Thread 50 - Covid GCSE Cohort - New Year of Adulting

[OrangeSpicedBun]

2024 here we are... our young people are still getting used to adulting and we're still doing that adulting thing ...it's tough !

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
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/parents_of_adult_children/4922401-thread-49-covid-gcse-cohort-the-nights-are-drawing-in?page=10

DS is staying in Nottingham for a football match on Easter Monday before coming home for the rest of the holidays. He's had a rough few weeks and I've been tempted to go and bring him home several times.
DD finishes this Friday (her birthday) and is staying for the weekend to celebrate with her uni friends before coming home on Monday. It will be strange not seeing her on her birthday but she will have a great time so I'm happy for her to stay. This term seems to have flown by for her - I can't believe she's coming to the end of her first year.

Thanks re internship, it does sound like a great fit for him so fingers crossed.

@mummyinbeds I can't believe how fast this year is going either and yes to the weirdness of not seeing them on their birthday, we've had three years of that with DS (he was in boarding for upper 6th and his last 3 birthdays have been Tues/Wed/Thur so not convenient for coming home.

@Alwaysplayspicc I was just wondering how you are doing, hope things are Ok.

Nice to hear about everyone's Easter plans, you have reminded me I need to go up to the loft to get out my much-hated-on-MN Easter decorations down.

Hehe @EffortlessDistraction we have Easter decs too (and Valentine's Day, Halloween / Autumn and obv Xmas).

We don't have Valentine decs (it is bang in between two of our birthdays so its a bit of a busy time of year already) but we do have Hallowe'en / autumn and I have a few other sets of bunting for the front window, poppies in November, daisies in summer etc. Plus Christmas of course.

Thanks for asking after me, EffortlessDistraction.
I had surgery 4 weeks ago - lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsies. All ok, other than developing a small seroma in my arm pit, but I'm finding the mental side hard.
I had an appointment booked with my surgeon today to discuss pathology results and next steps, but the results are still not back from the lab so it's been put back a fortnight.
Feel like I'm holding my breath.

Dd comes home from uni this weekend and Ds comes back from school at the end of next week, which will be a welcome distraction.

Hang in there Picc 🤞

Best of luck for results @Alwaysplayspicc . Sorry to hear about the seroma. The waiting period is a really difficult time.

@EffortlessDistraction - has your DS seen this for summer https://ics.sas.ac.uk/study-and-training/internships-classical-subjects

Good luck with the results @Alwaysplayspicc x

DS is doing a flying visit home this weekend which is an unexpected bonus. 🙂 He's had no luck with any of the internships he's applied for. I don't know what else to recommend to him.

Does he have a LinkedIn profile JustHere and if so, is it open for work opportunities?

I don't think so @ealingwestmum I shall suggest it to him. I have one but I never get anything helpful from it!

I don't use mine either now I work in the creative vs business field, but it is still a fast and mass way to get messaging across, and if using LinkedIn Premium (I don't know how much/what the tie in costs are) he can target recruiters and message direct. Apologies, it's law and french he's studying isn't it? I see a lot of posts from law firms featuring their vac schemes but he can search on what's relevant or of interest to him.

Even if he doesn't use it for this search, it's good for him to get one up and running so he can build his contacts network for future.

He's just doing law (mummyinbeds DS is doing French and law) I've just done a quick reccy on mine but can't see anything. I'll get him to sign up..

Thanks for that @craggyrat I don’t think he’s quite the right profile (he’s moved from history/heritage towards ecology/wildlife) but they do sound interesting and one is in Cirencester.

I’m on LinkedIn, but mainly for following useful industry groups and pages because I work for a very small business and am the only person with my specialisation so need to keep up with regulatory changes etc. I do get approached by headhunters quite a bit despite not being “open to opportunities”, probably ought to get DS to set one up.

@Alwaysplayspicc I’m sorry you are having to wait, the NHS is creaking it seems. DH was supposed to have another PSA test last month (his previous one was in Nov before having the scan and biopsy) but he just hasn’t been able to get an appointment at the GP for it. He is booked in for it next week (having had to book that several weeks ago) and says he’s not leaving without at least the next one booked in, the consultant keeps writing to ask him why he hasn't had it done yet.

@Alwaysplayspicc sorry appointment has been pushed back 2 weeks.

@Alwaysplayspicc Sorry you have a delay. In the nicest way, hopefully a delay indicates you are not on an urgent list. Take care.

@Alwaysplayspicc of course you are anxious, but it sounds like it could be much worse.

DS1 was called for jury service starting last week for 2 weeks. Arranged time off uni, got his "placement sign off"s done in the first 3 weeks of his 5 week block, arranged to catch up on the missed teaching. Then last Friday he was told that he was not needed for the first week. Yesterday he was told he was not needed next week and received an expense claim form! He is mostly quite glad to have got 2 weeks of "free" holiday at home, but it really is terrible organisation from the courts, wasted a lot of time doing the admin. Oh well, he can't get called for another 5 years now, and his 1 week holiday became a 3 week holiday.

DS2 coming back Easter Monday, his birthday is 2 days later. He and DS1 have a rather disgusting plan to eat their heights in subways as a birthday treat! I don't really get food and drink challenges, just think "why?"

Impressed by people with Easter decorations. I might try a bit of a Spring Clean, but am not organised enough for anything more.

Morning, everyone, checking in and trying to catch up! DD is arriving home tomorrow for two weeks, and she's bringing a friend who can only stay for a couple of days... but who comes from central Europe and was tempted up here by the offer of a day at the beach with fish'n'chips! Something she's never experienced.

Busy at work, and currently recovering from a heavy cough/cold, but it's very minor in the scheme of things. Looking forward to a bit of a break.

Cambridge looked lovely at the weekend. Good weather and so quiet out of term time! We walked 10 miles on Saturday following a giraffe trail and DS showing us various places he likes. Lovely to have him home. He is spending mornings drafting his June submitted coursework. Week 0 he has a blind assignment set between Monday and Friday which counts for degree then exams in week 5 I think which are 30% of degree. . Am hoping writing an essay a week for a year and a half sets him in good stead but we will see..... !

Hope everyone is enjoying having their DC back.

Poor old DS has had a rough few days. Had a really sore throat, took himself to walk in centre and was given antibiotics, then spent 3 days in his room unable to eat, drink or sleep because swallowing was so difficult. DS1 encouraged him to go to A&E last night and after waiting for a couple of hours he was admitted and put on a drip for dehydration. They thought Glandular Fever or Quinsy, but may just be a nasty bacterial tonsilitis. Will be seeing an ENT person today, but is hoping to be discharged. Already feeling much better (due to hydration) and was able to eat some weetabix as his first meal in 4 days. Really hoping it is not GF as that is something which takes months to shift (and would mean he could not do his strongman competition in May). The hospital experience has been very positive for him.

Norwich feels a very long way from Bristol in a situation like this, I nearly got in the car to drive the 4 hours each way to take him to hospital, but he said he was happy to get the bus - I offered him an Uber, but they don't have them in Norwich and he did not want a taxi. I will at least pay him the fee he was supposed to get for singing at a funeral today. He has shown that he has good coping skills, which I am grateful for.

@Monkey2001 oh that sounds nasty for your DS. Excellent coping skills though. Hope he is feeling much better soon

I've been away for a while and unfortunately had to be readmitted to hospital and just came home on Saturday. Same problem reoccurred.

@Alwaysplayspicc I hope by now you've got your results. Sorry to hear you're feeling so anxious. These things its not just the physical aspect of the illness but also the mental trauma that takes time to heal from.

Commiserations to all those with poor health. Hope you/DC feel better soon. DS also came home with a heavy cold/flu that everyone in his flat had.

To all those with dc home or coming home for Easter wishing you all a wonderful exciting time together. I'm enjoying the 2 DS's and they've been looking after me like China glass! last night after saying goodnight to both of them i came back out again to get something only to be met with 2 anxious faces wanting to know why I got back out of bed?

Good luck to those with internships/jobs all sorted out. Our DC are really coming into their own and meeting all their challenges head on.

Sorry to hear you had to be readmitted @Shimy and wishing you a stress free recovery

Oh @Monkey2001 I wish I'd known yesterday! I drove to UEA and back to collect my DD - I would happily have looked in on your DS or picked up some food etc. Hope he is on the mend soon. The hospital there does seem good - I had to take DD at 3am once when she had a really bad UTI over the weekend and couldn't get 111 to help. They were really lovely to her.

DS messaged yesterday to say he won't be home for Easter as he has too much to do on his dissertation - his supervisor has said deadline for her to comment on his draft is 3 April so he is staying at uni 🙁

Monkey glad to hear he is able to eat a little, fingers crossed it isn’t GF, being out of action on their sport is a secondary blow to being ill. It’s a dreadful feeling for parents when we’re so far away to help immediately.

So sorry to hear the relapse Shimy. But your boys are absolute stars for taking such good care of you.