Thread 48- Covid GCSE Cohort - Summer before Year 2 Uni

[Oblomov23]

Summer ending. Year 2 for many at Uni about to start.

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.
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DD has a tiny room with an even tinier "en suite" but she somehow managed to fit all the stuff I drove down (including into useful under-bed storage space). Luckily she is very petite herself! The house even has a washing machine.

We went for a bit of an explore, found a lovely neighbourhood park 5 minutes walk away, and I already knew she has shops and a bus-stop 5 minutes in the other direction, if she can't face the 15-minute walk to the art studios (or if it's pouring). Really great location, felt safe and happy (lots of pavement cafés etc, plus antique shops which are her Achilles' heel for budgeting...)

Back home now after a remarkably smooth drive.

We brought Ds up to Sheffield yesterday. Lots of traffic jams on the way. I guess all of London & the south east were heading to the northern unis this weekend. His house is nice but none of the rooms are big - the kitchen & living room are v small to accommodate 5 tall teenagers. I doubt he has enough clothes storage so will probably be utilise the floor robe!

I hope this year is good for all our DC’s, especially those having a fresh start.

@OrangeCinnamonLatte I’m so sorry to hear about DD’s ordeal at the hands of the ex, what a shitbag. I’m glad she was able to turn to you in the end and hope that Reading really will be a fresh start so she can start to move on.

@Zebracat I didn’t have time to post on Friday but echo the others comments that it would be entirely reasonable for your girl to request a change, she is a vulnerable adult and living with this other girl would be detrimental to her mental health, I hope something can be sorted for her and that this weekend has been a bit better.

Ours has just gone back on the train. I think it helped that all the family were here, squawking with combined laughter and outrage at the shenanigans. It’s not for our girl to feel ashamed about this! She texted the housemate and explained that she was unhappy. She has apologised and promised to be quieter. If that doesn’t happen, there will need to be a room change. Ours has reasonable noise cancelling headphones, because she is sensitive to noise, butI wonder if any one knows a brand they would recommend.

Locks on doors is related to whither the landlord is letting as an HMO. It changes various thigs for them as I understand it and what they do/do not need to provide if it's an HMO.

DS1 always had locks - and was forever losing keys...

DS2 doesn't have a lock. He also didn't have a lock on his room in his halls! Which definitely was unusual.

x-posted with you @Zebracat that’s a good update. I don’t know anything about the headphones as I just use normal ones but I’m sure there are lots of options

DS has got a key this time. Last year his room was just tap with his student id to get in. He is HOPELESS with keys, I don’t think he’s remembered to take one out with him once this summer. I donated him the airtag off my keyring there and then.

@icanbewhatiwant DS hasn't had a lock on his room in any of his private rentals. Hasn't been a problem for him, although he has always known all his housemates before moving in.

I don't want Ds to have a lock on his room door. I just assumed they all would. I can imagine some dc's being nervous in a mixed house. But I did think there should have been something to stop people being able to lift the window and get in, but I thought Ds said his window was at the front, I can see from the photos the window opens onto the road, but he's at the back. So that's not quite so bad.

@OrangeCinnamonLatte Sorry to hear what your DD has been through. Hopefully Reading is a much better year.

Everyone sounds a little more blase about travel arrangements this Sept. I hope all the new living arrangements go smoothly.

Not a football fan but DS and I enjoyed a great day at the Davis Cup. Not sure we'll see much more of Andy Murray as a player.

Just taken DS today. His room does not have a lock but the landlord has a notice board at the front which shows paperwork such as the gas certificate and HMO license. It is a house of 4 if that makes a difference. I was surprised that his housemates were out but had left their bedroom doors wide open.

DH and I are in a hotel tonight then will take him to breakfast tomorrow and then leave him to it. He will need to stay in for most of the day as we ended up doing 7 different Amazon orders today for stuff he had forgotten! All to be delivered tomorrow!

Our fingers and toes are firmly crossed that it works out this time 🤞🤞🤞

@285NeuerNamen My DD had ordered some Amazon stuff and had been very careful to put in her new address, but it turned up at our home! Her account is somehow linked to my Prime account which might explain it. Bit of a pain, anyway.

Thanks all, you're so thoughtful.

I couldn't work out how to send to an Amazon locker...it kept reverting back to sending to my address, perhaps that's what happened @PhotoDad

My Amazon account is linked to DH's Prime account but you can only link one account now. DS had a free trial of Prime student last year but only used it twice and cancelled it, but I
ordered things to be sent to him once or twice with him paying me back. A friend suggested adding his debit card and address to my account so I can order anything he sends me a link for but with him paying so we might try that. He tends to prefer going to real shops though rather than buying online.

@OrangeCinnamonLatte sending hugs to you and your DD and hoping that this year will be a good one for her. x

@craggyrat good luck in your appointment tomorrow.

@Zebracat good on your DD messaging her flatmate. Fingers crossed that things improve!

So much activity on here about people moving back. DS's friennds have all gone back too and he has got FOMO. He decided last night that he was going back today before he gets his results. What can I do. He has just set off with his car loaded up. It has cost me another £50 to change his car insurance to his Notts address.

I was wondering what you all think about this. DD has just gone back for her second year of A levels and has decided to drop chemistry and pick up Eng Lit, planning to do it in the year. The college is small, supportive and says it can be done (said to her, I have not had any contact from them). But it seems like a big ask, especially as she is dyslexic and everything takes her longer. Chemistry has been a disaster and I think she could do EL (she got 8s in both lang and lit at GCSE), but all in one year? I am going to ring up and ask how they propose to manage this, but I am a little concerned.

I'm not sure @EversoDetermined but my first thought is that EL is a less content-heavy A Level and is more about skills so may be more doable? And if she enjoys reading, then reading the books will be more enjoyable than wading through Chemistry. My ds also said over the summer that he wished he'd chosen different subjects, but I didn't think he could /would catch up if he changed one. He's not a natural student! If your dd is determined I'm sure she can do it.

She is a very determined person, she does read, she writes prolifically (fan-fiction) and she is doing really well in History which is another essay type subject, her third is biology which is content heavy. DH and I both have science A levels and DS never considered English as a choice so we have no previous experience and we never spoke to the English depts at open evenings etc. I really want this to work for her, but worry that she might bite off more than she can chew. I definitely need to speak to the college I think.

I think I would want to reward her proactivity. And, in my experience teachers are often quite cautious about supporting change, so if they think it’s ok… I would though perhaps ask for her post A level plans, to see if this will impact.

@EversoDetermined DS did English Lit. He got 9 for GCSE and was a big reader. I would definitely speak to the department. DS took a while to get his essays up to a good standard - quite a few months, and the NEA took him most of the summer. It was pretty intense. He got one mark off A star in the end but he did find it tough going I think

Yes, I am really pleased that she's taken the initiative and done this, just the logistics that are a bit concerning. She doesn't really have post A level plans yet, she's taking a gap year with a view to going to uni later but at the moment she doesn't know what she wants to study or where she wants to go, which I had been a bit worried about as she was at one point planning to apply this year but in light of this change is a good thing as she can take her time thinking about it, get her grades and then see. She doesn't aspire to Oxbridge or similar so no massive pressure on grades. She had been saying biomedical science for a while but I could tell her heart wasn't really in it. I am actually quite excited for her.

But also nervous

If she's having a gap year, could she start Eng Lit with a view to doing it in a year, but if it's too much, take more time and finish it the year after the others?

I guess it depends on the board but if there is a big NEA that others do during the summer hols, it sounds quite tough alongside Y13 history and biology. But I know very little about English!

DS did Eng Lit A level and I would not say it's content light. He also got 8s for English GCSE and it took him the whole of Yr 12 to get to grips with how to write a half decent essay. There is also a lot of quotes to remember both critic and from the books. Definitely discuss with tutors first.

Do you know which exam board?