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

Happy birthday @ZittiEBuoni junior. I think I’ve missed quite a few pages as been catching up with work since dropping off DS. This thread moves quickly. He seems happy and settled I think. Has done freshers quiz, film night, ice cream night, first formal dinner. Had a nighttime museum tour and nighttime city tour. Went to sports fair and is doing college basketball. Has a swim trial coming up for varsity squad. Has barely swum since covid but he was a decent swimmer before that. I think that would be good socially. Has had first lectures and supervisions start next week. Have really missed him at home as it is just the three of us but getting quite a few texts and WhatsApps. Hopefully speak this weekend.

With regards to football etc DS didn’t try out for the main teams but is playing for his department and in the squad for his halls.

happy birthday mini @ZittiEBuoni and others I have missed.

I thought I was bad - there is someone on WIWIKAU that posted that her son hadn't replied since the previous evening, should she be worried, should she get in touch with the uni..... Can you imagine, my DD would kill me if I did that after less than 24 hrs :-) I think I may have given the wrong impression re communication. From her point of view she probably thinks she has messaged me most days, certainly every other. 2 words texts etc but she just hasn't called/facetimed me much that's all. I will get used to it but will ask she does it at least once per week. She isn't feeling well today apparently and txt to me say she was going to miss 1 lecture and try again at 3.00pm. It's easy for her to catch up she says as she has access to the recorded lecture although I'm not sure if it's a newly recorded or archived version.

Happy bdays.

@EerilyDevilled I know what you mean about needing help to set up help! DD has the 1 to 1 facetime study skills session but missed the 2nd one as her got her timetable the night before and it was too late to cancel and reschedule. Her timetable doesn't seem to be the same each week so will have to do it on a week by week basis. She really wanted face to face sessions rather than screen but it wasn't available. I hope your DS get the support he needs.

I saw that post on WIWIKAU too Heifer, I did think blimey that’s a bit early to be concerned.

@Heifer I thought the same about the person whose son had not answered her multiple texts of the previous evening!

My deal with DS1 was at least 3 communications a week of more than a couple of words, and that seems appropriate as a baseline, but it is lovely when they want to share things with you. I used to phone my mum every Sunday but that was partly because we grew up quickly when my dad died in my Y12, so we all knew she needed us. It is important that they think of parents as more than just a supply of funds! It sounds like she needs to slow down a bit, but great that she is embracing university life!

I am sure all the disappointed sportspeople know that Nottingham is super competitive because they have a strong elite sports programme - even for Medicine you are guaranteed an interview if you play at academy level, irrespective of admissions test results. Hope they all find some fulfilling sports.

I would definitely have to put a rule like that in place for ds @Monkey2001 😂 He’s never been away for more than a week anywhere yet, but he generally doesn’t answer my texts when he’s away and I’m lucky if I get one ‘yeah’ during the week! Whereas dd voluntarily sends me a dozen voice notes updating me on her life every other day! They’re all different… So I might actually be mildly concerned if I didn’t hear from dd from a couple of days, but only because it would be so unusual.

Thanks for that, mummy, I will tell my DS also (he also didn't get into the uni teams, @JustHereWithMyPopcorn , but apparently there is a hall league so his hall is putting together a team for that).

Ds has messaged. Apparently he was down as self funding. So loan wasn't going to go in. Ds says he must've filled in forms incorrectly. It was fine on sfe page as it said ready to be paid. Plus we had letters ages ago saying how much he would get. So I don't know how that happened. He spoke to someone when he first arrived as it wouldn't let him register as a student on the Sussex page until he set up direct debit for his fees. You'd think when they sorted that out they would have realised there was a mistake.

@Heifer Nottingham law lectures are definitely new recordings because I had a peek and could see DS 🤣

Hi @icanbewhatiwant curious about the year in NZ. Is that an organised thing or is he going out there on spec? (I have an older DD who is keen to travel next year but struggling to figure out how to organise it all, as she will be going solo). Any info appreciated!

None of mine ever phone unless there is some drama! But every family is different. I only phone my parents weekly & have done since I moved to the UK after uni. Initially I had to use a phone box & it was really expensive! Obviously we phone/text in between if there is something important to impart.

I was very independent as a young adult so I just assume mine are much the same. I phone them weekly & text now and then but can’t imagine phoning daily which some friends do with their offspring

@blinkbonny ds1 is going to NZ on a working/travel holiday, using a company. They help them sort out working visas, flights, collect them from the airport, provide them with accommodation, they get a weeks organised holiday first. Then they get help to find work. Ds is hoping to work a few months, then travel a month, then work again for the whole year.

Eek, only 12 posts left - we need @CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee

@icanbewhatiwant there is a section on the UCAS form (which we filled in 2 days ago which is why I can remember) asking how you would be funded. I expect that is where they got the self-funding flag. If you have access to his UCAS, you could look at the "Finance and Funding" section. It should say "SLC,SAAS,NIBd,EU,Chl,IoM".

Looks like DS's application has already been submitted to UCAS by school, so it all begins again......

Oops sorry been awol. I have been so busy!

On it like a car bonnet

Here we are

Boo! New Thread!

@Monkey2001 Gosh that has come around quickly! Where has he applied?

@Decorhate Sheffield, Leicester, UEA and Newcastle. He will get 4 interviews as his UCAT was very good, just have to hope that his interview skills have improved, but his NHS job will help.

@CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee sorry you had more important things than this thread to think about! How is DD doing in Cardiff?

Currently at home @Monkey2001 but all going OK so far. Thinks one girl is a bit cliquey in her flat and two music freshers peed her off by scoffing at her results and lack of instruments. She has auditioned for the uni run Jazz ensemble and a pop one.
This is the first week of teaching really. In hindsight we should have moved her in on the weekend so she DIDNT have ten days of freshers.

She really loves Cardiff. Even on her own she goes off exploring etc. Has been to a few flat parties/clubs.

Oh and she has been signed up as a secondary school teaching assistant on Fridays through an agency (I think one to one in a mainstream school). Not sure she'll get placed or not...good luck to her. I'm not interfering on this one...

Wow @CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee for someone who wasn't at all keen on going to Cardiff she's really got stuck in!

@CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee of only one flatmate is cliquey, hopefully that means the others are OK - phew! So many people saying that Freshers has morphed into something lots of them just don't want. Back in my day FAFFY (Find a Friendly First Year) was the first 4 days, which was probably better.

@Monkey2001 "Find" lol

@ZittiEBuoni Hope it's been a lovely 19th birthday

@Alsoplayspiccolo, spill of you want to Piccolo. We have do many SN dc on this thread, (including mine don't forget, whilst he seems ok now he's bought me to my knees before, so I do, do sympathy!).

@EwwSprouts OK, there may have been some different interpretations!