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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@PhotoDad - Seville sounds amazing. Some cracking drawings there!

Cambridge is chaotic as ever. DS can't get room access until 2 but we have our usual pre booked parking space so just having second coffee whilst he does his own thing. We are at Premier Inn near ARU. Gorgeous day

Good to hear they are all returning and settling in. DS has done freshers (again) and is looking forward to his course starting on Monday. He thinks he may have found a job which will be good for my bank balance as he owes me for his summer holidays. He managed to forget his duvet so I have ordered a cheap one to be delivered as I couldn't face trying to parcel up and send a duvet in the post.

How is your DS doing, Piggy?

@craggyrat I know that Premier Inn! Although for ease of parking I'm more often at the one near the A14.

Walked through town to collect car from service then drove it home. Combination of Newcastle Uni Open day and a match at St James' Park was certainly interesting to navigate by foot or road!

Hello.

I am taking DS back tomorrow.

He seems OK. Gaslighting mate now wondered if he wanted to come back today to watch the match with them! He declined.

He has a welfare appointment on Monday and then lectures and a newspaper meeting. Then his friend from Warwick is visiting him for lunch on Friday so that's nice.

Fingers crossed, @Piggywaspushed.

@singingstones how/where has he found a job? Dd is desperate for one and has applied for probably 100, with no luck. She had an interview at Greggs on Friday which she thought went well but it was another rejection 😩 She’s got loads of different experience on her cv so I don’t get it.

Hope the return to uni goes ok @Piggywaspushed and he can get out there and find some new friends 🤞

@crazycrofter
Tesco - they haven't actually said he's got it but they've asked him to do a right to work check. His friend who works for them says that means he's in 🤷‍♀️
He's been applying for all sorts for weeks too, it's hard.

Cambridge is carnage! Stressful! And DS saw a homeless woman being stabbed outside college. He stayed with her until Police came and gave a statement.

Oh, how awful!

Oh no!

Heck, I hope the woman and your DS are okay?

DS said a man threatened her, punched her several times and then stabbed her. A man ran out of a cafe to help and called for an ambulance. Scary. Hope she's okay

Woah Craggy. That’s a more common scene where I live but you somehow don’t expect it of Cambridge. Well done to your boy for supporting the lady, I hope she is going to be ok.

Bravo to your DS Piggy. I hope his return is smooth. And he keeps his head held high. Onwards and upwards.

Hope your DS hasca happy retun @Piggywaspushed

I was surprised DS kept his head like that to be honest! Not the kind of thing he's used to really although sadly also not unheard of where we live either. I have to say, I'm not a fan of cities. Will be scuttling back up the A1 nice and early tomorrow

@craggyrat If you can get a table and like Middle-Eastern food, "Little Petra" on Hills Road is one of my favourite places in the UK! (Well done to your DS.)

Thanks @PhotoDad . Fed and watered tonight but will have a look next time

Thanks @singingstones , my ds works at Tesco here and they're a decent employer, and quite flexible with offering extra shifts etc. Dd has decided to come home for reading week and work at her warehouse job if she doesn't get a job in Nottingham. She can also hopefully work with the festival company she's signed up with at the Wollaton Park lights festival in December. So hopefully she'll have enough money!

Well done to your ds @craggyrat for helping out. Hope he's ok?

He seems fine @crazycrofter thanks. I think he and his fellow college parent are looking after their three fresher babies!

Hope the flatmates have taken some time to reflect and your DS is treated with respect @Piggywaspushed

Finger crossed for your Ds @Piggywaspushed, will be thinking of him.

@craggyrat That is shocking for your DS, well done to him for staying with her until help arrived. DS1 has also seen someone stabbed, it was quite shocking to hear when he told us. His was in a more precarious position and they fled for their own safety. Not nice at all.

DS met his new tutor on Friday (after having originally been allocated the old one again 🙄but thankfully he emailed back and said that wasn’t correct). He likes the new tutor and can understand him (last one had a very strong accent and was hard to understand as well as being shite overall). So a good start.

He starts lectures tomorrow but all good so far. DH and I have taken a sneaky week abroad so are lying in the sun! ☀️ It is lovely to just be the two of us although we are obviously still in touch.

Enjoy the sun @285NeuerNamen ! We were hoping to do the same but with treatments etc I think it will be when DS goes back after Xmas. Glad tutor got sorted.

DS has v large room this year. Still hopeful of a cheaper move and still first on list as doesn't need 38 werk contract, but goodness it is big. Even with double bed and loads of cabinets, desk, wardrobe, table, etc etc it is spacious

DD’s flat have now done a Sunday morning swim at Tynemouth for 3 weeks running - I wonder how long that tradition will run!

@craggyrat 😱how scary! Well done to your DS for waiting with her until the emergency services arrived.
His second year accommodation sounds fabulous but fingers crossed for a cheaper room and if not al least a subsidy from his college against the rate!
Hope your DD had a fabulous ‘birthday bash’ @ealingwestmum !
Fingers crossed for ‘new beginnings’ for your DS @Piggywaspushed
So sorry to read your update @icanbewhatiwant 💐
Belting work as always @PhotoDad !

DD is more than delighted with her second year accommodation-she FT me last night to give me a ‘tour’ 😊
Meanwhile, ‘normal service’ is resumed at home and I’m boxing the rest of her stuff up to be ‘UPS’d’ down.

Good luck to Piggy DS today, hope all goes well and that your DH gets the chance to aim a disappointed look at the one he used to teach. Or a full-blown telling off if appropriate.

@craggyrat that's scary. Your DS was very brave.
@Piggywaspushed good luck to your DS, hopefully his flat ‘mates’ behave better.
DS1 has freshers flu, same as he did last year, he always goes overboard with the drinking (rugby lot).We have a few more universities to visit with DS2, can’t believe I will have an empty nest next year.