Thread 41 Corona Cohort - Autumn Adventures of our Adult Children

[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 !

previous thread

@EspeciallyDivided I'm so impressed that bedding will be washed in a couple of weeks!! DD has done a load but can't see bedding being washed until it comes home at Christmas! She had two sets. I may be proved wrong.
Benji I'm glad your daughter is feeling ok - you must be so relieved. It's hard to make decisions for others so at least she has thought this through herself.
Thanks monkey. I'll look at that but might pm you when I can work out how!! I'm on the app and don't seem to have that facility.

@Benjispruce4 sending a great night's sleep for you and dd.

Hats off and huge respect to your DD, Benji. She really did give it her best shot and it sounds like she’s made the absolutely tight choice to come home and regroup for next year.

In contrast to all of you whose DC are struggling with Freshers week, we have the opposite concern, in that DD seems to have spent her entire first week partying.
In a very brief phone call today, she said she’d had an early night from clubbing last night - “only about 1.30, 2am…rather than 4 or 5am.”
A mention of lectures tomorrow elicited an audible sigh, so I hope she stays in tonight and gets herself together for the morning.
I strongly suspect she’ll burn out before very long and then the tearful phone calls will start; so far, she’s shown no interest in talking to us.

We had a lovely weekend with DS and have just got home from dropping him back to school (just the 4 hour round trip this time).
The house feels dead again. 😞

@Alsoplayspiccolo same here. I got a horrified silence at the suggestion of not going out last night.

That is good news @Benjispruce4 I read back on your posts yesterday and not even the course was chiming was it ? Do stay though x

I'm so pleased your DD has made the decision @Benjispruce4 . She certainly gave it her best shot and you must be so relieved to have her back home.

I think DD has gone bowling with her flatmates this evening so that's a step in the right direction.

NCTDN, I can’t talk to DD about it at all. If I do, she tells me I’m old/boring/weird and she doesn’t have an issue with going out all the time, so it’s not my place to comment, “ because she’s 18 and can do what she likes. “

@Benjispruce4 Im glad your DD came to a decision that seems to be entirely right for her. Good luck to her for next year, I hope she finds somewhere she loves.

@mummyinbeds can I ask what you mean by the contract? Is there a written thing you agreed to that you have a copy of? Also, I wish your DS knew what my DS looked like so he could tell me if he’s in the induction in the morning!, 😂

I also have a party child who thinks it’s not a good night if you get in before 3am. I told him to have an early night which he paid lip service to but I would put money on it that he’s probably heading out just about now…

To restful sleep tonight Benji. Your DD2 is a real credit to you.

must have been lovely to have had DS home this weekend Piccolo.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn when DS accepted the accomodation offer there was a long and boring contract to read and agree to. It might be available still in the accomodation hub thing
I'll ask DS to ask every male law student if their mum goes by the name of Popcorn. That wouldn't be weird at all would it? Actually, I'll be surprised if DS finds the building. If he's up in time, I'll get a phone call at 8.59 asking for directions 🙃

@NCTDN re sheets, he's been there two weeks and is coming home in another three which is considerably longer than they get at home. He has got a spare set and we avoided buying white.

DS says he's middling when it cones to socialising. He says some are up till 3ish most nights, some are just staying in and studying, he's in between. Which is fine I think, given that he never had much opportunity to party at home. Also bearing in mind he's autistic I don't want him burning out in either direction.

DD just sent pic of late night lecture prep with hot choc and marshmallows - not part of our Asda shop so she must be getting on ok with at least one of her flatmates!

Hello @Shimy! Glad to find another Warwick parent!

DD has been in touch quite a lot - regular text updates through the day and some FaceTime too. I expect that will calm down once she settles in more though. She's finding it all a bit strange, although she's made friends with some of the students on her course.

It's been quite noisy at night compared to home so she's found that tougher than she imagined.

I lost the threads!

We took Ds up to Leeds 2 weeks ago. He hasn’t really done much in freshers except for MT karaoke night but he has settled in, enrolled, has spent a lot of time playing keyboard and he also visited his friends who are in Manchester for a few days.

First session tomorrow

He missed Freshers Fayre because he went to Manchester instead to see his friends which I thought was a bad idea.

Anyway, obligatory room picture

Looks smart @Comefromaway

Spent most of today putting in loads of washing and cleaning Dds room. 7 bags of recycling/rubbish/clothes bank. I texted her not to buy anything more.

IMay have bought her some Christmas bedding . Sorry for the c word all!

One week later

ds’s room at home has been de loused. I had to use sticky stuff remover on the carpet a loads of seeets and chocolate and split drinks had gone yuk!

Keep waking in the night ( not like me) so catching up on this thread.

@Fiddlersgreen sorry for the DS not great timing but pleased he’s going out

@Alsoplayspiccolo loving the partying - they run out of steam at end of week 3

@278Newnames DS2 had the fridge in room and freezers in kitchen set up at Herts uni as a fresher as few years back. Lots more fridge space as a result - DS loved it

Nottingham uni catering sounds complicated …

Said goodbyes to DD after brunch and tesco shop - she was teary as we are super close but I think all will be ok xx We dropped her in town to meet up with flat white were out having lunch and exploring.

Got home at 8.30pm so super knackered …Durham is a long way away

*Which not white

Very windy here tonight which isn’t helping sleep. @Benjispruce4 I’m glad she is home, she really tried but just wasn’t the place for her was it and I think that’s a very sensible decision.

DH came back absolutely knackered yesterday , DS in city accommodation and parking was awful, he parked on double yellows to unload eventually then nearest space was 30 mins walk after that. 4 in flat with 2 bathrooms and room a reasonable size.

Have sorted his room at home, not much to sort as looks much emptier than when he was at 6th form college as has taken a lot more .

Ah @Benjispruce4 I’m pleased your DD is home. She sounds such a lovely, sensible girl. I’m not surprised you’ve slept well.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn I know my DS is up and on his way to the law induction - I had a call asking where he was supposed to be as he didn't know how to find the timetable. This boy wants to be a lawyer 🤷 Hopefully your DS will make it there too 🤞

@Benjispruce4 sounds like the right decision (for both of you). I am sure she will be very appreciative of all your support in helping her decide. sounds like you handled it all brilliantly.

NOTTINGHAM - Re 17 meals v 19 meals. I've just looked at the agreement we signed up to for accommodation (in Accommodation Hub under Licence Agreements - Terms and Conditions) and Catering is covered in there (4. Catering). Unfortunately, it doesn't mention number of meals there, and just says Variety of hot and cold breakfasts Monday - Friday, £25 lunch allowance and then a daily evening meal Monday to Sunday.

I am pretty sure when I first looked at the costs it did mention 19 meals but can't find anything proof of this. BUT I did a google search and found this.

www.nottingham.ac.uk/accommodation/documents/a-z-of-hall-living-202122.pdf

Catered Halls
Included in your package:
 A daily variety of simple hot and cold breakfasts, and continental breakfasts Monday to Friday in selected halls.
 A daily variety of hot and cold brunch is on Saturday and Sunday in selected halls.

In this years version (mentions with the opportunity of purchasing brunch).
Your guide to living-in-halls - The University of Nottingham

@Comefromaway the two glimpses I’ve had of DD’s room since we left her have looked like your pic 2, and she didn’t get it looking nice to start with 🙄 Problem 1: She never thinks to pick up a thing that needs to go downstairs even if she’s going downstairs anyway. Here: washing up. There: cardboard boxes from items bought new. Problem 2: she’s missing her valet stand (I know, fancy). She cannot possibly wear an item until it needs washing, so now she has a heap of part-worn clothes that get moved between her bed and chair morning and night.

In other news I’ve joined WIWKAU for the room photos and constant weeping, but am instead enjoying Spot The Turquoise Curtains 😄