Thread 52 - Covid GCSE Cohort - Autumn 24 - Start of Uni Yr 3

[Oblomov24]

2024 Autumn, start of year 3 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.

51 Previous thread - 51.

Congratulations to your eldest son @Piggywaspushed and hope you start to feel the benefits of removal very soon, keep a mental food diary of things that make you feel worse and avoid until you are ready to re-introduce. Helps some.

Get well soon @Piggywaspushed ! Glad to hear ds’ new housemates are ok. I drive down Heeley Rd when I’m working on campus, as I tend to park for free at Selly Oak station - it’s a very handy location!

Well done to ds1! I’ve found that my kids getting cars has been life changing for me as well as them, although I miss chatting to them on lifts to/from the station! Is he still working as a TA?

Hi @BlueMarigold ! What is your dd doing on her placement?

@EternallyDelighted hope ds can find a new instructor and pass his test soon - I know it’s been a long slog for him. Both mine really improved with regular practice so I’m sure it will help if you can visit and take him out.

The TA job is another example of haplessness. He is supposed to have swapped it for a graduate teacher role, organised by a different hub school but at the same place as he was. They have now said they won't take him. (don't know why - he says nor does he) . He has now been placed in a school in Luton which makes everything far less appealing.

A lot of this is his own undoing.

@crazycrofter she helps with bat surveys and analysing footage from the cameras.

@BlueMarigold oh yes, I remember you saying that a while back! Sounds reallly interesting.

Oh dear @Piggywaspushed - I guess you have to let him make his own mistakes. How does a graduate teacher role work, is it a school based PGCE?

Get well soon @Piggywaspushed

DD had 3 driving instructors. I knew she hadn't really got on with the first two, but didn't really know why until we found her third (an independent, older lady). DD came in after her first lesson with her, utterly amazed. She said that the instead told her how to do things, had said well done, had told her how to do things better if something hadn't quite worked, hadn't shouted at her or other road users, hadn't used her phone whilst out, and no one had shouted at them or used their horn! I hadn't realised quite how bad the previous ones had been! It appears that they had done no actual teaching at all.

No,it's basically slave labour. Very low pay with no qualification attached but some training. Often seen as a way of making post uni money or as a try out for a PGCE.

Ah ok, is it better paid than TA? Does he want to teach @Piggywaspushed ?

Oh dear @seeline! Dd also had a rubbish first driving instructor who insisted he could only do two hour slots, but was always a bit late arriving and early finishing, and he didn’t take her beyond first gear for about the first 8 hours, just cruising slowly round a small estate! I also had a rubbish instructor who read the paper and touched my leg 😬 I only changed after 3 failed tests and it was a revelation to be taught things!

Ugh creepy driving instructors. I had a leg touching sexist man, then a nasty belittling woman before finding a lovely calm man, who taught well and paid attention, and brought Indian sweets as rewards. I still crave a bit of Barfi after a tricky right turn!

DS's driving instructor said he was ready for a test, booked in for 6 moths time and then said he would see him nearer the time for a refresher lesson before the test. He has now turned around and said he is not sure he is ready and might not agree to him using his car for the test! Anyone used their own car for a driving test and can share what we need to do?

Yup, that's the trick two of DS's instructors pulled. It's very common now. It seems they get traffic lighted by DVLA so are trying to game their stats. It's really bad.

I wouldn't let DS use my car - it's got a loose wing mirror for a start.

If you do, you need to get the extra rear view mirror as far as I know.

Once upon a time no one cared if you failed. You just tried again!

@handmademitlove dd did her test in our car. We’d moved areas. She did have a refresher lesson as she’d not had one for 6 months and then we took her out every day in our car for the week leading up to the test and she passed. I don’t know if it counted on the instructor’s stats? He wasn’t convinced she was ready but really she just needed practice.

Ds didn’t have any lessons, we taught him and he did all his (3!) tests in our car/his sister’s car. You just have to buy a rear view mirror and check on the DVLA website that your car qualifies (most do). Also, dd’s car had a couple of damaged bits as a result of her mishaps - we just had to tape them up!

Thanks all. He is a newly qualified instructor so I am guessing he is a bit nervous. We are planning to get lots of practice in over the next few weeks - his test is not for another month! Rear view mirror on the list to buy just in case.

The instructor DS passed with did try and put him off a bit. Yesterday was apparently his first ever test!

The two instructors who refused to let him use his car were very experienced.

DD took her driving test in our car. You need an extra mirror. DH took the car for a full service to make sure it was going to be ok. You need to let the insurance company know it’s going to be used for a test.

Is that your insurance company or the learner insurance or both @BlueMarigold ? I guess if they pass the learner insurance is no longer valid and you have to drive them home till you get them onto your insurance. We have the extra mirror, it is really useful.

We only had one insurance. That covered the car. I am the main driver and my daughter was added as a learner driver. It covered her for learning which was ok but once she passed it went up quite a bit. We moved her over to being the main driver. DD2 is also on it as a learner.

Ah, we have separate policies, I guess both need to be kept updated. I need to get DD on as well, she wants to start learning now too.

Ah yes, that’s right, make sure the learner policy covers tests!

I seem to have dropped off the thread

Speedy recovery Piggy

Ds is settled into his new halls. Much nicer than last years, he thought he wold be with random university students but they have put him with students from the same place including one who he already knows.

He and his girlfriend have split up but they are still friends. They still socialise etc together.

He loves his new piano teacher.

He still hates music history/contextual studies

He has finally succumbed to a haircut!

Ds would like long curly n top hair like his friend has naturally. But all that happens is that it weighs down from his scalp.

@Piggywaspushed Hope the recovery goes well.

Interesting ti hear about the different styles of driving instructors. We swerved one used by a lot through a sports club connection. A few of DS's friends said he was shouty. Finally a benefit of being young in the year!

I had a local legend (now deceased) who used to make me pull over (I was an expert at pulling up on the left) to chat to people (he knew everyone), smoked , and stuck his feet out of the window. I had Stockholm Syndrome and didn't sack him. Eventually passed once I escaped the cult of Chas and passed with a woman!