Thread 47- Covid GCSE Cohort - Summer's running away from us!

[OrangeCinnamonLatte]

...it will be Christmas before we know it.

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). 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 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/parents_of_adult_children/4792342-thread-46-gcse-covid-cohort-searching-for-summer-solstice

I read an interesting survey on Twitter which found that those most likely to think 'too many' young people go to university are 'established liberals'. This is David Cameron/ Nick Clegg era, Blue Wall dwellers who listen to R4 and read The Times. Red Wall voters, interestingly, weren't nearly so inclined to think this. The former sounds very much like MN demographic, and probably does rather explain the way HE threads go, and also why Tory MPs think their event uni pronouncements appeal to hesitant core voters.

Apparently, I'm a 'progressive activist' so that explains a lot.....

twitter.com/LukeTryl/status/1680860391994191873

Honestly @mummyinbeds what a tosser. DH did quite right to give him a wide berth.

I think it was that engineering expert poster who argued incessantly against Plymouth on one of my threads once! No idea what she’s got against it, but she couldn’t conceive of any reason why anyone should ever want to go there.. Isn’t that where your ds is going @Delphigirl ?

On the subject of too many going to uni etc, and whether you need to, I noticed that GCHQ are advertising data analyst jobs at £32k and the only requirement is Maths and English GCSE! I checked with my brother who did their grad scheme 20 years ago and he said it’s the same role he had, and they’re making an effort to widen their net and get different talent. So they’ll still be taking grads, alongside 18 and possibly 16 year olds?!

Oh was that her crazy?? Yes she was adamant that there was no possible reason for anyone choose Plymouth over Southampton. Even though I said “uh… my DS did, here are the reasons” 🤣🤣🤣

Thanks for the new thread @OrangeCinnamonLatte and the list @Oblomov23. I haven't been over here for a while - sorry to hear about illnesses and bumpy rides for DC.

DD is doing a combined degree and has her Anthropology marks back, but none for Geography as yet. She hasn't checked the portal though to see what the deal is with progression if those exams don't get marked. In the mean time she has her old job back in the local pub which is good as her coffers were bare. She is a bit sad that her uni friends couldn't come to a recent mini party at ours, but all bar one are 3+ hours away and had work or other commitments. Her home friends all came though. The uni lot are all off on holiday together in Sept before they go back, so that will come round fast especially as we are away on a family holiday for a couple of weeks in August.

In other news DS - who those of you who were on the UEA thread may remember me talking about over there - has just finished his year as a trainee teacher of PE and has passed his PGCE with QTS. His school offered him a permanent job a while back so he is very pleased.

I can’t keep up! @mummyinbeds I remember the Plymouth v Southampton discussion too. As a 2:2er from a poly I was rolling my eyes a LOT.

Yes to all the above re regular HE posters.

Congrats to DS @GoldenRuby

I went to Plymouth poly. Got a 2:1, but obviously not worth the paper it's written on 😉 It's a great city - I had a fab time.

We'll done to your DS @GoldenRuby

DS is our eldest so I don't know, but I'm sort of expecting that their first proper job is the moment when I feel I can tick "raise the kids" off my to do list.

(Would not be surprised if those with older DC are having a wry smile at that tho..)

I don't think my parents really ticked that one off till I got married and bought a house with DH. Which was 10+ years after getting my first graduate job. They have said that too, its not that I went back home to live but they were still supporting me in various ways especially when I bought my first house (several years pre DH), going to estate agents and viewings with me, then helping with DIY and stuff.

Oh heavens ED I have a while to go yet then.

Looking forward to it perhaps more than usual today after DS phoned me at 3.45 this morning to say he'd lost his key in a nightclub and could I let him in. Then proceeded to lie on the sofa (in the room below me) hiccuping so loudly that I couldn't get back to sleep. He is a charming drunk but I did have a bit of a sense of humour failure at that point.

@GoldenRuby Congratulations to DS. He must have made a great impression.

DS has marks for only1 of 5 modules. Given the third years haven't had all their modules yet I think first years will just be waved through. But there is no email telling him the process yet.

@EwwSprouts thanks. I hope you are right about being waved through. I know there are lots of unis/students in the same boat but a bit more clarity would be good.

Congrats to @GoldenRuby DS!

@GoldenRuby congratulations on the first PJ (Proper Job) for your DS. He can start taking you out for meals soon!

@Monkey2001 we can only hope! He will still be living at home for the next year as he can't afford to get a house share yet, but we will start charging a nominal rent (and saving it for him, not that we are telling him that). He should still be able to shout us the odd drink or meal from time to time while trying to build up funds to move out.

Well done to your ds @GoldenRuby , that’s definitely a major milestone reached!

I don’t think my parents ticked the ‘raise the kids’ box until all (5!) of us were living in our own homes, not renting, as well as having ‘proper’ jobs. I reckon thar was probably at least 37 years after bringing me (baby no 1) home…. 🤣

37! crazy that would mean I am only just over half way!

Update on the lost door key, he just found it in the pocket of another pair of trousers 🤦‍♀️

That's an interesting one! My parents considered that their job was done as soon as I left for uni. I did visit them for part of each holiday, but that was about it... and although I had help with my first house deposit, it was because a childless aunt had left an inheritance at a convenient time.

My DW was very different and I think that her parents are still "keeping an eye out." I suspect that we'll be involved in our DCs' lives for quite a long time.

My getting married coincided with my parents retiring so it was a big change for them in other ways. Our DCs came along fairly soon and they helped with childcare till they were both at school and then in the holidays. Then around the time when the DCs didn't need childcare any more DF had a stroke which was definitely when the shift to them needing us more than us needing them happened. They are still in pretty good health in their 80s though.

Blimey I’m out for a day and it’s all gone mad on here! 😄

@ealingwestmum im so glad they’ve found the cyst but it must have been so frightening for you. I hope all goes smoothly for you DD.

@GoldenRuby congratulations to your DS! 🎉

I’m now going to have to read the MFL v Stem thread aren’t I? I did read the law one (obvs) which got quite heated and actually terrified me. I sat there reading it thinking DS hasn’t got a chance. 🙁 And to make it worse he’s in catered halls and has a door stop AND a mattress topper…

Mine too!!

I helped DS with all his uni admin and didn't leave him to do it by himself 😳

Hello, my name's Piggy, and I too assisted my child. Thank you for welcoming me to the group.

I've missed the mfl thread.