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Parents of adult children

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

961 replies

Oblomov23 · 25/08/2023 20:39

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

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

...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, an...

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/parents_of_adult_children/4842562-thread-47-covid-gcse-cohort-summers-running-away-from-us?latest=1

OP posts:
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17
mummyinbeds · 11/10/2023 09:05

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn sorry, another timetable question. Does your DS have any tutorials on his timetable yet? Mine has one (first year subject which BA's do in year 2) Nothing for the others. I'm ready to drive up to Nottingham and be an embarrassing mum 🤬

crazycrofter · 11/10/2023 09:22

Well done to your dd @seeline! That's a major milestone out of the way, and it's so useful when they can drive.

@mummyinbeds the law department sounds very like Psychology, which is also big and communication is shocking. I really hope you can get things sorted. Your poor ds has had such a rough ride.

crazycrofter · 11/10/2023 09:26

@blinkbonny @JustHereWithMyPopcorn and all Nottingham people, dd has actually given up looking for a job in Notts, as she applied for around 100 and got nowhere! She has a good CV, with retail, tutoring, warehouse work, coffee shop and festivals, so I'm not sure what else she could have done.

She's coming home reading week to do some work at her warehouse job here. She's also hoping to get work with FestivAll Staff (I think that's what they're called). She signed up with them about 18 months ago and has done a festival in Birmingham and last year did the Wollaton Park lights festival - the days were something like 3pm to 11, so she did miss a few lectures, but the money was good. It was the first two weeks of December. She's also put herself forward to do the Diwali festival weekend in Leicester, as it's cheap to get to on the train, plus she has a friend there. Not sure if she's got that work yet. So your ds could always try that @blinkbonny ?

Oblomov23 · 11/10/2023 11:18

Worrying to read all this lack of jobs in Notts. Ds worked at screwfix at home and he got them to agree to transfer it to notts for year 1. But when they found out that he was away from the summer in camp America and then PwC for autumn term they understandably let him go. PwC are paying him well for the 3 months of oct to Dec, but will it be we enough to last him the rest of the year? Till he goes back to pwc again for the autumn term of year 3? I don't know but by the sounds of you lot, he will have to make it last!

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crazycrofter · 11/10/2023 14:00

Does he get to work at PwC again before year 3 @Oblomov23 ? I'd have thought three months full time work ought to last him the rest of the year.

It's definitely an issue in university towns, as my ds' best mate back in Birmingham can't find a job despite lots of effort, whereas ds managed to have two concurrently for a while, until he decided to focus on Tesco, as it's more flexible. We're in a small town now, and dd found a job easily too, for when she's home.

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 11/10/2023 14:33

@mummyinbeds yes, his shows tutorials for the mandatory topics.

@crazycrofter 100 job applications and nothing out of it? 😯 Blimey that sounds worse than I thought. DS was hoping to pick up some work after Christmas but that sounds like a non starter reading this.

crazycrofter · 11/10/2023 15:18

Actually @JustHereWithMyPopcorn she got to second interview with one job but it was a 3 day a week marketing job, so too much really and she pulled out. She got interviewed for Maccies and Greggs but then turned down!

EwwSprouts · 11/10/2023 15:32

Some of DS's friends got jobs in the summer as delivery drivers for (I think) ASOS or sounded like that. It was use your own car & minimum wage but then so much for each parcel delivered. They were very happy with the money as in the suburbs you tend to get a lot close together. Might be worth looking into for Christmas holidays? DS doesn't drive....

JustHereWithMyPopcorn · 11/10/2023 16:31

@crazycrofter turned down by Maccies? Who are they looking to recruit if not youngsters? 😮

@EwwSprouts how does that work with car insurance do you know?

EwwSprouts · 11/10/2023 17:58

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn Sorry DS didn't do it so only hazy details but a good few did because the money was good.

Fiddlersgreen · 11/10/2023 18:42

DS17 is looking for a job and struggling too, I didn’t think about the fact it’s a uni town he’s looking in

Oblomov23 · 11/10/2023 21:42

Agreed Crazy. He doesn't get to work for them again. Just the 3 month Oct-Dec experience in year 2,3, and 4.
So he won't graduate with all you guys because he's a 4 year'er.

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mummyinbeds · 11/10/2023 22:07

@Oblomov23 he'll graduate with mine and his little sister 😁

Takeittotheboss · 12/10/2023 14:06

@Oblomov23 And mine as he's a fresher😁

ealingwestmum · 12/10/2023 14:46

And mine, 4 years course :)

ProggyMat · 12/10/2023 14:49

And mine, also a 4 year course 😊

AnneOfCleavage · 12/10/2023 14:51

And mine too as she's also a fresher 😁

DD actually worked out that as she had a gap year she'll graduate the same time as most of her besties anyway as they are either doing a 4 year course or some did a foundation year last year so it's worked out for her perfectly.

Oblomov23 · 12/10/2023 16:28

Oh that's nice, I didn't realise there were so many 4 year'ers, (and siblings!!) Smile

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crazycrofter · 12/10/2023 16:33

Dd plans to do the OT masters (two years) after this degree, so that will be five years in total! I wonder if this thread will still be going?

Oblomov23 · 12/10/2023 16:56

Probably Crazy. Hopefully. Grin

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Heifer · 12/10/2023 19:05

Wouldn't that be funny it if kept on going - first marriage announcement, first grandchild announcement! oh my days :-)

Bit late to the table but congrats to your DD @Seeline , so nice when they are able to move onto the driving stage.

DD made me laugh yesterday, her hockey training is later now and has to travel that bit further, so she got home around 10.00pm with no food in the house apparently. Her housemate takes her to Lidl each week but wasn't free until today. I reminded her that they do have other supermarkets nearby that she could walk to, but got a definitive "No way am I shopping at Sainsburys - it's far too expensive, I'm only ever shopping at Lidl, can get 3/4 of my weekly shop for £14 at there" God only knows what crap she is buying then. I did question her veg and fruit options and whilst she isn't buying much veg is buying fruit apparently..

How quickly things can change, she grew up eating so much veg (as I cooked it) but now she is on her own she isn't even buying it (cba to cook it apparently) . :-)

I suspect she is sticking to 2 or 3 meals the same every week, pasta with tomatoes sauce, tortilla and mince (flavoured with spices at least), carbonara, jacket pots with tuna, tuna pasta.

She never really cooked at home and as catered last year she is having to learn now. Joking aside she seems to be coping well, is budgeting, actually thinking about what she is spending and what on. She was very reluctant to order herself a takeaway last night but did eventually. She has enough money but said she would rather spend it when her BF was staying (every other weekend ish).

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn what on earth is happening with the admin? It's shocking. I read on WIWIKAU this week about problems with someones DD/DS being able to swap courses, and told to stop going to lectures for old course but can't get access to a new timetable to attend the new course. Even student services couldn't help. Must be so frustrating.

@Piggywaspushed any news this week? how often does you get to speak? DD is much of a communicator once away from home so not sure about your DS.
Have you been able to relax a little bit more?

Thanks to the Nottingham replies re how they are getting to uni - seems to be a few walking rather than bus which surprised me. I am thinking of buying DD a bus pass (or going halves) just so she will use it ( I worry she is thinking about the £2 bus fare each way when she is deciding whether to go to the lecture or watch online at times)..

Thought I would just wait another week before asking her which bus company she uses most, as there are a couple of options (NCT £289 Sept-July) or whether it's worth the Robin Hood Card (£374 for 6 months) which includes lots of different companies for bus/tram/train within Greater Nottingham. I'm just not sure how often she is using trams and different bus companies. It's not like she has to travel far or travelling to friends across Nottingham so I think the NCT one would be fine.

stoneysongs · 12/10/2023 19:13

Adding DS to the bunch expecting to graduate in 2026. And myself actually, currently on Y4 of a part-time OU degree.

DS isn't saying much about his new course but is coming home for the weekend early Nov so hope to find out more then. Meanwhile I am in the throes of UCAS applications with DD.

Piggywaspushed · 12/10/2023 19:20

DS seems fine. Went out for a curry with brass band and seems to be going out this weekend with a fellow historian. Wrote his article . Had a pizza with house.

You'd never know anything had been wrong, thus far.

blinkbonny · 12/10/2023 19:35

@crazycrofter thanks for the Festivall Staff tip, will pass it on!

@Oblomov23 maybe screwfix would still take your ds back when he returns, since he left on good terms?

@Heifer spoke to DS last night and he confirms he's just going to walk and take bus for £2 when it's too cold/rainy. He said quite a lot of people are often walking back to Lenton so it's quite sociable as well as cheaper.

@Seeline congrats to your DD too, so nice to tick that off the list!

Overall DS seems to be happy and settled, hasn't found any societies to join though which is a shame as I think that would be a great way to meet people other than his housemates (no problem with the housemates but a bit of variety can't hurt). What societies have your DCs joined? Mine wanted to join Band/Music (he plays the drums to pretty good standard, gr 8) but there didn't appear to be a BandSoc this year (he joined it last year but sounded like it fizzled out (maybe a better descriptor would be faded away )). He tried out for football but didn't get in and those are his main two interests. I was pushing him to try something brand new just to try it out but he wasn't super keen and I am trying not to always be pushy on him (though old habits die hard and he really needs it!)

Heifer · 12/10/2023 19:54

@blinkbonny Has he looked into the Just play sessions?

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport/get-active/student/just-play.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1D6mYuC3x2M10S3oa7jjEuuSNEh1x-R7FnVSSQj7QCwNj0K2e4-LW8g

they do lots of different sports during the week

What is Just Play?
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