Thread 39 - Covid Cohort - Our Adult Children Now Post 18

[CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee]

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results ( or life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, uni vs employment please don't within this thread.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue. We were previously on the secondary board and then further education, now we shall be here in 'Parents of Adult Children' gulp

Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed). Be warned there might be lots of 'Uni Freshers' chat this time of year. My experience is that everyone is welcomed wherever, whatever their child is doing we have some in work, gap years , apprenticeships etc too. Lots of contributors with different experiences and always sympathy and support to be had !

Don’t mind the Nottingham stuff as my dad met my mum there and later I went to NTU. Two friends kids are going too! They are Very stressed by the IT too!

We know that drop off is 24-25th but no time and don’t get exact room until the day but there’s only two types and she knows it’s a flat not a town house room.

DH found great you tube videos from students showing the storage solution options etc for various spaces in the room.

@Monkey2001 sounds like a good mix of unis for medicine a super struggle to choose - like Sheffield a lot …

@ealingwestmum what a difficult decision TCD or Durham ….

:@Monkey2001 @Alsoplayspiccolo Will let you know when DS gets his letter and full details from the school! Goodness knows what went wrong!

Ps @Alsoplayspiccolo Hope the English goes up. !!!

Where is TCD?

Trinity College Dublin Benji. They are not normally so late with offers, just last 3 years and have maintained their 2021 levels of grade inflation to offset the pandemic challenges. Same for 2023 (just in case any one’s considering it)!

Heifer, I’d still lurk even if I couldn't contribute to the UK uni conversation, I’m never short on other random stuff ;)

Fruitygal, it really has been a tough one, but her heart has always been TCD.

Thinking of you next few days Kingscote and Photodad!

Ah thanks @ealingwestmum . Being part Irish myself, I know where I’d choose!

I don’t mind reading about the Notts stuff either, some of it is quite helpful for all anyway

Everything crossed, ealing, I really hope she gets her place at TCD!
Please don’t go anywhere if she does - you’d be hugely missed.

Are some Nottinghamers next week and others the week after?

Thinking of those with DC leaving this week, I think @KingscoteStaff and @PhotoDad ?

We all have a special needs induction day this Friday (parents included)at NTU city City campus for the students to meet support services. Still waiting for both DC’s DSA equipment to arrive so I hope they don’t try to deliver on the one day no one’s home

Good luck to everyone moving and deep sympathy about the malaria, dad had it when I was young as he worked in Africa and he suffered for years with repeat episodes

All Nottingham Uni people are 22nd-24th NCTDN, so two weeks on Thursday to Saturday. I think NTU might be a bit earlier though Benji and Tomnook?

Benji how is your DD feeling about it all now?

I love the Notts talk lol. I wanted Dd to apply there so I could visit my sister who.lives nearby and go to the Goose Fair etc etc. It seems weird some places you have a really good picture of what student life might be like...some you don't!

@singingstones I believe it’s the 18th onwards from info I’ve seen. Ours are staying here and taxiing in due to disability (can’t get rid of them)

Just saw dd briefly as I was going back to the mother-in-law’s ‘storage unit’ to get some more stuff and dd is staying with a friend en route. She said she knew move-In booking is open but she wants to check with her friend when she’s planning to arrive.

Thank you Piccolo. 🤞 on the remark!

@ealingwestmum Re the grade inflation in Ireland - friend’s Ds deferred in 2019 as he was still only 17 so wanted to wait till he was 18 to go (to ensure he could partake fully in the social events!)

The inflated grades in 2020 meant his classmates had much higher points than him & left him feeling undeserving of his place. But he has done really well at uni so hopefully has put it behind him.

I’m glad he’s done really well Decorhate, on the one hand, the points system is a brutal first to the post system, but conversely so long as you have met the course entry requirements, they don’t care what school, PS, extra curricula etc you did, and once accepted, points (like A level results) should become inconsequential!

Thanks for all your comments re Nottingham chatter, I'm pleased we haven't bored you to tears.

DD seems to be in H block in Rutland so not with anyone mentioned so far. She has an ensuite so guessing they are all together?

DD is going out to brunch today with her group of 10 friends as one of them is off to Belfast later in the week so it's their final goodbye. I think it will start to hit her after this as so far she still isn't that engaged, although has now been making lists of what she needs at least.

@KingscoteStaff and @PhotoDad let us know how it went, and if any tips. Good luck :-)

Ds is off on a settling in/early
access day at York today and staying overnight. Fingers crossed it all goes well!!

Can’t keep up! Good luck to all those starting their journey. DS seems to have sorted IT and he had online freshers event for Yorkshire and Humber starters yesterday which was better than he thought it would be. Could ask lots of useful questions and they were very helpful. Still another 3.5 weeks to go…

I did my PGCE at Nottingham, loved it, had fab times at Goose Fair (mushy peas and mint sauce, anyone?), the Irish nightclub, going for walks around Wollaton Park and the university grounds. And spending hours in the Broadgate launderette . Jealous of all your youngsters on their way there.

I'm off to the CAB with dd later this morning, to talk possible benefits while she is figuring her life out.

@Isthisjustnormal That sounds like a great thing! Hope it goes well.

First day at sixth form for ds today - have all the other younger siblings started now? @Alsoplayspiccolo how is ds doing?

@Heifer Rutland is one big block around a quad - all connected along the corridors on the first and second floors. Ensuites are ground floor and connected by outside undercover walkways. K is a separate block of all ensuites. So a room in A could actually be neighbours with a room in B etc. ( We had a good tour round at the offer holders day 😁)