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

oh that's utterly grim @EasilyDirected , agree with Piggy that it's a sad state of affairs when people will do something like that for entertainment. Arseholes.

Yes ED, disgusting behaviour and not representative of most of the people who support hunting. As a city girl, I can't approve of it, but most of my dad's family were country folk for whom hunting was part of their way of life, so they were Countryside Alliance members, but would have been as disgusted by that stunt as we are. May help the nicer students (who will be the majority) to bond over their reaction to it though

That’s awful @EasilyDirected . I hope the majority of students are in your ds’ camp and the students responsible are identified.

@EasilyDirected how horrid 😢I shouldn't think it'll be too difficult to catch who was involved as there is a car involved. I'm glad the police are taking it seriously.

So sorry to read the news about some of your dear ones and those close to our DC @Piggywaspushed @Delphigirl @Comefromaway @icanbewhatiwant @Monkey2001. My thoughts are with you all.

Your DN is so lucky to have such a lovely aunt in his life @OrangeCinnamonLatte looking out for his best interests.

Just a very quick "aaaargh!" about accommodation. DD's flatmates-to-be have dithered and so now it looks like they won't get the place they wanted. I'm starting to get a little anxious. They will probably end up getting neighbouring rooms in a larger HMO, which would be fine, so long as they get something soon!

Oh @PhotoDad how frustrating. In some ways it was easier when they were young and we could just organise everything for them.

Sorry to read about all the health issues going on. Best wishes to all of you and your families. Hope for negative results and or speedy positive treatments where needed.

Nothing to report from me tbh, I'm still feeling meh but trying to push myself to be more social again (as that does help). Also bought myself an air physio thing from Facebook (I knew it was a risk) but flippin eck it's really helped my lungs. I've had a chesty cough since Sept and 2 days after using it, it's gone. I can now carry on using it to strengthen my lungs so all good. It was £50 so quite the gamble but well worth it for someone like me who isn't likely to go running anytime soon..

DD seems to be ok, although not convinced she is looking after herself as she should. She isn't out clubbing too often but I don't think she is eating, sleeping or even exercising properly, as she wasn't when she was home. She is still playing hockey but that's only training and playing once a week. Seems happy enough though although doesn't seem to be loving uni life yet the way I thought she would. She didn't seem to want to go back at the start of term but is ok now she is there. Assume having a boyfriend here is a big part of that, but he is travelling to see her every other weekend when he can so that's something. He fits in well with her routine so he isn't stopping her doing anything. There is a lot more she could join in with at uni but she doesn't seem interested, is finding it hard enough to attend lectures, get the work done, resting and socialising.

Any summer plans been made yet by your DD/DS's? DD has booked a holiday with school friends abroad and said she wants to come with her boyfriend when we go to either Cornwall or North Wales which was a nice surprise.

See I've done my usual, don't post for ages (because of feeling Meh) then write a massive long post. Sorry about that.

I've never heard of air physio @Heifer but that sounds amazing. I think DS1 could benefit from that after having a persistent cough and chest infection but unless I'm there to stand over him I know he just won't use it. Looks very clever though and I'm glad it's helped you.

DS has booked himself a trip to Italy for his birthday and is planning a summer holiday with school friends but they haven't booked anything yet. I am feeling weirdly ambivalent about going on holiday this year, I think maybe money is on my mind and holidays are so bloody expensive now.

In case anyone is interested, I emailed Broadgate Park and they said you can park in a visitor space and get a free temporary permit!

What was that for @Monkey2001?

DD has been allocated a room in halls for when she restarts in September which is good news. She chose carefully so off campus (although immediately opposite) and smaller flat so hopefully it will suit her better. Having seen UEA financial woes on the news I'm just hoping it's still operating come September!
Still no job in sight. And DD was hit pretty hard by an event that hit the national press in a big way at the start of the week (her former headmistress 🙁), so accommodation has given her a boost.

That's tough for her Seeline. I imagine a lot of young people at the former school have been hit by that dreadful news.

Oh no @Seeline that must have been a huge shock for her.

@Seeline yes that was such a shock. Our neck of the woods too, but DD didn't attend any of the schools she taught at.

My DS was in Village Plus accommodation at UEA in his first year - in Willow block. He really liked it - his room was small but decent.

@GoldenRuby yes DD will be in the village - it all seems to be plus accommodation this year. She's looking forward to it which is good.

@Seeline if this is the news I think it is then what a horrible thing for her (and you) to hear about. Truly awful.

Glad she has her accommodation sorted.

That is sad @Seeline 😔

I think I may have said before... Dd has booked private halls in Cardiff. This was to take the pressure off finding people to share with and then realising they were horrors. She sent me a video of her halls kitchen which was trashed just after she cleaned it. The group that went out after trashing said kitchen then woke her up early hours of morning as forgotten keys etc 🙄

So Dd doesn't care who she shares with next (hoping for exchange /more mature students)but somehow feels safer with smaller private halls and is desperate for her own bathroom. Luckily in Cardiff there are plenty available really near the music block at reasonable cost.

She also has a job for Easter hols and Summer FT paying national living wage @Heifer think the hols might happen in September!

DS is going to visit his GF who lives in Broadgate Park, I asked for parking advice on here, but then discovered he can get free visitor parking.

@Seeline sorry to hear about your upsetting news, glad she is happy about accommodation. UEA is a bit of a funny one for accommodation. If DS goes there he wants cheaper, shared bathroom, accommodation, but the main place for that is Ziggurats, where the beds are too short for him and he wants a quiet place too. Might be asking for advice at some point.

@Seeline Very hard to process without even knowing the poor woman. Much tougher for a young lady who has looked up to her. Did you see the GDST chief exec saying any woman is only as safe as her partner lets her be? Heart rending but true I fear.

@Monkey2001 I can try and help with accommodation queries - at least I can ask DD 😉
@EwwSprouts The CEO is a great lady, and speaks for so many girls/young women. I think it took guts to say what she did. I too fear she is probably right, and it is a very scary thought.

ah I see @Monkey2001 I must have missed that or I could have helped out.

@omnishambles is the parking near Broadgate Park, say in Peveril Road, unrestricted? Coming from Bristol, which is full of residents' parking, although not near the big halls, I assume parking everywhere is difficult.

@Monkey2001 yes some roads in Beeston are unrestricted, also Tesco for a while (obviously). DS thinks that road is unrestricted.

Anyone else on here with a year 9? (apart from @Oblomov23) There is a year 9 thread going, it's not as nice as this one though. I hope it will be eventually. If anyone wants the link I can add.