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.

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DS has done most of his dissertation this term as well. Next two terms are just going to be v full on I think. He is first reserve for some London grad scheme he applied for and has assessment day at a Leeds HQ next week for two years grad marketing scheme. i think he is still hoping for RAF. He has the penultimate of many stages happening before term starts which is overnight at Cranwell for fitness tests and interviews. He's also applied to America for a Masters. I think finishing uni panic has set in as to what to do next! Inside I'm screaming "Earn some money!!!"

Glad your DS interview went well @PhotoDad .

Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas. One more working week to go...

DS came home Friday and seems to have had a good term. No holiday mode here after the usual sports this weekend. He will be working at his part-time job and has 5000 words to write before mid-Jan. He's not behind, they've been in the labs all term and the initial presentation was done last week. I'm heading into our busiest week of the year. Roll on Christmas Eve.

DD came home last night. She also just handed in a 2000 word essay which she has been working on for over a month. In Nov she had another group presentation which everyone had to prepare snd present for 10 mins then answer questions on everyone In the groups
Presentations. sadly 1 member didn't pull his weight snd handed them his work 2.00am on the morning of the presentation which was at 11.00am! DD had even booked a room for a couple of run-throughs beforehand but hr always turned up with nothing done (or started).. his presentation over ran so they all lost marks.

DD has some work experience tomorrow at a local uni here which she seems very nervous about. Her friend's Dad sorted it for her and has organised a great 2 days in the labs, but at the moment she is dreading it. Im sure once she is there she will be fine And really enjoy it. But its the build up she struggles with. She will be worried she will get lost,
Be late etc.

It's her 21st on Friday so she has that to look forward to. Its just been a stressful 6'weeks for her so once Wednesday arrives she will feel she can finally relax.
Well until she starts revising for exams in mid Jan!

Hope you all enjoy your young person being home for however long it is for, snd that you get time to relax yourselves.

Ds1 comes home Tuesday, very little partying been done in Notts because he's been in bed for a week ill.

Good luck to you DD on her work experience @Heifer

We have had bad news. Unfortunately my MIL passed away so it’s been a difficult time. I posted she was sick a couple of weeks ago. Difficult time for DD2 who will have to attend a funeral during her mocks. I don’t think she will focus very well.

@BlueMarigold Very sorry to hear your sad news about MIL. My condolences to all of you.

@Oblomov24 What a shame he's missed all the festive fun. Hope he is well and truly on the mend.

Oh I'm so sorry @BlueMarigold. There's never a good time but near Christmas is especially hard. I'm sure DD will be able to get extenuating circumstances on her mock results. Hugs to you all x

Very sorry to read your news @BlueMarigold . I hope your DD2 is going to be well supported by school.

Great experience for your DD @Heifer, hopefully her nerves will dissipate quickly once she starts.

It’s a horrid time of year for lurgies @Oblomov24, hope your DS feels better soon.

@craggyrat it’s been a long slog for your DS, he’s so near the line, rooting for the RAF opportunity to come off for him.

@EwwSprouts hang in there!

@BlueMarigold so sorry to hear about your MIL

Neither of mine are home yet. Reading about all the students arriving home is making me realise that I actually miss them. DD will be home on Tuesday - she has a 2500 word essay to finish first. Luckily for her, everyone got an extension due to storm Darragh and the 2 days of power cuts in Aber. She has some work shifts organised, another essay to write and an exam to revise for in January. DS has finished his exams but won't be home until next Sunday. He's only home for two weeks and is planning on spending New Year in Nottingham.

So sorry to hear your news @BlueMarigold

My condolences, @BlueMarigold.

@BlueMarigold I’m really very sorry to hear that, my condolences. My MIL is also unwell and in and out of consciousness so I appreciate how difficult your last few weeks have been. Why is it this happens so often around Christmas I wonder.

My ds2 came home from Plymouth for the holidays at 5.30 pm and at 8pm I had to drive to London where I’m working for the rest of the week. I could scream!!!!!

Sorry to hear that @Delphigirl. Sending love to you at this difficult time xx

Thank you everyone for your kind words. I think this time of year there are a lot of bugs around and MIL’s immune system was compromised due to some medication she was taking.

So sorry @BlueMarigold

Hope DS is better soon @Oblomov24

DD and I are home alone for a few days as DH is visiting his ill friend again and DS doesn't come back till Friday. It's nice just the two of us for a change. Not that it isn't nice with the others, but the house feels more spacious somehow (it's not very big). We are volunteering as Elves with the local Santa that goes round the houses tomorrow night, I've done it before, DD hasn't as you have to be 18 which she wasn't till this year.

So sorry to hear that @BlueMarigold and also @Delphigirl .

Lovely to hear of kids coming home! Dd is due back tomorrow. She says she’s getting a sore throat, let’s hope it’s not the bug that @Oblomov24 ds has! Hope he’s better soon!

DD was ill last week in Nottingham too but had to carry on with finishing her essay. She skipped a days labs as said she couldn't get out of bed so did some work on her essay in bed. Thankfully she had almost finished it before becoming ill.
She is coughing and full of cold still but says she feels fine now. It ruined the last few days as she didn't go out at all.

Hope your DS feels better soonest @Oblomov24 and hope your DD manages to brush it off @crazycrofter.

Sorry to hear re your MIL @BlueMarigold, Hope you are all ok.

Love the volunteering together @EternallyDelighted that sounds like fun.

Sorry to hear about your MIL
Too @Delphigirl and you having to go away the minute your DS2 came home, that must have been hard.

@Heifer hope the work experience goes well.

@BlueMarigold very sorry to hear about your MIL.

Lots of bugs round at the moment. DS came home with one and I came down with it last week. I've got a shocking cough and missed the only xmas event I was actually going to!

I missed a few posts last night, sorry also to hear about your MIL @Delphigirl

Lots of bugs here too, I developed a cough about a week ago but no other symptoms, I kept myself away from people as best I could for a few days but couldn’t stay off work as I wasn’t feeling unwell, luckily I have my own office. By Weds half the place was off sick with one thing or another, it’s just that time of year. Annoyingly I had to cancel a blood donation, flu jab and optician appointment, can’t get another blood slot for ages but will keep an eye out for cancellations.

Sorry to hear sad news - this time of year makes it worse, so thinking of you all.

I'm going to collect DD from Norwich on Wednesday. She has a her subject society Christmas do tonight which she has stayed for. As she has no exams, she doesn't have to go back for the 2 week assessment period after Christmas, and won't need to be back in Norwich until the last week of Jan. Hence why I need to pick her up - she needs enough stuff to last 6 weeks which she can't manage on the train! She has 3 assays to finish before the middle of January though assures me she has made good progress on them all.

I was out last night at my choir's Christmas celebration evening. It's always great fun and much more relaxed than our formal concerts - it's really just for friends and family. Some of the really good ladies do solo slots (no, I'm not one ), and we lay on a spread of food for the interval. It's finally got me some Christmas spirit.

Sympathy to fellow sufferers! I am off work today because I spent a lot of last night coughing and with a splitting headache. This morning, despite medication, I still have both things hanging around (much milder). The last time I was off sick was about 5 years ago!!! Going back to sleep.