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

He got his results back, btw, ranging form 78 (for an essay about sex...) to 62 for sodding group work. His group were conspicuous through absence and lack of effort. They all get the same mark.

He averaged 68 in the end so I think that bodes well. Still some group work in second year though!

Well done to your ds @Piggywaspushed ! The work experience sounds great, has he enjoyed it?

Dd's results ranged from 24 to 70! 😂

Lovely time of year to be in Iceland Monkey, hope you have effective black out blinds, I found the 24 hours of light surreal, and as for the outdoors beauty…And this is from a towny that doesn’t do the great outdoors!

I don’t talk much academically about DD in Ireland other than she’s thriving right now. I know every country’s Education system has its ups and downs, but I feel like she has dodged so many bullets being there, this year at least vs in UK. I hope his results get sorted fairly in the end Justhere, it never seems to end for them on the injustice front.

@Takeittotheboss I wonder if your DS is at the same EFL camp as mine? Mine's in Torquay and finding it a good experience. The idea was to build up money for second year uni but he seems to have just spent 1/4 of what he will earn on a holiday with the new girlfriend

@craggyrat / @esther will be thinking of you throughout your treatment journey. My sis and mum had the same over the last few years and both progressed through it fine, but it's a constant mental drain - thinking of you.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn we haven't heard from DS about his marks yet so don't know if anything's been affected by the marking boycott. Hope there is some clarity (and common sense) applied to it all soon.

@Monkey2001 love the pics, I do love a puffin. Iceland is on my bucket list!

@Piggywaspushed DS work experience sounds great, he's getting to actually do something and to learn that not all writing assignments are glamorous! Hope he enjoys it all

@crazycrofter ah I'm sorry about D's exam result, she'll have to join DS on the resits bench and we can keep fingers crossed together.

@AnneOfCleavage loving the sound of music tour 😁but not the cancelled flights, hope you get some money back.

@Piggywaspushed DS2 has dyspraxia, we don't let him near anything valuable! 😂 DS2s day sounds fantastic, what a great experience. Well done to him on those results too.

@ealingwestmum so glad to hear you DD is loving Ireland, things have not been brilliant here what with strikes and marking issues!

Oh, DS has an actual published article with a byline!!

@blinkbonny hope your DS isn't affected by the boycott, or anyone else, it is a tad stressful to be fair!

I also love a puffin, those photos are lovely @PhotoDad, DS2 just got back from his geography trip to north Devon yesterday and has been talking about Lundy, I asked him if he saw any puffins but disappointingly it was a no.

Fantastic!! 🙌

@Piggywaspushed Yay!!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn Not my photos this time, they're from @Monkey2001 DS!

On the Marking Boycott, I've just read on Edu-Twitter that Queen's Belfast has settled its pay dispute with the union, and has promptly been kicked out of the uni employers' association (UCEA) for breaking ranks!

Oh sorry, lovely photos @Monkey2001 DS! 😄

I'm glad Queen's has settled the dispute, I would like our children's education to get back to any kind of normality, it's been 3.5 years of disruption!

@blinkbonny Not the same one as we're further north, but seems to be enjoying it as opted to stay there today even though it was his day off! (Especially as he wasn't home until the day before he started, so feel like I haven't seen him since January)😥
@craggyrat /Esther, sorry to hear your news. Having been through it myself some years back, I can only advise selfishness (a difficulty in itself for us mothers) 😘

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. @Takeittotheboss yes v difficult to be selfless! DS seems to have reverted to clingy toddler a lot of the time!

Selfish, not selfless!!

@craggyrat wishing you the speediest of recoveries 💐

Nowt like a county show- enjoy the Great Yorkshire!!

Wow! How fantastic. Hope it opens some doors.

@craggyrat Sorry to hear your diagnosis. Fingers crossed treatment goes smoothly and the weeks fly by to a clear follow up.

Piggy Well done to ds2 and his end of year marks. He's done really well. The group work issue is something everyone can relate to.

@craggyrat I’m sorry you’ve had confirmation today. I think it’s still shocking even when you are expecting it somehow. Do keep us updated if you feel comfortable to.

@craggyrat Sorry realise that comes across as weird advice.
Wishing you all the best. Look after yourself.

Found you, I'd been wondering why I hadn't had a notification for ages 🤦

Can I join you on the resit bench @JustHereWithMyPopcorn and @crazycrofter Unfortunately, all DD's law papers were marked. He only failed one which given the year he had is quite a relief. He did well in French language but has no final mark for the other French module. He already has 50% of the marks for it so as long as there was no disaster, he should be okay. I've tried reading the marking rules and progression rules but it's as clear as mud.
He was also really upset by the examiners comments that he had made no effort to answer questions. 24 hours of hell 😭

@crazycrofter I'll message you with the support stuff when I'm on my laptop.

Well done on getting Taylor Swift tickets. I have instructions from DD who is in Ghana so can't get online to try next week. She's having a wonderful time and making me proud. Her fave kid out there was really ill when she got there (suspected malaria) and she managed to take him to a clinic and get him medication. She paid for it all and visited him every day. He's now well on the way to recovery 😁 She got to see some real life struggles - grandparents, 4 siblings and the 2 year old child of a 16 year old living in one room in a shanty town. And she's actually teaching a class of 11 year olds. English today - collective nouns. They all passed their test set by the Head at the end of the day so she must have done okay.
Her being away is a great distraction from the impending A level results.

<shuffles up the bench> welcome @mummyinbeds! Yes the progression info is rubbish, just leaving them all in limbo. How rude of that examiner!

What a wonderful experience for your DD, even seeing the difficulties it is such a great thing to do.

Your dd is having an amazing time @mummyinbeds - what an experience for her! She must be so mature and self-sufficient.

The progression information is less than clear.... but then dd still has to do the 5 exams she missed in Jan, so I guess it's all still to play for...

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn @crazycrofter @mummyinbeds
do keep a seat warm for me on the resit bench. Having failed 3/5 semester 1 exams, semester 2 results would have to be brilliant to avoid resits. Another week or so until we know but I suspect I’ll be joining you all.

<pats the bench> we’ll keep it warm just in case but hope it’s not needed @283nouveauxnoms

@Piggywaspushed DS has dyspraxia too, it was picked up when we put him in for autism diagnosis aged 7. He isn't particularly clumsy, is possibly helped by the fact that he is addicted to ball sports but it affects fine motor skills, the ability to use different limbs for different things simultaneously and organisation. He still can't do shoelaces, as mentioned the other day is struggling with gears in a car and can't swim breast stroke.

@Monkey2001 fantastic pictures. I went to Iceland on a group holiday in summer about 25 years ago, it was amazing and I want to go back. The endless daylight is confusing, I didn't have problems sleeping (I hate waking in pitch dark and refuse blackout curtains) but I remember sitting in outdoor pools chatting and realising it was 2am and broad daylight.

@craggyrat sending positive vibes, a friend has been through similar and just had a final discharge 5 years later, glad they have acted swiftly for you.