of your lot willing to fill in a questionnaire?

EllenJane is my very old username. I couldn't remember which one I started the GCSE threads with!

Glad everyone seems to be doing well, finishing off exams and essays and dissertations. DD had exam number 8, this one went exceptionally well. Just Cosmology to go next week and she will be done, with the exception of her project presentation on 6th June (dissertation lands in her 4th year). DD is coming home on the 18th May for her great grandads funeral on the 19th, and then sticking around as the 20th May is DD2's 18th birthday so we plan to go out for a meal.
I have been busy with DD2's biology Alevel revision. We are tackling 1 hour every night and doing 1 module at a time. Flash cards, watching you tube videos, anything we can to help it sink in.
She plans to return on the 23rd May her friend has a birthday and doing a harry potter themed night, so she aims to be back for that. She also managed to get her original 1st year choice of Armadillo storage in Lancaster (2nd year was further afield in kendal) so shes happy shes got that.

That's a nice early finish for your dd @sammyjoanne ! Ds starts his exams next week, they run on til June I think, but with a gap in the middle. But right now his priority is highest point festival, which starts today til Saturday. Obvs no one at uni would contemplate going so close to exams so he's going with work mates. I give up!

@specialted ive heard about that festival, hope he has a great time

@specialted ...

My dds is out clubbing tonight and at a Rave next week...tbh after the gruelling 10 essays i just want her to let her hair down....she's just started her dissertation but is chilled on the basis she has a whole 35 days to write 9000 words having written 15000 words in 25 days....

Im incredibly proud that she has dealt with a bunch of sh*t during her 3yr's at Uni including a infestation of rats in her accommodation last week...(i kept out of the issue until last Saturday when i saw the mould in the property too) and fired all barrels at the negligent estate agency today.

If i could do another job it would be stopping our young adults being ripped off at seemingly every opportunity when they are just trying to further their education and get a good career.

@Daisysway I agree with you, students always seem to get a bum deal when it comes to accommodations costs, state of where they live, landlord keeping deposits etc. Not to mention the strikes and now the marking boycott.

DS has finished his exams today. Just over a week off, then a 3 week teaching internship up in Manchester, then home. Graduation 19th July, depending on whether his exams are marked by then with the marking and assessment boycott. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Hoping for a 2:1.

3 years finished. 😮 First one was pants during harsh lockdowns from the start in Manchester. Two much more normal years with RL lectures and tutorials, but he found it hard to make friends following on from the first difficult year. But all done now. 🥳

Its been a tough Uni experience for the 2020 school leavers now topped off my the marking boycott.

I think my dds essays and dissertation will get marked ...dissertation deadline 14th ...she 'seems' in control but theres definitely also been a few late nights out on the town.

She's waiting confirmation of acceptance onto masters course. So we need to look at accommodation ...she's looking for a studio nr friends (she's fed up of messy house mates).

She's working for 7 weeks in a lab and we are then off to Asia(Japan) for 3 weeks (21st birthday present).

3yrs have flown by.

Hope exams etc have gone ok for everyone and how exciting for those with graduations coming up!
Ds has finished second year exams, he is staying on for three more weeks then coming home to join us for family holiday. Have to say it's been a really good year for him, almost like starting again so he feels very lucky. I've no idea how exams went but looking back at this time last year I wasn't even sure he was going to return to uni so just feeling thankful he did and is happy.

@specialted glad its worked out so well for your DS :) It sounds like this year was a really good year for him :) Daughter had a much better year than last year. We just hope the marking boycott prevents her from getting the 2:1 she needs as shes really worked so hard this time and thinks shes done tons better in the exams. Not sure what shes doing, shes booked for summer accommodation at the uni and hoping to find some work in the summer. Youngest has 2 exams left to go so were helping on the revision. Two more biology alevel papers left. We did go to the orthodentist today with youngest and was very lucky to get into the city centre, due to whats happened today in Nottingham.

And thoughts to the families and loved ones who passed away this morning. Its truely awful whats happened and to 2 students as well. Its so so sad 😭

DD finished finals on Wednesday and is now enjoying her last couple of weeks at Lancaster. Two extravs and a summer ball next week, as well as some final musical activities. She's coming home on 6th July but will move out of her house properly straight after graduation on 22nd July.
I'm not sure she'll do any paid work over the summer but I can't blame her as she starts her graduate scheme in September and will wait a long time (if ever) before she has three months off again.
Despite COVID, she's had an excellent university experience on the whole, and Lancaster has been great for her. I can't believe three years are just about over!

Can I ask if anyone knows can they sign on for JSA now they’ve finished? Dd has £15 in her bank account and I can’t afford to maintain all her costs. She can stay here and I am not charging board and lodging but I also can’t afford to be giving her spending money,
petrol money, etc.

she’s just filled out a jsa application and it’s getting processed. She’s working 8 hours behind a bar but they won’t give her anymore hours and she’s skint.

Wouldn't it be UC unless she's paid enough NI contributions?

Check if you can get 'new style' JSA - Citizens Advice

Thanks, she,works 8 hours a week at about £10 an hour and has done for years so not sure if that’s enough NI contributions or not. We’re also not sure if the end of the academic year is now when she’s finished and available for work or more like August? Anyway she’s applied online.

@choirmumoftwo Im really glad that your DD has had a great experience :) I really hope that she gets all that she wants 😀
@specialted I hope you all enjoy the family holiday together and glad its all working out for your DS. @Daisysway Hope your daughter enjoys Asia , exicting times :)
Congrats to all who are graduating this year.
DD1 her private halls in Penny st are ending 21st July, and she is staying in summer accommodation in Bowland until 20th September and is looking for summer work at the moment. Shes been to a couple of interviews this week. Her three years have been a mixed bag. First year despite covid was superb. Second year she had some health issues mentally and physically which resulted in her grade slipping. Third year she found her people in the LGBTQIA+ community which has been a superb support and got great friendships and she did outstandingly well this year in coursework and exams, only to be hit by the marking boycott. I hope she gets in for fourth year. Shes got Chancellors Wharf booked if she gets in. If not and she ends up with the 2:2 shs going to get a job and save up and try and get the masters year later. Her degree is an integrated masters, so I hope she gets to continue in October.
Shes off to pride tomorrow in Lancaster with her friends, and her friends are staying in the city, so shes going to be sticking around there this summer.
DD2 has just finished her Alevels this week and is going to stay at her BF and his parents for a few weeks. She thinks shes done enough to get to uni, its just which one on results day, Reading or Chester :)

I really hope you all have an amazing summer. Ill probably update here to see if she got to 4th year/appealed the grade/ getting a job etc. So see what happens with that :)

DS1 has had all his results back, he needed a 2:1 to start his audit graduate scheme, knowing he had the marks took the pressure off the last exams and now his numbers are in the first category, he not bothered too much about that other than his 2:1 is pretty much guaranteed should any mark changes happen in the meantime. He is now looking again at accommodation to start all over again for another three years but this time being paid.

@bluebolt thats great news, glad its worked our for your DS. :)

Good to catch up on everybody's news! DS is finishing 3rd year but as he was in Morocco last year he still has a year to go . This year has been a mixed bag , he has been very underwhelmed by the Arabic teaching and marginally more impressed with International Relations. He has however found his passion in the cross country club, he has spent all year travelling the country winning bits of prize money and hoping to break into the elite times soon Since finishing exams he has spent a couple of weeks running in the Lakes. He has an interview for a job driving a delivery van this week and various races scheduled for weekends.

@geogteach Im glad hes enjoying the cross country and great hes got a job. The Lakes are beautiful so its a great place to run with all the scenery.

I will post here how dd1 got on, she will find out her classification next week. It will either be happy or sad tears, it really is all up in the air at the moment due to this silly boycott.

Good luck to your daughters @sammyjoanne ...she seems to have had the same Uni experience as .y daughter.
@geogteach Good luck with his interview and the cc.

@bluebolt - Congratulations to your DS.

My dd has been making the most of her last full week in Leamington...i had a sigh of relief when she said she was coming home on Thursday because we have a short holiday on Saturday before she starts her summer lab job...but the relief lasted about 2 mins because she then declared she was going into London on Friday but should be able to sort her washing out on Thursday night! Im pleased that she's having some fun after an intensive exam period.