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.

If she doesn't want to register at uni, I would just email and say she is registered at her home address.

Council tax is strange and varies from place to place. My DS just downloaded the exemption from his uni portal and sent it to the local Council with his application for exemption.
For DD I've checked and she can only apply for an exemption if she has a CT reference number, so assume she just waits until a bill arrives and apply then.
Some unis just send a list of all their students to the local Council.
Some landlords apply for the exemption.
One of DSs housemates didn't get round to applying until he was sent a large bill. He sent his form from the portal in then and wasn't charged anything, so hoping whatever the system it can be sorted eventually!!

Thank you @Seeline. DD has decided to register for the Uni one too and has just done so. She's messaged the landlord and he suggested ringing up the council to sort council tax exemption as he doesn't actually know himself but this uni house has been a uni house for years and years so it will be known to the council.

In other news we have a roof leak so have had water coming through the light fixtures and loft space. It's been non stop chucking it down with rain all day and due to carry on tomorrow. Something else to have to deal with. Roof guy can't come til Saturday.

So, way back in 2020 when DS decided to study French A Level his aim was to live in France and find a French girlfriend. Apparently it's mission accomplished. He just needs to work out what the heck the four different timetables he's been sent mean now and crack on with the academic reason for being there.
Hope all the other travellers are equally well settled around the globe.

Hehe, love it when a YP’s dream goes to plan ;) So good to hear him enjoying life @mummyinbeds, I’m sure the academic logistics will come together.

All good here. DD has a very heavy schedule, 8 hours alone on Arabic, split into colloquial and modern, on top of the history/cultural modules. They have classes Sun/Mon with Tues as study/extra curricular, then lessons Weds/Thurs. Weekend is Fri/Sat. Gives her time to fit in her tutoring and socialising (which is plentiful). She is a happy bunny right now.

Great updates @ealingwestmum and @mummyinbeds - lovely to hear they’ve settled in so well.

@mummyinbeds that reminds me of dd’s long term plan from about age 12 of marrying a Welsh boy and living in Wales (she went on summer camps in Wales every summer!). 🤣 She’s actually just got herself her first Welsh boyfriend! 🤣

Great updates @ealingwestmum and @mummyinbeds

DS had a good week last week, he's only working weekends now, so went back to uni for the day, I took him half way to catch a train as it is a lot of connections otherwise, he mooched around, went to the library, generally re-acquainted himself (he doesn't start back till the 30th). He also had several meetups with friends plus a hockey match and beers afterwards.

DD re-enrolled for college, it took ages as she is taking a third year to finish her third A level (switched at the end of y12) and they needed to sort out what else she would be doing, she's back this week. We went on a spur of the moment theatre trip to the West End on Friday with half price tickets from the place in Leicester Square (online, but the kiosk is still there, that used to be a regular thing for me in the 90s) which was lovely.

@mummyinbeds, result. so pleased. This will also improve his vocab no end!

And @ealingwestmum dd also sounds so good.

I'm so pleased that our year-abroad'ers are thriving.

Not as exotic as France or Cairo but we moved DD into her new Y2 house in Norwich over the weekend. Tiny room, but the house seems nice. Did wonder whether we'd have to bring some stuff back with us, but it all went in eventually! Could have done without the M25 being shut on the way home but that's the joy of the M25.

Lovely updates today (except the M25 and leaky roof!).

I only post the good stuff Seeline :) in all seriousness, I don’t think it matters where they are so long as they’re doing ok. I love Norwich, if it wasn’t so close to my SIL I’d seriously think of relocating there. Oh, but for the large spiders that comes with rural too, my early years of living near Broadway when 19 still sends shivers down my spine. They were HUGE!

Oh - don't mention spiders!! My DDs worst nightmare 🫣

So pleased that the dispatches from France and Egypt (and Norwich) are so positive - hurrah!

Enjoying the lovely updates from all over and the blossoming romances.

DS has finished what turned out to be a month's work placement (initially only one week was offered), so hopefully good for the CV.

We're having a few days on the Norfolk coast next week. Looking forward to some delicious seafood. Sunshine would be nice too!

That’s great that it turned into a month @EwwSprouts !

That’s brilliant @EwwSprouts, a real confidence boost too for him. Enjoy the rest of your break.

I think I was on one or more of the earlier threads. Slightly disbelieving that this time next year, uni will be finished for No 1 who'll only just have turned 21. She went back at end of last week in the usual state of chaos and apparently sorted out all the rooms but forgot about hers so has the tiny one!

No 2 did GCSEs and jt felt odd to be first
time taking them but second child. And not the one I'd have chosen for my first full run at them either!!

Sounds like you're in the same position as me @GU24Mum DS2 just starting Y12 and having to start thinking about universities again while DS1 heading in to Yr3 (and me praying he gets a 2:1)

@EwwSprouts I love north Norfolk. Pack some winter woolies though - DD says autumn has definitely arrived in Norwich.

DH and I are off to Majorca for a week on our own in a couple of days. Looking at the forecast I think we might need some woolies too 🙁!

Enjoy Majorca @seeline! We're going to Corfu in just under 2 weeks.

Dd is currently in Tangier, got there yesterday. I had some whatsapps at 2am to say that the airbnb was dodgy, 10000 times worse than the one they had in Rome (in the red light district!) but they reported it and have been moved - phew!

Eek @Seeline I'm camping in North Norfolk at the weekend 😭
DD is on her way to Corfu and not impressed by the weather forecast either. She's been swimming in the sea in Aberystwyth three times since she went back last week so at least it will feel warm compared to the Irish Sea.

Oh sorry @mummyinbeds - I'm sure the forecast is wrong. But DD was trying to work out how to get the heating on in her new house yesterday...

Seeline, what temperatures are you expecting/hoping for in Majorca? It looks lovely, currently 25-29?

Me and the girls (2 closest friends) are off again for our annual long weekend, this weekend, this time to Cyprus and I was hoping for similarly high 20's, which is perfection for me, but now it's a bit too hot, they are saying 35-37, which is a tiny bit too hot for me.

@Oblomov24 yes looks lovely at the moment. We go late Thursday, Friday says 21 and rain, and the rest of the week gives a max of 23, with cloud. Monday might hit 26. We went 2 weeks later last year and it was high twenties/30s all week.

Hope you have a good break, but yes - mid 30s is 🥵

Hi all - not been here for a while but DS has had a good job all summer and is going back to uni soon to retake Year 2. I would rather he was giving up as I'm not convinced anything will be different but he really wants to do it so...

Gosh! found you all. Hello everyone! haven't read back whats been going on but quick update is that DS started his placement last week and has moved to Reading. Doesn't like his accommodation as no one seems to talk otherwise he's settling in. Hope all is going well with @bluemarigold's dc placement.