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.

I hope she’s had an absolute ball @Delphigirl enjoy the holidays with them all together!

I know I know, the problem is that all the borders to Egypt are pretty sketchy. I wish they could tell their tourist board that and move some of the attractions! And clearly DD bought some kind of I’m going for it meds, it’s SO unlike her. I am quite relieved that this semester is nearly over 😂

DS has got through to round 2 of a BBC apprenticeship. No idea how fussy they are. It's an online recruitment thing next.

@ealing so brilliant your DD is grabbing all these fab opportunities! I can’t wait to hear about my Dads experiences, the very few messages we have had have all been blissfully happy …
@Piggywaspushed - amazing!!! Fingers tightly crossed for him…

Hope your offspring get back safely @ealingwestmum and @Delphigirl and you enjoy your Christmases with them!

Well done to Ds @Piggywaspushed ! What’s it for specifically?

Great to hear of those in more exotic places. Wishing them all safe returns.

Good luck to @Piggywaspushed DS - sounds exciting!

Journalism.

@Piggywaspushed Good luck to your DS. One of DS's friends got in 15 months ago (not London) and it's been a steep but great learning curve. She has already fronted some on location reports on local news. Fingers crossed he gets a similar opportunity.

@Delphigirl I love that your Dad is also adventuring. Makes me think we are in the sandwich again. Hopefully we will all be able to do some travelling after retirement.

That’s great @Piggywaspushed , keep us updated!

@ealingwestmum I'm hoping DD is safely tucked up in Aberystwyth - not too far flung. She is planning her next trip to Ghana though.
When DD stopped off in Cairo on her first African trip she was on her own with no phone (until she found WiFi). I knew (assumed) she had arrived because she used my bank card to get cash out of an ATM to pay a taxi driver. She was 17 and far braver than I would have been.

@Delphigirl I hope you DD has had the most amazing adventure.
@Piggywaspushed good luck to your DS.

Great news @Piggywaspushed - good luck to your DS.

Hope all the adventurers get home safely!

@Seeline that must have been so frightening. We don't have any tracking for DS - i wish we did but I'm not sure he would agree. At home it didn't seem an issue but once he's out in the world somewhere it would bother me.

Congratulations to DS @Piggywaspushed 🤞he goes all the way.

@Delphigirl happy reunion!

We're the same with find friends- unwritten rules about using it. @Piggywaspushed I love that programme!

@Seeline that is scary. Glad he’s ok now.

We had tracking while the DC were teens but once they turned 18 they turned it off. I think that’s their right and also stopped me worrying about why they weren’t where I expected them to be.

DH and I have find my iPhone on and the DC can still see where I am even though I can’t see them. I found that easier than them calling me while I’m in a client meeting or similar. I don’t think they bother looking though. DH and I look at each others location a fair bit but for practical reasons. I’m absolutely fine with that, I have nothing to hide.

good luck to DS with the next stage @Piggywaspushed

DS started his new job yesterday, he had a good day 😊

Great news @24newernames , hope he continues to enjoy it!

Well done to @Piggywaspushed and @24newernames!

Good luck to your DS @Piggywaspushed and to your DS @24newernames well done to both of them.

I haven't caught up with the million messages since I was last on but hope everyone and their DCs are doing OK. I've been slightly over worked and stressed for a bit but all calming down a bit now I hope.

DS2 is bringing more stress by dropping the only extra curricular activity he's doing and really not pushing himself for the super curriculum stuff other than being entered for the Chemistry Olympiad. I think his aspirations for Oxford are becoming more of a pipe dream every day! 😬

DS1 - who knows how he's doing..

It is great to see good news from @Piggywaspushed and @24newernames

Things are going that well for us unfortunately. DD1 is constantly stressed and grumpy. She is struggling to do her uni work and there doesn’t seem to be much support. She is stressed about next year as she can see the pressure her friends who went straight to year 3 are under. They have changed the exam format from open book/online exams to closed book written exams.

DD2 is also struggling with her Alevels. It is looking more likely she will be going to her insurance choice uni.

Does dd have uni work to do whilst on placement @BlueMarigold ? I hope she gets to grips with it.

What is dd2's insurance uni?

Dd chose a Theology module this semester, as they were allowed to choose one module from outside Psychology. As she's a Christian (and her dad is a minister!) she thought she'd find it easier, and she's good at writing essays (or at least she was in year 13, the last time she did this type of essay!). She's now feeling a bit unsure, as she doesn't know what's expected in terms of how to structure the essays or how to do the referencing! Hopefully, between dh, her helpful friend who studies Theology and the lecturer (if she dares to approach him!) she'll get there. I just hope it doesn't backfire!

@crazycrofter yes DD1 is doing an MSci course with a professional placement where she has to do her project during the placement.

DD2 has Reading uni as her insurance. We really liked it a lot and it’s closer to home. She is struggling with 4 Alevels especially Physics.

@BlueMarigold Sorry to hear that things are trickier with you. My only advice is to really chase any support she needs from uni, I wish we had been a bit more of a pain in the backside as it may actually have led to some proper support.

A friend's DS is in his third year at Reading, it has been good for him so far. I don't know what the first choice was but Reading is still a very respectable uni.

I hope things calm down a bit for you soon.

Does she have to take all 4 A Levels @BlueMarigold ? It's a lot and it would be better for her to get 3 better grades. I've heard good things about Reading though and it will probably be on ds's UCAS form although he thinks the town is too boring (not that he's actually visited!)

If ds does go to uni next Sept I will be seeking advice from you @24newernames and others as to what support to ask for and how to complete DSA etc! Although he got quite cross with me at the weekend for doing things for him; he says the only way to become independent is to do things himself...

I am finding this dilemma more and more @crazycrofter my DS still needs a lot of support with his admin but there is a cost to his privacy e.g. with medical stuff, someone mentioned the questions about sexuality on forms etc, I usually say, oh those are optional, leave them out if you'd rather, but it does feel unfair me being privy to it all. I think at some point he may need to engage a PA for an hour a week or so instead of me. But of course there will be admin associated with that too.