Thread 43 - GCSE Covid Cohort ..November 22 Remember Remember

[OrangeCinnamonLatte]

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

@mummyinbeds sorry to hear your DS is having a rough time too. It's so hard helping out from a distance.

Good luck to your DD 🤞

@Seeline is your dd involved in the dance society?
My dd has no common interests with anyone on her course but is really involved with all the different elements of the dance society. That's where her friendships have formed.

@NCTDN yes - two different dance groups and another hobby society, but she says most people are 2/3rd years already in groups. She only sees her actual course mates for one lecture a week.

@Seeline DD found her job on Indeed. She has been successful in gaining 4 offers out of 5 for next year- York, Surrey, Reading and Lincoln. Only Uni of Sheffield declined to offer. She had lovely comments from Lincoln complimenting her on her great references and personal statement but I think her heart is in York.
She is a bit lonely @Seeline but knows it’s temporary. I would rather she be here, gaining experience and earning decent money than miserable in the wrong place for her. I hope she can find some direction.

@Benjispruce4 thanks for responding. Your DD has done so well, I really hope that things work out for her.
Did she have to do a whole new personal statement for her application?

No she tweeked it. She waited until she had her job offer so that she could incorporate her gap year plans. She contacted her Head of Year who was also her Sociology teacher and asked him to update her reference and he did a lovely job. I’m really impressed with how she went about it and I didn’t need to get involved. It felt awful when she withdrew from NTU and she felt like a failure but is feeling like she did the right thing now. I think you can only support. Ultimately it’s their life.

I have no suggestive comments, nor advice, Mummy and Seeline. But sympathy and well wishes.

@Oblomov22 I was very close to contacting you this week to ask if your DS could hammer on DS's door. I've become that parent who panics when her child doesn't respond for half a day (although I haven't admitted that on WIWIKAU)

Mummy, please do. I will ask ds.

@mummyinbeds if it's any consolation I too have become one of those Mums. I've started dreading getting messages, and in equal measure dreading not getting them too.

Mummy. I have text ds. I have asked him to do it, for me.

If that boy has an ounce of fucking decency, he will do it for me.

@Seeline it sounds like loneliness is more of an issue than course for your DD. Maybe she could look at a creative language course at a more collegiate university like York, Durham, Lancaster. I don't know who does advertising, the traditional universities do more marketing. I hope she finds something to inspire her.

Thanks @Oblomov22 it's reassuring to know I can sort of contact someone round the corner of the corridor in an emergency. He's coming home for the weekend so your DS can stand down for a few days xx Crikey, you've made me a bit tearful

@Seeline it's strange suddenly being one of those mums. Until recently, DS breezed through life. Top of the class, great at sport and on any team going, won his middle school leadership award, always popular, especially with his friends mums 😂, never a spot of bother. He's a shell of his former self just when life should be exciting and full of opportunity. I'm just grateful he's making it through each day at the moment 😢 I really hope your DD and all our struggling kids can find their way.

@Seeline
If interior design does become something that she wants to pursue, @MondaysChild7 has a DD studying that fyi.

I really hope you can work it out together, whether that means new strategies for UEA or a reset and new course for 2023.

Same for mummyinbeds. I don't like it when DS doesn't reply for ages either.

I’m so sorry @mummyinbeds and @Seeline . It’s so horrible when it is like this 🌷 DS has started counselling, I think it might be helping a little but early days. Next year isn’t a conversation that has been had as yet.

@Monkey2001 , the electric scooters in Bristol, are there many accidents? It was a touch challenging at times driving yesterday..

@Volterra I have had the odd "moment" with a scooter, but the accidents don't make headlines, so I assume are not generally worse than other road accidents. You see a lot of people using them illegally - more than 1 person, or people clearly too young to have even a provisional licence. They don't work between midnight and early morning to avoid too much drunken use. My DSs make lots of negative comments about them, but DS2 uses them to scoot to work as he is hopeless at being on time and it means he doesn't arrive at work sweaty from a very brisk walk.

@Monkey2001 i can see they are handy, good to know there don’t seem to be too many accidents. I saw 2 who seemed to be very casual about the rest of the traffic in quick succession yesterday and it was a touch unnerving for a moment or two.

@Monkey2001 the scooters in Nottingham must work after midnight - DS let slip that they are much more fun than a taxi after a night out clubbing 🤦

Same mummy. Ds1 let that slip to Dh last week, after nightclubbing merry on the way home. You know me, very relaxed about anything dangerous, but that made me wince.

Sorry to hear about those struggling. @mummyinbeds dd can also go and knock if you need her to.

Thank you @crazycrofter I hope your DD isn't in the room directly below DS or his all night gaming and crashing around his room is going to keep her awake too.

I donhqv

I haven't really gone crazy but do have a broken phone screen. I waz trying to say I have good news. DD passed her driving test 😄