Thread 53 - Covid GCSE Cohort - Happy New Year 2025 to our fab young people

[Delphigirl]

New thread! Looking forward to traversing 2025 with this fantastic group 🎉😘

Yes, good luck to all the DC, seems they are all busy whatever stage they are at. DD is coming up to A levels round 2. That is one A level and her EPQ. She seems fairly chilled but does seem to have a lot of work to do. Still hasn't heard back from Southampton Uni despite chasing.

Hi everyone, lovely to read everyone’s messages. Sorry to those who are dealing with issues of mh in their families, like zebras brother. That is incredibly difficult. Congrats to seeline’s DS passing his test and for the new job! Glad he is getting his partying out of the way. Good luck to those in the cohort wrestling with dissertations etc - my DS2 is a year behind yours because of a gap year, so year 2. He has done all his exams, has Easter break shortly then back to uni for literally 2 weeks and finished for the year on 2 May 😱. He has got himself an internship/summer job with a Dutch company who will plonk him on a surveying ship somewhere in the world for 18 weeks and return him end of Sept in time for term starting. He is delighted but I won’t see him at all!
DS1 has decided that he is more of a pure policy person than a political/strat comms person, and particularly likes defence policy (very timely given trump’s agenda) so has decided to do an MA in national security studies at the War Studies dept of KCL this September.
DD2 has returned from a few months in Vietnam and Laos, is working in a pub to replenish the coffers, and is planning on going to Argentina Chile and Paraguay for 2-3 months end May. She knows it will be winter in Patagonia but doesn’t care…

Good luck to all the revisers and course work finishers!

@Delphigirl sounds like all yours have got some exciting experiences ahead!

I am trying to keep up with the thread now after getting behind. Ds2 is a year behind now as he's doing this year in Australia. He will be home in July. He's got a house share arranged in Sussex for the final year. He knows a lad on his course who did a year in industry. So he will go into the house this lad has been in the last 2 years. He's not seen the place and it's much cheaper than the one he was in before, that was damp and not that nice...so I hope this next one is ok.

Ds3 is heading towards GCSEs. They are coming up fast. I'll be glad when school and uniform etc is finally over.

Lovely updates here, hoping all of you are looking forward to Easter, even if there is much study being done by most.

Your 3 out of 4 DC’s adventures continue to action packed and exciting @Delphigirl , it’s great that they have such a variety of interests between them.

Mine is now making a quick visit home for Easter due to our 4th set of family arriving from US since Xmas which is a lovely bonus. I think the motivation for such a busy year is the deterioration of my mother’s health, no one wants to feel regret. It’s been a difficult couple of years for DH and me to manage so I’m grateful for the cavalry!

Gosh that’s a lot of work for you @ealingwestmum . Really sorry to hear about your mums health. I can relate to that, it’s so tough. You must be v excited to be seeing your dd for Easter, even if only a flying visit.
I feel bad I didn’t update on dd1. She is living her best life, running half marathons, travelling on business to Brazil regularly which she LOVES (lots of selfies in tiny bikinis/ eating colossal steaks/in club class cabins 🤣) and just celebrated her 27th birthday…

I bet DS will miss Australia @icanbewhatiwant , but nice to have his accommodation all sorted. That must be difficult from so far away!

@Delphigirl yes he will miss it, he is such a long way, I did a FaceTime call with him on my birthday in March and we did one on his birthday in November. That's the only 2 times we've chatted properly via phone since he left in June. He was the same in Sussex, ds joked and said I'll call again in 6 months. He does WhatsApp me fairly regularly, though we can go a week where I hear nothing. Same with ds1 who is currently in Vietnam. I'm used to it now. I tell myself no news is good news. Ds3 had promised he will message me daily when/if he goes to uni. 🤔

Hehe, good to see DD1’s life is also full of beans @Delphigirl, I didn’t mean to shame you there!

omg @icanbewhatiwant he is so naughty! Well at least he remembered your birthday and I guess no news is good news.. 🤣

Haha @icanbewhatiwant ! Ds is a bit the same at the moment; when he was doing the structured stuff he tended to ring once a week/fortnight, because I guess everyone else was too. He's been travelling independently with friends for a few weeks now and we still haven't had a call. He will message on WhatsApp about random things like Trump, but we've had no updates about what he's actually doing in Cambodia!

@crazycrofter not just us then!

Ds has to do a different subject for a term at UOQ. Last term he chose psychology, he found that difficult as he'd never studied it, but interesting too. This term he's chosen Japanese. He's really struggling, ds did his usual of not turning up to the first couple of lectures, big mistake. He's been trying to catch up. He had an exam this week, on everything they've covered so far, he said it was a disaster, apparently he only needs 20% to pass, but he doesn't think he'll even get that. Goodness knows why he picked Japanese.

DS has now been accepted for a master's at Sheffield. He's likely to choose that over the London training course. Lots of it is money and imposter syndrome, but some if it is commonsense too. Sheffield does have an excellent reputation for journalism.

Congratulations @seeline's DS, just in the nick of time.
Congratulations to @piggy's DS. Is this better than the training course?wishing him all the very very best. These dc have worked really hard and continue to strive to make their mark and get to where they want to get to. I know not everyone here is Christian but i have to end this with 'May God establish the work of their hands', 'May He bring to fruition their every good thought'.

DS has settled really well into his new accommodation (moved from the bed bug infested place) and his new flatmates are more around his age group; a recent graduate, a Masters student, a boy in his foundation yr. They all watch tv together in the common room area and has been for a walk with one of them around Reading uni. so he definitely likes it. His transition to catching the bus to work instead of his usual 20min walk seems to have gone smoothly. He has a major review on Wednesday at work, so fingers crossed.

I'm not really sure shimy , to be honest - but it's his decision to make. He also has a place at Salford.

London was going to gobble up all his savings.

@Piggywaspushed Is it Sheffield program, less expensive, modest returns or specialist training program, more expensive but greater returns? either way, its very hard taking a step back as a parent but like you said it's his choice to make.
You just had to trust he knows what he's doing and pray whatever decision they make it will all turn out for the best.

So pleased at all the success!
Piggy, good for him, he chose Sheffield, over the London course!

@Piggywaspushed he can keep an eye on my DS who will hopefully be there in September!

DD is home. She’s been hanging out with her brother for 6 hours now. So far no arguments. They’ve even been out for a walk together (for an hour).

Lovely to hear @OublietteBravo ! My two are really close these days; ds has actually spoken to dd on the phone, in preference to us! Although I suspect dd was very persistent; she really misses him!

Good to have a decision made @Piggywaspushed and hopefully it will still be a good stepping stone into a career in journalism. I would love ds to make a decision about where he's going in September, but he's insisting on leaving it until the 5th June deadline 😫and is still convinced he'll pull off something even better in clearing.

Ds came home for a couple of days last weekend as he played for a gig in our home town but he went back Sunday evening. He was planning on going to visit his new girlfriend's family at Easter for 1 week, then coming home for a week but that is now all cancelled as he has been offered a job in Paris for 2 and a half weeks! He is very excited.

Sounds fab @Comefromaway ! Hope he has a great time

Ooh that’s exciting for him @Comefromaway !

@Comefromaway Isn't it great to be young and free! congratulations to him and hope he has a marvellous time.

@Piggywaspushed Just re read my message to you and thought it sounded a bit negative? it's difficult when one has two amazing choices, that's what i was trying to convey. Wishing him again all the very best of luck with his new course.

No, it didn't sound negative! DS is upbeat about it. I think he feels better now he has made a decision.