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

Oh OK, I assumed they would be following the same law bit but logically that wouldn't leave him time for the French bit. DS seems confident that he has the right books but I don't trust him! 😂 Not a lot I can do about it from here.

@crazycrofter
I'm texting ds about food now. First time we've had more than 2 words. He's phoning tonight cause I told him I was upset.

He's says there's loads of picky eaters in Rutland. He says it's like a school canteen standard. He's had a full English breakfast every day, hasn't even ventured to the porridge (which is his favourite). That kid (like me and ds2 tbf) wolfs down anything put in front of him and is just grateful to served. I'm like that!

Saw this and thought of this thread

www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/relationships/fresher-confident-long-distance-relationship-with-school-girlfriend-will-last-20210920212065?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0EH-E3rkPuJ6qWqJf14D_B1f9cZ1W4LgH1vOIcFo0kq8d35YgMDgC6IUU#Echobox=1664365788

DS just phoned. Economics lecture dull , politics mad and entertaining. Not sure why he is surprised.

He knows now not to sit at the back where people were eating crisps...

I like the other WIWIKAU post:

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn instead of doing any work this afternoon, I've googled the reading list. Some are available online, some are in the library and some they can choose to read either/or. DS has ignored my text so I don't know what he has or hasn't bought. I did see that the compulsory French grammar book is £140 😱

For those following my mini-saga: my DD was right and I was wrong. The GP records had transferred OK, and within hours of filling out a web-form her repeat prescription was signed-off and she'll collect it from Boots at the weekend. Still, better safe than sorry, right?

Now I'll have to find something else to worry about! I'm sure that won't take long.

@Alsoplayspiccolo Sounds like the phase when younger when they behave beautifully at school and absolute monkeys at home. Is the constant challenging a form of bravado to mask worry about the transition?

£140!!!!!!???!?!

Can't believe we are on yet another new thread! I am lapping up all the stories you are all sharing as this will be me next year.
Chichester has an open day this Saturday so DD and I are going along so we can have a proper look at the rooms and look in the canteen as she is catered (no choice I believe for teachers as they go on a lot of placements).

Sorry to hear about lack of DC communication. DH told me that when he was at Uni he hardly ever phoned his DM and feels guilty now. I feel with DD we will have a LOT of contact but she may surprise us and settle in well. This gap year is doing her the world of good and she is working three different p/t jobs as well as volunteering and is talking about catching trains /coaches to visit friends at their Unis - this is a girl who has never caught a bus (apart from the school bus for a term aged 11) or train on her own before. She has a 16-25 railcard now for 1 year so i hope it does get some use. @Benjispruce4 I hear your DD is doing a gap year now too so i hope she finds her feet and a Uni and course that fits her - can she use her same Personal Statement again and will she be able to get her teachers to give references again? DD's school would not have helped now she's left (her head of 6th form has left and lots of her teachers end of July) but the local Grammar in our area does and keeps their PS on file for a year or two as lots later decide to go to Uni. Good luck to you both, I am so proud of your DD's resilience and of you for keeping it held together.

@Piggywaspushed I'm laughing at the washing queries from your DS. Send him some colour catchers and he can bung lots in together that he's not sure of.

Good tip AoC!

Hadn’t thought of that @AnneOfCleavage . Are they required? I’m pretty sure her Head of Year would oblige. Do universities even read them?

Another call from DS tonight, we have had to sort out some mix-ups with his DSA stuff, I ended up having to phone his provider this afternoon, luckily they agreed to speak to me and were helpful. I’m sure this will all be great once its completely up and running but it is complicated to organise. He sounds a bit flat this week, to be honest that’s fairly normal for him, but a contrast to the enthusiasm of Freshers Week, maybe he’s getting tired and the reality of how much work there is will be kicking in. Missing him a lot. The news is all so depressing too, there was an item on the news earlier which really upset me.

Going for a bit of distraction with Grand Designs now.

Awww, lovely call from Ds this eve: he seemed really on top of everything, is pushing himself to do stuff (went clubbing for the first time - although not a late one!) but also managing his life stuff (planning to make his favourite soup tomorrow!!). A bit full of freshers flu but otherwise thriving. So lovely to talk to him :-)

Huge long FaceTime call from ds tonight. He's so happy and settled. And having fun, but because he's not a huge drinker, although he's been out drinking and clubbing, he can't wait for the chess and boxing and ski diving clubs to start.

But seriously mainly he wants to get down to studying. He's had 2 inductions. Met PwC staff. Tomorrow is the massive lunch where they meet PwC top dogs, CEO and also chairman of ICAEW. In suits. Many people bought no smart clothes.

He was told that this course because it's PwC it's more full on that most other degrees, right from next week. And that it's ruthless and if they don't cut it they'll be asked or leave/ drop down to a normal accounting degree.

He says he can't wait. He's disciplined enough. He's here to study and wants to get on with it.

Thus, I'm happy. Had my full. Hopefully this will satisfy me and I won't need another call for atleast a couple of weeks.

Just had video clip of DD heading off to the Hawaiian Social. Looking very happy!

Glad everyone is starting to get calls! Dd is used to being away as she’s always been an out and about sort, going on residentials, staying with friends around the country etc, so she’s used to communicating with us by phone at great length! I woke up to 11 voice messages this morning just in case she didn’t have time to face time, but then I spoke to her too.

Dd has always been entirely friend/people focused. It’s her highest priority in life. She’d come back from residential trips where they’d done loads of interesting activities and all I’d hear about were the friends she’d made. She’s been exactly the same at uni - I already know about ten names of new friends, but I had to nag her to tell me what modules she’s doing 😂

No calls here but enough messages to know everything seems to be OK. Societies are going on as is drinking. No word on anything academic related of course.

@Oblomov22 so pleased to hear you had a lovely call.

DS sent a photo today of him eating a burger from a particular favourite takeaway of ours in Bath. He has joined a few societies today too. Otherwise very scant replies but he is happy and busy and that makes me happy 😊😊

hoping to arrange a call in the next couple of days 🤞

Good to hear so much happy news!

@Benjispruce4 you don't have to change PS, but universities might expect to see some reference to gap year plans. There is no plagiarism issue if you are re-submitting with a lot of your own old PS. Has she decided what she is doing this year? Is she going to resit? Our school have quite a few Y14s resitting, some doing another AS/EPQ alongside. They are also very good at supporting gap year applicants who have left the school as it is a popular thing to do at the school, there are at least 3 Y14 medicine applicants. DS's old form tutor has asked him what he wants added to the school ref about his gap year, he needs to get application into school by Saturday as the school needs to get them off by 15th October.

😱😱😱

DS hasn't had to buy any text books yet but we did set him up with the free trial of Student Prime (Amazon) and it has 10% off textbooks. Annoying as I had ordered DD's A level ones the week before and could have got him to do it if I'd known.

I had a wobble last night about whether this course is the right thing for DS to be doing. I bumped into an acquaintance who works in a slightly related field and he did that thing that some tradespeople do when they come round to quote for a small job and tell you your house is actually falling down, that pursed lips/sharp intake of breath thing, said it's very competitive and poorly paid (to be fair so is the degree his DD is taking). I have wondered at times if DS would have been better staying at home, getting p/t work and doing some more serious volunteering to get a foot in the door and take qualifications later. But we went over this over and over during the last year. Another friend who works in the exact field DS is studying thought it was a good idea to take the degree and that his employer struggles to get well qualified people. Upshot was I woke up in a cold sweat worrying about it all at 3am. It's not just about the qualifications though, I think going to the RAU is an excellent way for him to develop his independence and self-reliance too in a small, safe town not too far from home. Acquaintance won't understand that as his DD is extremely bright, mature and independent. Anyway, there is an escape clause as it's a two year foundation course, he could always stop there and do a conversion to BSc later.

So after a difficult start I am pleased to report that DS has found a group of like minded people and is throwing himself into life at LSE. He’s taken my advice to try everything and say yes to everything and has joined a variety of societies. Teaching has started and he’s enjoying the challenge. Thank you for the wise words when I came here in a panic, it seems like time was what he needed. Thanks for adding me to the roll call list as well @singingstones, he’s studying History and Politics.

Just managed to get tickets for Arctic Monkeys tour - lots of top mum brownie points for that!

@EspeciallyDivided as long as what he is doing is helping him to increase skills in a direction which he wants to go it is valuable. As you say, university is about more than just studies. It is true that land based jobs tend to be very poorly paid, but good for your health, both mental and physical!

@EspeciallyDivided - I get those 3am panics too - had awful anxiety this week about how DS will cope.

You're right though - it is about more than just the course. It is about coping on their own and the whole life learning part of uni that will be a massive benefit no matter what jobs or salary are at the end of it. Your DS seems happy and coping well and that's all I want from mine as well to be honest.