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

Loving your updates @PhotoDad, so pleased for you all. She has found her people and course :-)

But only if your word high heels and short skirts @Oblomov22 :-) that reminds me one of the clubs in Liverpool only lets the girls in if they are wearing heels and skirts! One of her friends had the same trainers and jeans as a boy they let in and bouncers said no. No idea how they get away with that in 2022!

You wore (fat fingers small
Mobile)

Thanks @Heifer, @Oblomov22, and others. We were worried that she'd feel isolated at uni too, but instead she's made friends who are just as passionate about illustration as she is. The course is stretching them already, and they have way more "homework" than I expected. In later years they have business modules about making it as a freelancer (taxes, invoices, etc) and maybe she can actually turn it into the career she's always dreamed of. It's very, very, competitive in the world of kids' book illustration, but if she doesn't do a course she has zero chance (as publishers talent-spot from degree shows, student competitions, and placements). Fingers crossed, eh?

In the short term, she hasn't been so happy for years.

No, you should've seen me! Doc martins, black skirt, black boob tube/corset.

That’s lovely @PhotoDad , it’s great that she’s so happy at last.

@crazycrofter the thought of clubbing twice a week makes me tired. However, my first year of uni I went out every single night. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday were the Student Union big nights and then live music, comedy, just drinking, parties on every other night. Everything was based around the SU so no travel costs - my room was a two minute walk) In fact, my whole three years was pretty much like that. I joined the Ents committee so at least got free tickets to everything. I still went out during finals (as my degree classification shows 🤭)
Pre uni I used to go to a club which had 10p a pint night. Men had to pay £3.50 to get in but ladies were free 😱🤣 The beer was crap and I had to go to school the next morning 🤣

DS has just texted to say that the Reading Week he thought he had isn't happening because he is across three departments so we won't get him home at half term.

I've been fine up til now but have had a horrible week and so this has upset me

Blimey this thread moves very fast. @Oblomov22 I'll ask him but he's still party bopping at the moment .

Apparently loads of people are changing courses and so DS wondered whether he too should change course??? Certainly not just because other people are.
He has a meeting scheduled with his personal tutor as part of his disability award, that should be interesting.

@Piggywaspushed DS has the same reading week(s) issue ☹️ Sorry to hear you've had a horrible week. Can you take a trip to Birmingham at half term?

Yes, we possibly can. Hopefully he'll have a quieter week and can manage a few days.

Sorry to hear, @Piggywaspushed. Hope you can visit anyway!

Sorry to hear that @Piggywaspushed , hope you get to him instead at half term.

I've just tried to facetime DD but she sent a text to say she was just on her way out x - What I want to reply is, putting an x on the end doesn't make me feel any better that you couldn't just pick up and tell me that, or call me sometime earlier when I you were free most of the day. Really would it have killed you to facetime me when you were getting ready. Or nag about the fact that you were tired the other day but have gone out 2 nights running or mentioned that you don't have enough money apparently. (ticket is only £6). But I won't, but neither can I
bring myself to say hope you have a great time at your Abba night. I wish it didn't hurt my feelings but it really does. It used to be me she chatted to daily at home, but I'm guess that was because I was there and not because she wanted to. God when did I get so damn needy and have all these emotions! I blame the menopause!

@Heifer I'm needy and blame the menopause! I send texts saying ' any chance of a chat?' type thing.

Dd is going to the ABBA night too @heifer! Sorry you’re feeling hurt, I’m sure she doesn’t mean it. 😢 Sorry about ds’ non reading week @Piggywaspushed . Hopefully he can still come back for a weekend? You’re not too far away are you?

We have the opposite problem. Dd wants to come back for reading week but we’re still homeless and we’ll be staying with my parents that week as a break. They only have room for us and ds. My brother could put her up at night I think but he’d need the room in the day as it’s his study. Hopefully it will all work out as ds may stay with friends from his old school for a few days and/or dd could do the same. It’s a pain though. Can’t wait till we have our own house again!

@PhotoDad love the pictures and the update. Life for artists and musicians is tough later, but great that she is thriving now.

In Bristol back in the 80s students got into The Studio nightclub free before 10 so they could get some atmosphere going for the posting people later. I suspect girls going free would be illegal these days - discrimination!

@crazycrofter I will get over it. I can't tell DD I'm hurt as it just annoys her, she doesn't understand why as she doesn't feel like this. Maybe one day she will. I did message to say hope she has fun and please try your radiator again as it's working on others rooms. Hope your DD enjoys it too.

Your living situation sounds very complicated when willl your new house be ready? How does your DD know she has a reading week? Does it show in the timetable? DDs timetable
Is full until Dec 15ish and also as Biology assume no reading week.
Re nightclubs - I grew up in Swindon and didn't go to uni so my experience is somewhat different to you city dwellers :-) I do remembering getting in free before a certain time too, dancing around handbags and that last slow dance just before Kicking out time at 1.00am

I’m sorry you’re upset @Heifer , it’s so hard but at this age they have no empathy and they can’t understand what they put us through.

DS has not mentioned any reading week, I’ll have to ask him about it because at the moment we have no firm plans to see him at all until he’ll be home for Christmas and I’m not waiting that long!
i would actually like to go up there for a weekend, I’d love to go to the space centre, but I can’t imagine him wanting to show me around/hang out and especially not go to the space centre!

No reading week for DS, finishes a week before Christmas.

sorry you’ve had a crap week @Piggywaspushed and that your DD is being thoughtless @Heifer they really just don’t think. She is so wrapped up in her new world that she’s having a hopefully temporary blip.

I got a facetime tonight too!! It was so lovely. dS looked tired but enjoying course and uni, his flat and likes his flatmates.
@Heifer OMG I grew up in Swindon too. Drinks in old town then dancing round my handbag at the Brunel rooms 🤣 I left mid 80's to go to uni and didn't move back after I finished
@photodad love seeing the drawings so keep posting.
I don't think DS gets reading week so term doesn't finish until about 17/12. He said he may come back for a weekend if any of his mates are going to so he can see them but that requires planning and coordination on his and mates part so it probably won't happen🤣

I got a text tonight to say Ds is getting the train down on Sunday morning so he can rehearse with his band for a gig next week. He can’t come Saturday afternoon because of the strikes.

So please can I take the keyboard he left at home to the rehearsal venue, then l pick him up afterwards and he will sleep at ours Sunday night before getting the train back Monday morning.

oh and on the night of the gig can I transport both his keyboard and the drummer’s electric kit to the venue whilst he gets the train after his lecture.

@Comefromaway 😂I am sure your life's ambition was to be a roadie!!

@Comefromaway parents come in handy from time to time don't they!

I found out the reason we haven’t heard from DD is that her phone ran out of data. Hopefully she will get a top up soon!

I do find that most contact from DS is when he wants something…