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

But no long break at Christmas for DD. Semester 1 is September 18(Freshers before this) and Christmas 18/12 to 5/1. Semester 2 is from early Feb.

Those dates are similar to DS1's with semester 2 starting from 30/1. DS2 breaks up on the 9/12 so he has a long Xmas.

How's everyone's weekend? DD is dropping out of touch a little, and we're thinking that this is a Good Sign as when we do talk, she's really happy. Apart from locking herself out of the house once, she seems to have settled into a nice routine of time alone, in class, and with her friends.

I've been cooking the roast, and finally tackling my own studies. (My school wants every teacher to do CPD annually, so I am very slowly doing another degree, which saves me from going on courses.)

Sounds like no news is good news @PhotoDad . Scrabble after a long dog walk and Sunday lunch with DD.

Ds2 had FaceTime'd with ds1. Turns out he's got a girlfriend, who he met at church week 1, and lives in his same accommodation block. I'm most indignant I've only just found out.

Hive mind help please.

DS is now looking for accommodation and it is different in Birmingham from Lincoln where it was bills included so easy to set a budget and know how much to expect to pay. This is making me a bit jittery what with the cost of energy going up and up!

When students pay bills separately , how do they tend to pay, and how much do we need to factor in?

And for Birmingham people, how much weekly/monthly rent would be normal?

In Lincoln DS pays £95 pw , bills included!

@Piggywaspushed I have suggested ds2 tries to get bills included. There seems to be a choice on the rental pages. Some people on WIWIKAU page say there is a limit on electricity etc with bills included plus it costs more so some don't recommend. But to me it's one less worry. Ds1 didn't have bills included. His rent was £110 weekly then one of the group opened a bank account for bills only. So they all put money into it weekly for bills. Sussex prices seem to vary from £130 to over £200 weekly.

I think part of DS's trouble will be his chosen housemates. One is an overseas student and the other tow went to a reasonably well known boarding school. They don't seem too fussed about budget! The rest of them all currently live in the eye wateringly expensive accommodation at the uni. DS lives in one of the cheapest...

@Piggywaspushed
ds answers from California - usually houses are priced by the week, £100 to £120 is average and lowest he has ever heard of is £80. It is 50/50 whether bills are included or not. He should share with the rich kids and just take the smaller cheaper room for a lower price - worth it to have a smaller bedroom to live in a nicer house

he thought £10 Pw was about right for bills, but remember he isn’t there at the moment so doesn’t know what the Ukraine/energy stuff has done to that figure.

£10pw per person that is. He was in a 7 bed house.

Yes, DS1 had smaller rooms in houses . They don't always charge less though. He also got stung for everyone else's' profligate use of heating and water...!

@Piggywaspushed dd is the same None of the others seem massively bothered about budget really. She can't find any with bills included with reputable agents. I'm impressed with the research they're doing though.

DD house is £100 plus bills or £120 inclusive. They’ve gone for inclusive. They room sizes are all much of a muchness, so they’re drawing straws.

The 2nd years in there at the moment are people she knows from hockey, so she can see how the house will ‘work’, if you see what I mean.

DD is ‘at spoons trying to sort housing with some girls’. What could possibly go wrong?

Ok sorry to go back to the money questions but here we go.
This year dd is catered so I've pretty much ignored all the convos about cost of food. But scarily looking at next year already, and she needs to be thinking about total budget when looking at rents. What's a realistic amount per week for food?

@NCTDN DD1 was catered first year too. 2nd year we have her £100 per month for food. She said it was easily enough and I’m sure some was spent on vodka. However she is veggie so cheaper.

Ds spends about £25 per week on food. But he has a restricted diet. He pretty much lives on frozen fish, potato wedges & peas, spaghetti bolognese & super noodles

Dd ate much healthier and tended to spend about £35 per week. She bought more food out (Tesco meal deals) but that was because she was out of the hose much longer hours and would often go straight from Uni to her evening job.

Dd is viewing a couple of houses on Tuesday which are both less than £100 but exclusive of bills. She raised the issue of cost with her housemates and they’re willing to look at cheaper end houses as long as they’re in Lenton. I’ve also been wondering what to budget for bills. If we’re expecting ‘average household’ bills to be £3000 plus next year, do we just need to divide that by 4 (assuming the average household had 4 members)? But then students won’t necessarily be there all year round?

Don't forget water too!

Oh yes and internet?

That average figure would give £14.42pppw, as per crofter and piggy’s comments that would be energy only, not water or broadband. Average household is going to be based on a family, not four adults, so that will bump it up for students (probably more showers, usage further into the night etc).

Meanwhile WIWIKAU had a thread where £30pppw for all bills was deemed a bit steep. For bill packages it looks like £20-25 is the norm).

Off the top of my head if I were advising DD (and I may be shortly) I’d say you need to make at least a £25pppw saving on rent for a no-bills house to compete with an otherwise similar bills-included house.

Plus for no-bills you’d need reasonable assurance your housemates weren’t maniacs (or just addicted to long hot baths). And check on what kind of heating there is, see as far as possible what insulation is like, etc.

Realised off the back of this that will low contact hours DD will need to 1. Share with similar; 2. Put up with being cold in the day (the library is warm, hint hint); 3. Prepare for being blamed for high bills 😬

So DS came back from Indonesia this weekend - so lovely to see him. But shocking news of the earthquake in Java today- exactly where he was about 10 days ago. He was in the very towns where so many have died (56 dead and 700 injured is the current toll). What a tragedy.

Delphigirl, , his timing is so lucky, but he will feel the in and outs of survival syndrome having been there first hand and know the devastation on such a culturally friendly nation. So sad.

Not a great help here NCTDN on weekly food living costs as I think DD living in Eurozone is not kind to the wallet. We give her £250 per month which includes contribution to club fees, socialising etc. The cheapest bottle of wine costs circa 8 - 10 EUR as Ireland are trying to inhibit excessive drinking within their student/young population. Not sure how successful they are though!

Piggy, DD has signed up to a 7 bed house in Shelly Oak for £480 a calendar month, rent only.
She wouldn’t be told that there was no rush and I don’t actually think the house is particularly nice and the agents don’t seem to have a great reputation, but it seems to be average price.