Thread 42 Corona GCSE Cohort - 👻Creeping it Real for Oct22

[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 advice to be had.

previous thread

I think (hope!) insurance goes down a lot a year after you passed your test, whether you drove or not. Also goes down a lot when they are 21.

We've had a difficult couple of days. DD phoned late Monday night in a real state. Poorly again, scared and not knowing what to do. In the end we jumped in the car and drove. Got to her at about 3am and took her to A&E. They were lovely - it was so much nicer than our local south London one! They did blood tests etc and have given her different antibiotics. We got back to her halls at about 6.30am. Decided the best thing was to bring her home for a few days. so drove home again. I was absolutely exhausted yesterday having had no sleep at all on Monday night. We were/are supposed to be visiting her tomorrow for a few days, but not sure at the moment - she is still asleep. I did suggest taking her back on Sunday (reading week this week thank goodness) but she seemed keen to go back earlier, so I suppose that's a good thing. Just play it by ear and hope the meds work this time.

Fingers firmly crossed for you, @Seeline!

Oh dear @Seeline , I hope the antibiotics work this time. She’s had a really difficult start hasn’t she 😬

Thanks @PhotoDad and @crazycrofter . It really hasn't been the best. I'm so proud of how she has managed to keep going in spite of everything. Shopping, cooking, 2 assignments submitted. We did bring back a lot of washing though, but she had done her bedding!

@Seeline that sounds really stressful. Hope these antibiotics work.

Hope she feels better Seeline.

I'm sorry to hear about your DD @Seeline that must have been a very stressful visit to get her. Hopefully the new antibiotics will get her back on her feet, it sounds sensible to keep her at home until the weekend.

Awww, @Seeline - sounds tough! Glad you got to bundle her home for a bit and hope the ABs are effective!

Sounds like you made the right decision @Seeline to go. Hope you can catch up on some sleep and your DD starts to feel better soon.

Crossing everything these antibiotics work for her @Seeline. What a trooper your DD is to have done washing, assignments, cooking etc even though she's been poorly. Some nice parent TLC and R & R will be just what she needs this week, then when she's back at Uni you'll need some as it must be taking its toll on you too.

I'm assuming you can't build up no claims discounts on a car you are named on but love the fact it should be cheaper to insure after a year as I don't envisage DD needing her own car until after Uni, by which point she'll be 22.

Sorry to hear about your dd Seeline, hope the different antibiotics help.

After a couple of weeks cruising along, am now really struggling with the minefield that is second year accommodation. Having to make decisions about who they are going to share with after they have only known them for a few weeks seems crazy, but now the contract is signed and I am guarantor for her share.

How is everyone else coping?

@Seeline Your poor DD. I hope she makes a swift recovery now.

@Seeline sorry to hear about dd. I hope the antibiotics do the trick.

@AnneOfCleavage a friends Ds didn't drive again after passing his test at 17 until he bought a car recently aged 21. His insurance was about £400 so it does go down as they get older.

@whatsnext2 dd is very worried about second year accommodation. She has two close friends on her floor, but one of them has now signed up with course mates. Dd asked her closest coursemates but they might be sharing with current flatmates. Dd has lots of friends but doesn’t have one big friendship group to share with.

@whatsnext2 @crazycrofter I think the accommodation timing is bonkers. Given everywhere seems to have greater demand then supply why the frenzy now? No landlord is going to be left with empty houses but bunfight they must have when the students have barely got beyond 'hi, which is the best club?' DS seems to have flat mates to sign up with but no property in sight.

I was going to ask what peoples kids are doing about 2nd year accommodation. It seems crackers to think about choosing flatmates so early …

anyone know how difficult the housing situation is for second years in York (or how I’d find out???!)

@IsIsthisjustnormal I have just been looking at one of the student let agencies in York as was there yesterday - they don't even have next year's houses on the website yet.. apyork.com/search-for-student-properties/

I think the expectations vary from city to city. When I was at uni many moons ago I had to look for second-year accommodation around now. But DD's place has an Accommodation Fair in February...!

I asked an agent about a property in Brighton. It said £220.00pw. I knew that couldn't be the price shared (6 beds) but when Ds was was looking it would say pppw for per person so I wasn't sure. Anyway, that price was per person, per week. Almost £11.5k for 50 weeks, that is a ridiculous amount. Anyway, they sent me a link with al their properties on. They said the others would be coming onto the rental market over the next few weeks, they start advertising oct and nov. So now seems the time to look. Ds2 isn't interested in looking though.

Birmingham Guild are having an accommodation week this week - but their main message seems to be 'don't do it now'.

@handmademitlove they are all let according to that link.😯

But it says for 2022/23

@icanbewhatiwant when DS was told by Brighton that they had no accommodation and gave us links for private, it was similar rates !!!

@Benjispruce4 yes - that is for this year. Next year is not up yet, so I am assuming that they aren't thinking about it just yet...