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.
Previous thread :
old thread 47

Thank you all. I
took him this morning, went to Boston Tea Party for a big breakfast, picked up a few bits in a Sainsburys Local. Only two lads in evidence at 11am.

I am knackered. Had about 2 hours sleep last night. Can't make my head go quiet. Hopefully, will sleep later.

Well done that boy @craggyrat

Best wishes for Piglet, hope you send us some positive updates soon.

DS is having a great time, has also had a bit of Fresher Flu, spending lots of time with medics rugby people, which is great even though he is the only non-drinker. He may be in demand for driving if he takes a car back.

Harborne is rather nice, must say!

Aw, have everything crossed for him Piggy. I miss all things B’ham too, it’s a year ago we moved my mum to Ealing, there’s just no reason to return anymore.

All good Proggy*, thank you. She’s had a lovely extended b’day run, joined by 2 of her best home friends, thankfully Nottingham and Cambridge are amongst the later 2nd yr returnees so have enjoyed some Irish hospitality :)

DD got home from Seville at about 1.30 this morning and slept for 12 hours solid. She was very pleased that she and a friend had pre-booked a taxi! Back to normal routine tomorrow. I am over the moon that she made some new friends on the trip.

Good luck to all the settlers-in, and especially to piglet (shamelessly stealing that).

All the best to your ds @Piggywaspushed ! Fingers crossed the housemates have learned a lesson. Dd used to frequent that Boston Tea Party when she was at school by the uni!

Ds took a spontaneous trip up Snowdon yesterday without telling us where he was going 😬 Visibility was awful and it was hailing so they’re not sure how close they got to the summit 🤣 I just wish he would plan things in advance and let me know where he is! He says they’re doing Ben Nevis next..

@Piggywaspushed hope all goes well for your ds & you hopefully get a good night sleep tonight🤞
I'm wondering how much of the Fresher's Flu going around is Covid, as dd2 has been completely wiped out by it. I'm on day 5 & still exhausted.
Ds1 decided to go out with mates & drink last night. He never drinks normally & there were no trains back. So dh had to pick him up at 1.30, whereby his friend had to decant him into the car.
His mixed Asian genes mean he doesn't have the enzymes to metabolize the alcohol. He normally goes bright red & just falls asleep. Dh (who doesn't drink & is totally unlike me) was very disapproving last night 🤦🏼‍♀️

I hope you got some sleep last night and that DS is settling back in OK @Piggywaspushed

@Cantonet there does seen to be a lot of Covid around again. DS is I think the only person I know who still hasn't had it, he seems to have a rock solid immune system as I can't remember him having a day's sickness since primary school and that was only about twice in the whole time he was there. Nursery OTOH, the first year was AWFUL, every bug going.

I popped up to see him yesterday, he finds it pretty quiet at weekends and had left a few bits behind. He is in SC halls now but it isn't a flat, rather a block with several ensuite rooms and a kitchen/living room on each floor so he hasn't really got to know the others yet. It is advertised as a quiet block. We had a nice afternoon out, went to Westonbirt Arboretum which is fairly nearby. He is a bit pissed off because he has found out he has an exam on the last day of term so no partying, just an exam and come straight home. No reading weeks either this year.

I went to bed so early last night, that I was very confused when I woke up at 11.15 pm (did manage to go back to sleep!)! Still exhausted.

I have had text from DS this morning. He texts me every morning with Wordle score. This has just arrived so was having a mild panic as he normally texts before 8 (yes, he is an early riser...)

Covid is definitley back. My entire year 12 class is coughing this morning. I have retreated to a far corner by an open window. No thanks, year 12.

Hope all goes well for your DS's return @Piggywaspushed

Well done to your DS on his excellent actions @craggyrat that must have been awful for him to witness. I do hope that woman is OK.

DS finally starts Yr2 today, I'm really hoping he hasn't caught Covid, he takes forever to recover from anything!

Ds messaged to say how boring it was back down in Sussex. He always misses his mates up here, though they are back at uni too. He insisted going a week earlier than originally planned.

He finished his first year the first week of May and starts lectures again this week...that's almost 5 months off! That's a long time.

His private rental wasn't very nice. It smells really damp and mouldy. His room had thick dust (fluff had hair from previous occupant) along the skirting behind his bed. The cooker hood was thick with dirty oil. The sofa was very dirty too. I didn't go in all rooms. DH said I was exaggerating. So when he dropped ds's tv off he looked. He wasn't impressed. He actually phoned the landlord, he told him it should have been cleaned and that he wants the damp looked at. The landlord said he'd sprayed the damp patches with sealant. That certainly won't solve it. DH says they will struggle to dry clothes. Landlord get a lot more money with having students than a private rental, so one would hope the properties would be looked after. But I have seen so many terrible student rentals on Facebook much worse than ds's.

Dd started lectures today too. It's definitely not been boring in Nottingham though... I think she went to 3 birthday parties last week!

Ds' house sounds pretty bad @icanbewhatiwant , I'm sure you could report to the council? I know my brother rents out a house (not to students) and when there was some damp, his tenant was very quick to report him to the council, before he'd even had a chance to address it. The council gave him a very short window of time to get it sorted.

Hope you catch up on sleep, @Piggywaspushed, horrible when you're running on empty.

DD back in the swing of things after Seville, planning to go to some new societies this week. We'll see. I'm waiting a couple of weeks before asking her about her proposed placement year... she is now thinking that it might be better to push straight on and do a Master's. Which is fine, but it would be nice to decide! And discuss finances.

DS had his first three lectures of the year today. He walked in to uni, was on time, engaged with the course and messaged me to say he was going to the book shop - a much better start than last year. I feel relieved he's got day one out of the way.
DD had her first lecture today too. She said it was like doing history and very male dominated. She's also 'socialed out ' and couldn't face going to the kitchen in case she had to talk to anyone.

@Piggywaspushed That's a great casual way of keeping in touch. I bet he had no idea he was putting you through the wringer with a late one.

First day of lectures for DS. Typical student he is less than impressed he has a Monday 9am-11am every week.....got out my teeny tiny violin.

@PhotoDad Pleased to hear your DD has made new friends so quickly.

…got out my teeny tiny violin

😂 Eww. Yep, me too :)

It all sounds very promising for everyone today. @Piggywaspushed can you relax yet or is it too early? @PhotoDad it's nice to hear that things are looking up for your DD. I'm another with scant sympathy for the 9am lectures. But I'm feeling a bit sorry for Dd2 who had a 9-6 day today & has an assignment to do tonight for tomorrow, that was set last week. She hadn't done it yet due to having Covid since Friday. 😟

@EversoDetermined, so jealous of your westonbirt visit. Was it very autumnal, very red?

I feel a bit out of it, not much to comment on this thread, ie with ds not actually at Uni this term.

@Oblomov23 Keep us up to date with how he is finding it. Some DC will be considering placements soon and all insights will be helpful.

Yes @Oblomov23 we want to hear how he’s getting on (especially since I used to work at PwC!). Also, ds is considering an accounting/finance apprenticeship so I’m interested in how your ds finds the work side of things.

@Oblomov23 only really the maples had started turning, I went with DS a couple of weeks later last year and the colours were much brighter, but it was also a lot busier as a result. Yesterday was quite quiet but extremely peaceful, we often go to Wisley when he's at home and its so noisy there with the a3/m25. We spent a couple of very relaxing hours yesterday strolling around and discussing trees and football.

I find it fascinating when DC make choices that aren’t 100% mainstream, so post away Oblomov. I feel at times I bore people stupid about all things Dublin, and answering why she chose to study there. Why not doesn’t tend to go down too well.

I hope you did realise the teeny fiddle was out in solidarity re my DD Eww, I wouldn’t dream of taking the piss out of your DS for not being able to get out of bed 09.00 lectures! I haven’t forgotten —forgiven— mine for years of 04.30 wake up starts.

oops on the strike fail

Lovely pic, @EversoDetermined! And do keep us posted, @Oblomov23!