Thread 45 GCSE Covid Cohort - Bunnies bouncing into Spring

[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

Less drama is how mine describes life with both Crazy :)

@ealingwestmum DS is a little outnumbered on the MFL part of his degree. He doesn't seem to have any complaints 😂 His A level class was 50:50 so I don't think it's something he'd considered before going to uni.

@crazycrofter She could make a good sale on one of the North face FB pages e.g 'North Face and Patagonia Resale'.

Just thought i'd update on DS - So he's finally seen the GP re: black spot under his foot. GP didn't think it was anything but booked him in for another appointment to check for any changess.

There was someone else who was waiting some diagnostic test result? can't remember who but hoping the results were good.

DD reports a fabulous night was had by all in the Toon.

I think It's about 50:50 for Classics as a department but there are more boys than girls in DDs college which kinda 'bucks the trend' in languages and English Lit?

Ah, that’s good to hear Mummyinbeds, though I also remember from my working in East Mids the 90’s Nottingham in general, had a 80/20ish mix of girls to boys ratio!

Good to hear all good Shimy.

A good night’s report from your DD was never in doubt Proggy, glad all went well for the boy from the saff

Clearly my word for Friday is good 😱

Ds has had a frustrating morning. His band assessment which was originally supposed to be in January but a group member was ill had been rescheduled to the day it snowed and they had to close the campus. So it was supposed to be today but has been cancelled again due to assessor illness. So now it will be after Easter. It's 25% of the module with an assessment for the remaining 75% in May which he also has to prepare for.

It can't be helped but he just wants it done.

Thanks @ealingwestmum .

@Comefromaway Your poor DS! that would be doing my head in all those cancellations. Let's pray all goes ahead after Easter and he can be done with it.

Glad the doctor wasn't too alarmed @shimy and hopefully it will be nothing.

That's very annoying @Comefromaway hope he can get it done before the summer!

To be honest i'm still uncomfortable about it as he booked DS another follow up to see if its changing shape.

Ive been trying to catch up. Not been on here recently. Ds2 has messaged to say he might come home over Easter, but doesn't know when. Last lecture before Easter is on 29th. He also said he doesn't have any exams after Easter but will have 2 end of year essays to be handed in by 8th May. That will be the end of year 1. Though accommodation will be paid for until 17th June. So not sure how long he will stay. His full time summer job will start around 1st July. I suggested a holiday with mates.

I'm not sure what will happen money wise year 2. His rent will be similar to year 1. Then he's had about £20 week for food etc. I've offered more but he says it's enough, next year he will have bills too, plus will need to train into uni. so he's going to need more money. I'll worry about it nearer the time.

@Comefromaway Argh!
@Shimy At least he's seen the doc, which is good.
@ProggyMat When is a night out on the Toon ever less than fabulous?

DD, DS, and DW now all converging on the in-laws' place in the Midlands. I have a weekend to clean and tidy the house, and maybe to catch up with my own studies (reports are all written for the term!)

If you have a spare 10 minutes and are on a PC rather than a phone, here's something which DD put together Just Because, featuring two characters from her stories.
https://christophimer.itch.io/two-wizards-on-a-worm-quest

@icanbewhatiwant Phew! year 1 is coming to an end very swiftly for your DS. Sounds like he has it all planned out. Perhaps he's planning on getting a job come September to supplement?

@Photodad Of course, I'm delighted he's finally seen the doc, was just hoping, they would look at it and say, 'nothing to see here'. DS had had a complex medical history plus other ongoing issues so this new 'spot' is just adding more anxiety into the mix.

@Shimy ds will work July, August and 3 weeks of sept full time, the same as last summer. Ds1 also did the same job each summer. He should earn about £10 hour. So that helps with spending money.
Glad your Ds has seen a gp. It was mine who was waiting for his hospital app. He's had a scan for a lump under his nipple. As dh's dd had breast cancer in her early 30's I wanted Ds to get it checked out. They decided it was nothing to worry about. It is caused by too much oestrogen. No idea why he's producing oestrogen, perhaps he could throw some my way! It's common in younger teens. Not so for 19 year olds.

I feel like I might be short changing DD with some of these figures on here- she gets a loan that's more or less equal to her accommodation, and we give £250 a month. She didn't work up until Christmas, but now works 1 or 2 shifts on a weekend in a big local late opening bar. In general her social life was much quieter on a weekend anyway, so not missing much.

She is rather distraught at the minute as her new BF of 3 months has said he needs some time and space. She's more upset over this than her relationship of 3 years ending in December (this boy cushioned the blow!) and is currently being inventive with ways to kill off his sim (the pc game).

@icanbewhatiwantIs your DS going to be living at home for yr 2 as you mention getting a train in? He sounds like a very hard working young man.

Very glad to hear the lump was a false alarm.

@PhotoDad I read that back and it sounded a bit angry which I'm not at all. I meant, 'Of course!.

@Shimy no train from his student rental in Brighton to the university at falmer. It's 3 stops but too far to walk. I think there must be a bus. But he's never mentioned buses.

Long time no post but i do have a read on the ipad (can't post on there for some reason) but having a quick couple of minutes to wave and say hi from the pc.

@Shimy Mmmm I feel like you do and would rather a Dr said all fine once and for all but great they are booking to see him for a follow up.

@PhotoDad clicked on the link and could see the dialog between the two characters and hear the music but couldn't click on the pic to see worms - is that what we were meant to do? Says there were 25 worms to find by clicking but it didn't work for me.

Filled in paperwork for DD finance and today got the letter in the post to say what we will be getting so yay! Haven't sorted out a student account yet as two we went into (Natwest and HSBC) said their special offers had expired or they weren't offering them now. Are we too early and should we wait to open an account nearer the time? Kinda wanted to get it sorted and in place but also don't want to miss out on £100 that HSBC were offering last year and that apparently expired Dec 2022. Wondering if they may offer it again in a few weeks. Any ideas?

Hi @AnneOfCleavage, I think that student bank account offers open nearer the time! For some reason, DD couldn't manage to open one with Barclays and has kept her normal current account. (With her little game, you need a keyboard, the WASD keys will move the characters around their garden looking for worms.)

Hi @AnneOfCleavage good to hear from you again. DS went with Nationwide as they had £200 incentive even though he already banked with them. It was later though, he has both accounts now and gets his loan paid into one and PIP into the other. We got info from Martin Lewis website so probably worth a look on there.

Hee hee tried again @PhotoDad and the WASD keys worked. It didn't say to use them so glad you told me. Only found 4 worms though haha.
Cool re the student account. Thanks @EasilyDirected and @PhotoDad We'll hold fire then and await better deals in the summer.

DD is feeling pretty social battery drained at the moment having seen quite a few friends recently and being busy with her many jobs. She's worried Uni will be similarly draining and that her new found friends will think her boring if she chooses to have a night in by herself once in a while. Being an only child she is used to a less hectic lifestyle and the noise factor being low in our home. At school she kept up the fun loving personna knowing she could chill at home later but she's worried at Uni you don't have that luxury for the most part. I would call her an extroverted introvert. I am similar so totally understand where she is coming from but not sure what to suggest having not gone to Uni myself.

You get all sorts at uni, I did worry a bit about this for DS, being autistic he gets peopled out and has to pace himself not to burn out. He says there's a real mix at his, some party animals, some that never go out and literally just study, and plenty in between like him. He goes out about 3 nights a week and sometimes just hangs out in halls watching a movie and getting pizza in with others. Also sometimes just has a couple of drinks in the SU and heads back to his room.

@icanbewhatiwant I'm a little surprised student rentals are that far from the university, especially in Brighton. DS's new abode for September will be a 40mins bus ride from campus and that sounds terribly far to me but he seems to be taking it in his stride.

@EasilyDirected I think your DS has got his social life very well balanced - A few night outings/nights in/banter in the SU that's more than enough i'd say. He says like a great chap. DS2 is similar and doesn't get all the constant drinking and vomitting.

@AnneOfCleavage love the extroverted introvert description: I relate. But I loved Uni & just did my own thing. Enjoyed partying & sometimes just chilled with a book. DD is far more extroverted than me but loves to curl up with a book or crochet watching Netflix. She’s found her tribe in Uni & loving it.

Loving having DD home now. She was gone 7 weeks. I missed hearing her just burst into song.

DS will be back next weekend & once he’s home the peace will definitely be gone - the house will be full of music nearly 24/7 between the 2 of them (slight exaggeration). I’m looking forward to it. It’s been too quiet.

DD doesn't "go out" (at all) and never has done, which is just her style and is linked to social anxiety. She would (and does) go to a pre-planned meal, but never just for a drink, or clubbing. BUT she has found her tribe, and her little circle of friends spend nearly all their free time together, hanging out in each other's rooms chatting and watching TV/films, or going for weekend walks, or visiting museums/galleries/parks, or doing arts/crafts together (they are all doing assorted design courses). So the "party animal" isn't the only type of uni student by a very long way!