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

@ZandathePanda That is such joyous news. Really happy for you & family.

Back from a week in Europe for a family wedding. It was lovely to spend proper time with DS, away from any stresses, just having fun. Hearing hime laugh and argue with DD was bliss. I can tell he's back home now - we've gone through 8 pints of milk in two days 🤷

We've just sat and reflected on the last year/few years. He's in a much better place, can recognise when he needs to escape from social situations and is learning to manage his mental health. He wishes he could repeat year one but at the same time wants to move on. Three essays and three exams to go and I really hope his first year marks don't count 😱

That's wonderful news, Zanda!

@zanda 💕💕💕💕

Finally managed some catching up. Great news @ZandathePanda
Love the squirrel photos @PhotoDad @EasilyDirected I've never seen a red squirrel but we do have some cool black ones round here.
I'm a bit stressed reading 2nd year housing news. DS has nothing sorted. He was ill when everyone got together back in November and has stuck his head in the sand ever since. He has a promise of a place if one of the housemates drops out but said housemate can't make her mind up. He says he'll go into self catered halls as a last resort but Nottingham accommodation opens for freshers next week so he needs to get on with it. He can only afford the cheapest available 🤦

That's lovely news @ZandathePanda !

Great news @ZandathePanda !

Great news @ZandathePanda 😊

Thank you everyone again. It’s so nice to bring good news! Now to bring me down to earth we are still awake listening to rustling as the (hopefully house mouse) the cat must have brought in earlier has evaded me so far! I knew something was up when he did a congratulatory howl as he returned earlier. Joys of countryside living.

@ZandathePanda lovely news on DD, not so much on cat gifts!

@mummyinbeds I think the cheap accom is generally undersubscribed. Broadgate Park seemed to have rooms empty throughout the year. A 44 week contract in a standard room is under £6k pa, which seems pretty good compared with other places and cheaper than private rentals as it includes all bills. Returning students can book direct https://www.uppbroadgatepark.com/returning-students/

What a fantastic update @ZandathePanda so pleased for you all.
Yet again I wrote an update the other day and lost it! The problem is sometimes I don't complete it and post, rather leave it to finish and then go away and when I come back it's timed out. Would help if I didn't post such long posts ;-)

Love the photos and all the holiday news. Been very relaxed here. DD been working (swimming coaching) and feeling exhausted - next 2 weeks are work free so time to revise for 4 exams in June.

Hope all ok with everyone, Easter was quiet but really enjoyed having DD bf for lunch (he is here a lot but I made it more special).

I haven't got as much done as I wanted (no surprise there, only a few days left before returning to work so really want to sort out our bedroom before Monday)...

I'm catching up on work now dd has headed back to uni today

We have tested the Emergency Prescription System... DD left her meds behind at uni. 10 minutes in a Boots and she walked out with the right stuff (they called her normal pharmacy to double-check), so it's a relief that it works!

Back watching red squirrels today. DD got some cracking shots but you might all be squirrelled out.

I’m not squirrelled out @PhotoDad !

I loved yours and @EasilyDirected ‘snaps’ and would enjoy seeing more from mini Photo

Wonderful update @ZandathePanda ❤️

DD is in Croatia with Uni friends and next week will go straight back to Oxford and collections.
Apparently, revision is to be done whilst there…

Soo, it’s just me, Ddog and the copious amounts of cardboard boxes- that will start winging their way to college from Monday- left at home.

Oh, go on then, just for you,@ProggyMat!

Fabulous @PhotoDad !
The main photograph is stunning so much fine detail- especially the claws.
I also like the one of the squirrel drinking and the movement of the water as it does so.
Beautiful photographs mini Photo

My word great photos.

Wow!

Fabulous photos @PhotoDad . I don’t take many wildlife ones as the phone isn’t great for it but I am a keen landscape photographer and take them wherever I go, I also love close-ups of random things like these ladybirds this afternoon. On three days away last week I took 300 photos, most of which will be deleted but I am a bit of a perfectionist so I usually take several at a time with slight adjustments then choose the best ones to keep.

Lovely to hear your update @ZandathePanda ❤️

Thanks on behalf of DD! Yes, wildlife pics are the one type of photography where phones will never really catch up with dedicated cameras purely because of the physics. The quality of photo you get depends on the lowest out of; camera quality, skill of photographer, patience, and weather.

DD and I have spent many, many, hours tramping over countryside with cameras, or sitting in hides, so it is always really special to revisit that. She does have decent kit thanks to lots of prize-money from competitions, but I've borrowed it from time to time, and you certainly need the skill as well (both reaction time, and knowing which settings will give you the shot you want).

Also, as @EasilyDirected hints, remember that every single nice wildlife pic you see on the internet or in a magazine is selected from 1000s of shots of empty branches or blurry creatures!

I hadn't noticed until now, but in the main pic of my previous post, you can see some little vertical lines. Those are how far raindrops fall in 1/400 s.

I want to join the 🐿️ photo fan club too - really excellent!

Do you and DD ever go the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition @PhotoDad ? A scaled down version tours the country following its annual residency at the Natural History Museum. I used to go every year with a friend when we both lived near London, stopped when we both moved away, but I went back this year after a break of 20 years or so and it is breathtaking.

@EasilyDirected Unfortunately it's never been near where we are, but we usually get the coffee-table book!! DD was shortlisted for various junior sections three times (top 5-10% of entries) but never made the finalists (top 5-10% of the shortlist).

That’s a shame but impressive that DD has done so well with it. I did buy one or two of the coffee table books in the dim and distant past but no longer have them.

Amazing photos! I love red squirrels!

Dd is doing her first long solo drive today 😬 - about an hour and a quarter to Gloucester, but no motorways. I still can’t get my head around the fact she’s passed, but she’s picked ds up from the station a few times, which is about 40 min round trip and survived!