Thread 44 GCSE Covid Cohort - Countdown to Christmas & New Year

[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

@OrangeCinnamonLatte So glad he has you to help him. Ours talked a bit about digital marketing and there are some cool apprenticeships here in the East Midlands, although often at a lower level, so sure that Surrey will be similar, but if home is fraught , he may prefer a Uni based course.
Still quite up and down here. She’s wanting to wean off the Sertraline, but knows that needs to be properly monitored and she’s not quite reregistered to our GP. I think it’s too soon, but hey ho. She is applying for jobs, and generally seems ok, but I can’t relax yet.

Has anyone got a D.C. doing a degree apprenticeship? DS has three years yet, but totally adamant he won't look at these. I think he's seen how happy DD is at uni and he wants that uni experience (quite funny as he's so different to her and hates the thought of parties!!).

It probably is if she has suggested it and not a professional, yes definitely get her to talk it over can be a nightmare if come off the wrong way.

My friend's DS is doing an engineering one. He is living in uni accommodation with his fellow students (I think there are about 15 of them from his company, it is a big one) and seems to be enjoying life. It is probably not exactly like being at uni full-time though. I think a lot depends where you live, if like us you are out in the sticks you would have to move away from home or have a long commute.

My DS (currently Y11) is interested in an engineering degree apprenticeship, especially if he can also live away/at uni. But he'll probably apply for that and also a normal degree? (He sat the Arkwright Scholarship exam yesterday, so fingers crossed for him.)

@NCTDN I will certainly be encouraging DS2 to look at degree apprenticeships when he gets to 6th form. He needs to figure out what he actually enjoys doing first.

If they live at uni that sounds quite good?

DSs friend is doing a degree apprenticeship with SHU. Most of it is home based but he is in Sheffield now. They put them up in a hotel!

Yes it does rather, I guess the employer must be paying enough for student to afford the halls cost.

@NCTDN my year 12 ds is the opposite! Can't understand why anyone would spend all that money to go clubbing and learn stuff you could learn elsewhere for free 😂despite dd loving it. He's not a conformist though, so he was never going to do what everyone else does. He fully intends to move out ASAP and live with friends, so it's not that he's a homebird - far from it!

There are loads of degree apprenticeships out there - I get listings from 'Amazing Apprenticeshps' by email which have a lot, but there are loads that I've found by googling which aren't on that listing.

DS's friend is doing a degree apprenticeship. 4 days a week trainee accountant and one day a week at Newcastle Univ. Think the degree is maths/accountancy combo.

I'm a big big fan of apprenticeships. Generally. And particularly degree apprenticeships. But tbf I've only investigated Accountancy ones, so not able to advise much on other subjects.

I think degree apprenticeships are a great idea, no debt, work straightaway and a degree in the bag as well. The only thing I don't like about them is that you have to decide very quickly, that's what you really want to do. It's not like a normal degree where they can change your course. The degree content is also very specific to the employer more than a standard degree would, hope that makes sense. Just not sure whether future employers might be biased once the graduating apprentice leaves for greener pastures.

That’s true @shimy. But generally I would think no one is too worried about your degree - where from/what subject - once you’re in a career. At that point it’s more about work experience isn’t it?

That's very true @crazycrofter. I suggested it to DS2 when he was at the point of deciding next steps but he didn't like the universities awarding the degree for the company he was looking at so chose uni in the end.

I think it is the intensity of degree apprenticeships which makes them tougher than a straight degree. I had the best time at university, met friends for life, got new interests, developed as a person. I worked in most of my holidays, but if you are working whilst studying it must be a very different experience. Obviously we did not graduate with a load of debt, so it was different.

People say that sort of thing a lot about uni @Monkey2001 and it's all true. But I'm not sure you can only do those things at uni. I know plenty of people who didn't go or lived at home for uni and they made new friends, developed hobbies, interests etc during the same time/early 20s. If you join a decent sized cohort of apprentices in a big company you have peers to socialise with too.

DD’s 19 this weekend. She’s enjoyed working and earning . September is still a way off and she somehow is definitely going to uni and other times work is more appealing. Only time will tell but yes, the social aspect is a major player for her. She’s joined a sports team at home as wfh most of the time while friends are at uni is quite isolating. I think if she had the social life uni can offer, she wouldn’t go.

DD tells me that she has a meeting tonight with her planned housemates for next year to sort out house-hunting. Hopefully this will result in action, as when I look on Rightmove the list is now going down rather than up!

In the meantime her coursework is keeping her incredibly busy in various different media (including model-making). Some examples attached.

I like the variety of her work @PhotoDad. I'm useless, but all my family is very artistic. Eldest brother went to Plymouth then Cheltenham Art college. At my 50th last week, Dorset camping friend with same age dd as ds1(she invited ds1 to her dd's 4th birthday, 15 years ago and we've been friends / met twice year for Dorset camping and home visits ever since) , she's an artist, also does Bath wedding flowers for £1 million plus!! Flowers alone £1 million plus! Her dd is looking at Cardiff, and 2nd choice Falmouth.

Thanks, @Oblomov22! For obvious reasons I always like success stories about people who have succeeded in the arts. (£1 million???)
Falmouth has a great rep for the arts, but wasn't on DD's shortlist as it's a stretch too far from the North-East.

In other news, the house-share groups have finally been sorted (big friendship group split various ways) and viewings have been arranged! I will be very relieved once it's sorted. Going to be more expensive than this year's uni-owned shared-house, but not by that much.

Hi everyone, I’m so so sorry to have been silent for so long. Quite a lot has been going on.
First, DH has found an early stage prostate cancer, so we have been talking options and he is going to get it surgically removed. It is lucky it was found as his PSA was normal, and he has no symptoms, but they did an MRI for other reasons and there it was. Will have his op probably in April.
Second, since my mum has been in care for a while, and is very happy and clearly not ever going to be living independently again, we’ve been emptying her house for sale. Such a lot of stuff, including lots of nice but not fantastic antique furniture of the type that is seemingly impossible to get rid of these days. Anyway it is now totally empty and selling in a few days.
Third, work. Last week had TWO nights of working until 3am which frankly is not something that should be happening at my stage of life and career. So that needs a rebalance.
Fourth, DS is finally going on his delayed tall ship adventure and flies to the Caribbean on Sunday to join as crew. From there, Cartagena, Panama Canal, Falapagos, ending up in French Polynesia and leaves the boat in Tahiti in May. I am so delighted it is actually happening but lots of organisation required.
The good news is I have a natural pause in work so on Wednesday I booked a week in a fab hotel in Antigua where I will sit under a palm tree with my kindle and not talk to anyone beyond saying “another Cuba libre please”. Off 3hrs after DS on Sunday! I’m so excited I almost cry when I think about it.

@AnneOfCleavage big hug to you. @PhotoDad your DD is incredibly talented and I love to see the development of her work. @Oblomov22 yes, your DB is a twat!

I’ve just seen this @Delphigirl - what a worry for your DH. My DDad had the same operation and a very quick return to health - but these things take up a huge amount of brain space for everyone involved. Well done on the house clearing, and I so envy your boy on his tall ship and you in Antigua! You deserve the rest and reset.

@Delphigirl hoping everything works out for you and your family 💐
And really enjoy your holiday - so jealous!

Enjoy @Delphigirl. So jealous of the Antigua you describe.