Thread 49 - Covid GCSE Cohort - The nights are drawing in...

[OrangeSpicedBun]

Autumn 🍂 well and truly underway, has been chilly this week !

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 :

www.mumsnet.com/talk/parents_of_adult_children/4880640-thread-48-covid-gcse-cohort-summer-before-year-2-uni?latest=1

@mummyinbeds this was the figures we used . Most of these were from the people who came back this summer.

DS has had an email saying he hadn’t been selected - I’m both sad for him and also glad we don’t have to find that!

@ealingwestmum We looked UCL, they do an exchange with Columbia Uni, they recommend a budget of £100k! I think the one year fee was £70k at the time. 😱

@Delphigirl sounds very similar.

The ‘entertainment’ part was general socialising but also some travelling in the states.

Oh I’m sorry to hear that JustHere, but understand your position too. I’m bracing myself. It’s not an area I’ve gone into yet, probably because it was a mandatory requirement for the course.

Thanks @ealingwestmum, in terms of funding SF don't offer it but I think Santander do a year abroad loan and also there's usually some bursary type funds that can be applied for. One of the students had mentioned being able to claim something back from SF after you get back but I can't remember what he said.

Wow, those costs really do make a year abroad elitist don’t they?! Sorry to hear about ds @JustHereWithMyPumpkin but I can imagine your relief!

Dd has a dilemma re housing - the other 2 friends who are part of their little friendship group want to share with them next year, but that would mean giving up their £80 a week house ( although I expect it will go up a bit) and at the moment there’s nothing going for less than about £120. None of the current house can really afford increased rent 😬 but they don’t feel they can say this to the other two girls and they’d love to share with them too.

Thanks @crazycrofter

if I were you’re DD I’d stick with my cheaper rental - that’s a significant saving!

These year abroad fees are eye watering. Ds says he will pay. I think he will get his maintenance loan still. That's £7k he has £6k that I saved for uni. He earned £5k this summer but is rapidly getting through it. If he can do his summer job next year he will earn similar. It's probably not going to be anywhere near enough.

Deeply relieved DS hasn't wanted to apply for a year abroad. They are eye watering costs.

Durham has finally released end of first year grades. Hurrah, he is clear to proceed to year 2....only 7 weeks into it!

Brilliant Eww, better late than never :)

I asked DD tonight what the returners are doing now, having been returned from conflict zones. They are all in their native homes attending class online with their corresponding overseas unis.

Made me shudder.

@ealingwestmum Thank goodness they are all safely home. Friend's DS got stuck in the west bank in the summer. Very worrying at the time. Does that mean for local students universities are still open in the conflict zones? It's just tragic for so many.

I really don’t know Eww. Beirut foreign returners were precautionary by FCO in case things escalated quickly, but I’m assuming it’s BAU for locals. Those studying Hebrew in Jerusalem also returned, but again, not sure what the local status is in state. Jordan, Cairo etc, all removed for now, understandably.

Great news @EwwSprouts ! Hadn't realised Durham hadn't released grades as well! It's been such a long wait.

Good news, @EwwSprouts! I am boggling at the cost of overseas programmes. Good luck to those with DC involved...

DD is ticking along nicely, and regularly calls for a chat when she's on her 15-minute walk home from the studio; she is cheerful but exhausted much of the time. She's being kept very busy with uni work (the downside of an all-coursework degree) but is also enjoying spending time with new friends. One of them lives locally so she gets occasional meals with the family!! Luckily the dehumidifier is keeping the mould away and she's resigned to using the laundrette to dry clothes. Housing for next year isn't available anywhere yet, it does seem that each city/uni has its own schedule.

It's ds's birthday today. Seems strange that he's not here again. DH's dd is cooking for him tonight as she's nearby. I'm tempted to see if he wants to FaceTime later. But I'm sure he will say no. If he goes abroad next year, he will be miles away for his 21st.

I'm staggered and saddened at these year abroad costs. I can't grasp how it's increased so much. My godson did Spain a few years ago and it was minimal. I did a year in Moscow 30 years ago admittedly and there was no cost, it was all arranged by the uni. We all lived with our allocated babooshka.

I need to check with DD as her year abroad doesn't sound too bad. It's in Europe if that makes a difference.

Happy birthday to your ds @icanbewhatiwant 🎉🎂

DH did a year abroad in the USA in the early 90s and it hardly cost him anything. The exchange itself was free and the university provided the accommodation so it really was flights, food and fun. His tales of that time were one of the things encouraging DS to go. We nearly fainted when we saw the costs!

I think the nature of the USA is what makes it so expensive, I’m sure Europe can’t be the same.

@PhotoDad what size dehumidifier did you buy for your daughter's room?

Her room is tiny so I got a 1 litre mini-unit (low power), plus a chemical one (Aero 360) for her en-suite "shower pod." They seem to be doing the job, although we did use a high-power one for 24 hours when I visited to get it initially dry.

Found you all! just bookmarking.

Thanks @PhotoDad ! I was looking at 500ml ones but clearly they'll be too small! I'm rubbish at estimating sizes/volumes.

Dd has been home a week and feeling ill for nearly two weeks now, sneezing, itchy eyes and headaches mainly, although I think she started with a sore throat. I'm thinking maybe covid, but don't have any tests in.

Waiting at driving test centre for dd to finish her test …. 🤞🤞

Good luck to her @Delphigirl !

Good luck to DD @Delphigirl !