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

Thanks for the new thread and good luck to all the others doing drop offs today. Dd managed to fit all her clothes (except a handful she's leaving behind) into two smallish suitcases. It turns out that despite the number of Pretty Little Things parcels she receives each week, she doesn't actually keep that many of them! She's still obsessing about some specific socks which can only be bought in Primark and which she can't wait to buy, so we'll be travelling via the Primark on a retail park on the outskirts of Leicester!

Ds seems to have covid/covid-like bug (he hasn't taken a test) and he's really not been well, with sore throat, aches, temperature, cough etc. Dd said she's got a sore throat coming... I really hope she's not ill in week 1. Although knowing her she'll just power on through. She went to Reading feeling similar.

Welcome to the new people! It's good to hear that nearly everyone is starting to settle and getting on ok. @Benjispruce4 I hope things improve for your dd.

Thank you the new thread Orange ;I have my fingers crossed that she comes out of this weekend much more confident!) and the new list Singing. It’s lovely to see no italics on mine this time, such a relief to got here ;)

Hello to the newbies. And looking forward to the new us regime tips; I feel like I’ve aged 10 years in a couple of summer months.

Obligatory room pic, very minimalist, and on the corner of a very busy traffic inter junction of Mountjoy. Home from home really, so traffic noise is not a concern of hers.

@ealingwestmum that colour screen wins I think. DD1’s 3rd year house was Mount joy Crescent. Very close to library.

Oh no just remembered she’s not at Durham but Dublin. Sorry. There’s Mountjoy In Durham too. Thought the room was too nice for Durham’s tbh 😃

*colour scheme

Welcome @POTC ds1 went to UEA. We live about 40 mins away. Ds2 is now at Sussex so it's been different having him further away. I didn't feel that sad dropping him off either. I miss him. But having 2 dc's at home still probably helps.

Ds messaged at 7am this morn. He's never up that early. He'd bought himself a plastic plate with Spider-Man on. So sent a pic. He always eats his food here on melamine plates, no idea why he chooses plastic. Obviously I sent him with china plates. He went to bed early last night so was up early this morn. His flatmates had all gone clubbing and he'd stayed behind. I can't believe he's not joining them, he's very sociable usually. He just said he doesn't like clubbing. Hopefully once freshers finishes the others will be home some evenings.

Ds1 has gone off with a car full of lads this morn. They are going go-karting in Chatham. About 2 and half hours drive from here. He's never driven on a motorway before as we don't have any in east Anglia. I shall worry about him in his little fiesta full of lads on the M25. They are all sensible though and he's a confident driver. One of his university friends lives nearby, so he's going to meet them all there to watch, that is nice. He only made 6 really good friends at university, but I think they'll all stay good friends.

Good luck to those dropping off dc's this weekend.

Thank you to @CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee & @singingstones for the new thread & list. Just spotted I’ve never said that DS is going to be studying Geography - I hope so anyway but I am a bit worried that partying might take over…

The drop off in Swansea went smoothly & he ushered us off quickly so that he could get on with meeting his new hall mates. DH got a drunken video in the early hours of him clubbing so I presume all is well!

@CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee I saw your mentioned Roath. Next Sunday is Cardiff Half so there will be a fab atmosphere around Roath Park. It’s worth popping out & soaking it up. There are usually bands & choirs en route. I should have been running it but didn’t have the time to train this summer. I’m another one who may well join in with the re-boot!

This is DD’s room at drop off (hopefully it looks more personalised and less like a dumping ground by now). She’s not actually sharing - she has a double occupancy room to herself. Although her boyfriend appears to be there, which is interesting as it’s 300 miles away.

😂Benji

bit of a bonus though having a spare bed OB!

Just checking in. Thanks OP!

Recognise that reading cushion @ealingwestmum , DS1 has one of those in his room too.

Thanks for the kind offer @POTC but DS will have to go to Norwich for an interview (medicine), so will hopefully get a chance to see some accommodation then. Hope your tall DS sleeps OK with his feet dangling off the end of his bed. When we went to the Leicester open days my DS tried lying on various beds and found that the small doubles felt shorter than the singles. He has an Ikea bed at home, so continental length, which is longer. Sounds like your DS and his friends will have a blast, just have to hope the new person fits well with the ready made friendship group. Are you concerned that he won't make new friends because he will stick with the old ones? Both my DSs wanted to go to different universities from their GFs so that they could meet lots of people (not new GFs, they are both pretty committed), and DS2's GF felt the same.

@OublietteBravo do those beds pivot up to become desks? Looks like the best of both worlds if you have a spare bed when you want it.

@singingstones can I go on the list? DD is doing TESOL and Korean at UCLan.

We are visiting next weekend, I’ve got Sunday lunch booked but also need Saturday dinner. DD is tasked with keeping half an eye out for restaurants but I suspect she’ll fail me and I’ll have to resort to TripAdvisor (unless anyone knows Preston and has recommendations?)

I joined WIWKAU on FB and happened to spot the Skegness fridge @Piggywaspushed 😂 I bet that’s costing a bit more than we’re paying. Right next to a post describing perfectly decent and clean accommodation as a bit dated … I went to the same uni as my parents, 25 years apart, and I reckon the curtains in the hall bar dated back to their time. THAT’S dated.

Another new thread!

Good luck to all dropping off this weekend, and welcome to newbies!

@POTC DD started at UEA last Sunday. It's a lovely campus and I love Norwich and Norfolk.

DD is planning her first grocery shop today, bit is trying to fit it round several dance group taster sessions. Really hope she can get involved in someway. She has danced since she was 2, but dropped classes at Easter because of a levels. She would love to get back into it, and I think would really help her settle.

Also planning a bit of reading ahead of lectures starting on Monday!!

I really should join the detox too. I am way heavier than I should be, and do no real exercise due to dodgy back and knees (probably worse because I am overweight!!). And the house is a complete tip. But as another suffering with the menopausal sleep issues, I'm just too knackered to deal with the house.

You're on there, @DontCallMeBaby

@craggyrat I highly recommend a visit Jesus Green Lido while you're there, take your swimsuit and enjoy the outdoor pool then sauna after!
@Fruitygal I'm in Mid Suffolk. They're all on different courses and visited other places but ultimately chose to all go there. Covid caused several of them, DS included, to become more anxious and I'm not actually sure he'd have gone somewhere alone.
@icanbewhatiwant DS drove with his mates up to Leeds to visit when deciding on which uni to pick. Living in a county with no motorways it was terrifying thinking of him dealing with several! The M25 is worst of all!
@Monkey2001 I was initially concerned about them not making new friends but as they're all on different courses I'm hopeful that they'll gradually expand the friendship group to include new folks! His gf hasn't gone to uni and I'm quite glad that there's no easy route home because I think he'd have felt he should come back to visit her often if there was.

Re: October reset - I can thoroughly recommend Outdoor Swimming, it has honestly been a huge turning point for me and given me a whole new community to be part of. I've been doing it 2 years and love visiting new places and exploring!

@Monkey2001 I forgot you were asking about longer beds at UEA! DDs was described as a standard single, but the extra deep fitted sheet we'd got only just fitted - I reckon they must be slightly bigger than a standard single. It's hard to tell with DD as she's only 5'3"! There was space at the foot of the bed to hang feet out or put a stool etc to extend if necessary.

Yes they do (apparently without disturbing the contents of the desk). Of course DD can have one set up as a bed, and the other as a desk most of the time. She also has double the cupboard allocation in the kitchen.

@singingstones thank you!

Also Smeg fridge not Skegness obviously, autocorrect really snuck up on me there 🧐

@POTC - thanks for that re the Lido. DS is a swimmer so will pass it on

@POTC we are mid Suffolk too. Not much motorway practice round here. Being at UEA he did lots of A14 driving which is similar, but no where near as busy as m25. He had his car in Norwich second and third year.

@CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee I had a flat in Roath once 🙂

Thanks for the new thread @CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee

Loving the the Skegness fridge. Our local bbc newsreader/weatherman banter would have a field day with that.

Good luck to all traversing the country today. DS has a Sunday arrival slot so last wash on as I type.

I'm so annoyed but trying desperately to bite my tongue. Dd is coming back home to visit the boyfriend. She is very much 'its my life so...' she has only been there since Wednesday!

I just need to rant

@ScarlettDarling where is only next week? Lancaster?

I saw the fridge post but did wonder what a Skegness fridge was