Thread 51 - Covid GCSE Cohort - Summer 24 - End of Uni Yr 2

[Oblomov24]

2024 Summer, end of year 2 for those at Uni.

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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I lost my big rambling post to you @DontCallMeBaby but Delphigirl says it all better than I could.

Hope her recovery goes well, and to you, for supporting her as you do.

@DontCallMeBaby It's positive that your DD has found her way to the start of recovery. Sending good wishes for the next steps.

@DontCallMeBaby sorry to hear that. Best wishes to your DD (and you) for her road to recovery 💐

So very sorry for the loss of your dad, ®Photodad*. I hope they investigation are swift and smooth so that you can get on with making funeral arrangements - the limbo state between loss and being able to say a final goodbye is difficult at the best of times.

Glad your DD is getting help, DontCallMeBaby. It can be a long, bumpy road, as I understand it, so please make sure you look after yourself when or you're travelling it with her.

I'm really sorry for your loss @PhotoDad and I hope the outstanding issues can be resolved quickly, so that you can say your goodbyes.

That's tough @DontCallMeBaby but really good news that there's been acknowledgment and a commitment to get better. Wishing you all the best as you support her with that. Do come back and update us, even if you're having a hard time; sometimes sharing a load really can help you bear it! As others have said, the treatment seems to be so much better and I also know of a young lady who's out the other side and seems to be doing really well.

Thank you all. An interesting development is that it now looks like one of her friends won’t go either - she’s been wobbling but DD not going seems to have given her permission to admit she doesn’t want to go.

I'm sorry to hear that, @DontCallMeBaby.

So sorry for your loss @PhotoDad

I totted it up today. I am now in contact with twenty different people or organisations about my dad's death. It turns out that there are legal complications in addition to the medical ones. I'll get there in the end, and at least I'm a teacher on my school holidays, but how do people normally cope? (I know that twenty is on the higher end of the scale.)

In better news, DD has been doing some commissioned art for a book (to be self-published, nothing major) and DS has made a college choice and a UCAS shortlist. They are both currently away with friends, so it's time for a takeaway, wine, and a movie that doesn't have to fit their very precise tastes.

Hang in there Photodad (and enjoy the chilled evening, just as you like it :)

DS has been for his French visa appointment today. Second attempt because the first time they turned him away due to a missing middle name on the booking form - not the application form or any official document, just the appointment form. Today they decided there was a shadow on his ID photo (there wasn't) and made him pay for new photo's. Bureaucracy isn't his forte so I'm very proud of him going through this process and hacking his way across London in today's heat. One step closer to France. They better issue the visa in time, I think we've got three weeks 😱 So much more stupid bureaucracy is waiting for the visa to arrive.
And he's managed to get some bar work for the next week or so to replenish his bank account.

@PhotoDad Just in case you you haven't come across this. If your DF had complex affairs then you have my sympathy with wrangling through the bureaucracy. www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once

Hey Photodad, how you doing?

Well ds1 is home, I miss him so incredibly bad but then he's home and very quickly I've had enough of him because he's quite irritating generally and then I want him to piss off back to Notts! He says he's studying but I'm not sure it's enough. Plus he's admitted he didn't go to quite a lot of lectures which has really irritated me and we've had some heated discussions. I've told him how unhappy I am, but trying to be supportive and give him everything he could possibly need, to pass these 2 exams in a few weeks, so he doesn't get chucked off the course. He says in 2 weeks or so I can test him on tax questions, which I'll enjoy.

Dh is irritated by us all.
Ds2 does nothing but x box, play football, go swimming and Nando's with his friends!

I've worked my socks off secretly to get cake, food, decorations, 2 x photo boards of 48 photos of Dh as a baby, toddler, teen, married, mates, on a Harley Davidson in America etc, ready for his massive 60th party this weekend.

My new job that I've had for 6 months, (since being made fake redundant on Christmas a Eve at my last job of 3 years) is becoming really good and I'm enjoying it a lot. I've got a teams meeting tomorrow that I've had to investigate mistakes made on CITB and CIS over the last 2 years, so plenty for me to get my teeth into. Enjoying it a lot.

Fighting hospital re pain clinic and back problems that they've made loads of mistakes over.

Ds1 and I are enjoying watching tonnes and tonnes of the Olympics together, especially the swimming.

I love watching nearly everything at the Olympics, but the rest of my family doesn't 😁. Tough!
I don't like the boxing, can't really see the point of golf. I love the quirky stuff like speed climbing and skate boarding and the BMX where they race round the little track in groups.

@Oblomov24 Glad the new job is going well. CITB and CIS just make me sigh, no blinking client seems to be able to operate it properly. Lots of year-end reconciliations to be done.
Good luck to your DS, have fun on the tax quiz!!

@PhotoDad I sympathise, I did everything administrative after my DSis died in January as her DH was not able. I'm an accountant with good skills in those areas but it was complex and draining. I am currently helping my parents re-do their wills to simplify matters for the future. I really don't know how the 'average' man/woman on the street would have a chance. Just take care of yourself too, it is tempting to always deal with everything as it comes in but sometimes take a few hours/ a day or two out and put it to one side. You have enough on your plate. Sending strength to you.

Thanks, all, I'm getting there one step at a time. You're right to take things in small chunks! The medical side of things has been resolved, at least. Now I have to find a solicitor to help with fiddly probate; my dad's Jersey lawyer (he has assets in the Island) described my situation as "interesting" which is never a good sign.

@Oblomov24 that surprise sounds amazing!!
@PhotoDad you'll get there. I also wonder though how people manage if in a full time job. I'm a teacher bit part time, so lots of things get fitted in on my days off.

@mummyinbeds de went to the Austrian embassy for her visa. She was so organised and had all paperwork. Turns out it was for a six month visa and she's going for a year. Uni had told her the wrong information.
So back to square one as they couldn't just give her the correct form and let her fill it in. She's now going to apply once abroad.

@NCTDN how annoying for your DD. Applying once in France isn't an option for DS unfortunately because the French insist on a visa to rent property, even the halls type accommodation. When does your DD go? I'm starting to panic about how little time we have. It's August tomorrow 😱

Glad to hear the job is going well @Oblomov24 and great work on the party. I only started watching the Olympics today, I was out all weekend and its been too hot in the evenings to sit inside watching telly, but I had an afternoon off today and watched some of the gymnastics.

Good luck with the visas everyone. And those dealing with other family admin. I still only work part time and one reason is that I do all our family admin apart from DH's tax return and car insurance as he is completely incompetent with it (I strongly suspect ADHD), there is quite a lot of extra for the DCs SNs and part of that is that I have to spend a significant amount of time helping DS with his admin, he is just doing paperwork for starting two new jobs and some medical stuff. My parents have asked me to start helping with their finances too. I am not an accountant or anything similar. I suspect I will stay part time till I retire now. I mentioned on here about a year ago that I was considering becoming a school governor, which I did, I am really enjoying it but that can be time consuming too, I put in 20 hour weeks on it a couple of times last term.

Glad you're enjoying job @Oblomov24 . I work part time and do the home admin as well @EasilyDefined. DH has a significant head injury and is unable to do much in that regard. As long as it isn't mobile phone contracts I don't mind too much!

We've watched a lot of Olympics especially swimming. DS knows some of the competitors as used to swim with them so has been shouting at TV a lot!

Big day today - finally lost bang on 2 stone and I'm 57 today - off to Betty's for celebratory cake later!

That is amazing Craggy, well done and have a fabulous day today!

I’m off for a Dean St Townhouse brunch with an old school friend who lived next road to me growing up. She didn’t have the guts to turn up at our recent 40th reunion; I can understand the anxiety behind these events (but I loved it).

Hope the party goes well Oblomov!

That's fantastic @craggyrat ! And happy birthday!

Well done, @craggyrat! And good luck with the party, @Oblomov24!

I do all the house admin here. As it happens I am going to 80% part-time next academic year and hope that will free up weekends!