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 🎉😘

@NCTDN That pun has been used several times over the last few months 😂

@mummyinbeds Happy birthday! You sound like the best mum taxi.

The Toulouse pun made me chuckle.

@crazycrofter eldest DD (and boyf) are going to Oz on a year-long working holiday visa. They went travelling for eight months last year but didn't stop anywhere for long, so this is an experiment in living and working abroad. We don't think the intention is to stay permanently and maybe not even the whole year (some of he friends are getting married later this year which she'd quite like to be back for) but it's a one-way ticket so who knows? I think they may find it harder than they anticipate to find work so it might not be a long trip at all.

DS meanwhile is slogging away at his essays. Think he's nearly finished one but then has two more due imminently. I'm not sure he's fixed his former problem of over-indexing on one topic only to result in no time for the others. I'm offering lots of tea and sympathy and the occasional proofread. And middle DD has started her new job and is already frustrated that they aren't giving her enough to DO - just lots of reading up on projects and processes. I'm sure that will soon change!

@mummyinbeds happy belated birthday and I hope you got some relaxation after your midnight snowy travails!

@blinkbonny good luck to them! I've heard it can be tricky finding work there, but ds met up with a friend in Sydney last week who's working for Domino's!

Dd's boyfriend went home yesterday and she's getting stuck into revision. She's staying at home for the exam period as only one is in person and she thinks she'll work better at home (and she'll have meals made for her and washing done!).

Dropped DS back yesterday for a week of rowing practice before term starts. He's 21 tomorrow. Not sure how that happened! Can't believe only 2 terms left

Happy birthday tomorrow for CraggyJunior. I can’t believe they’re half way through the final year (or nearly, DS will finish in late May). He went back last weekend as he is swamped with work and struggles to focus at home (I know how he feels, I could never WFH regularly) and the library here has limited opening hours compared to the one at uni. He’s got 4 assignments due this week (I think, I’ve lost track although he does talk to me about them). When I spoke to him yesterday and asked would it ease off after this he says he thinks it’s going to be like this till the end of the year with having to finish his dissertation too. He came back for a <24 hour visit to go to the dentist on Wed/Thurs which was nice but not sure when we’ll see him again now.

What with all the work, driving lessons, his job (only a few hours a week) he is a busy chap. As for applying for jobs, who knows. He has applied for a summer internship that he’s really keen on and put a lot of effort into but it took hours, it seemed to be easier back in our day somehow. We’ve discussed this before haven’t we. He will have the fallback of last year’s summer jobs.

Thanks @ExpensiveDecoration yes i think these last two terms are going to be a long slog! And the amount of time these applications take is just ridiculous. The full day in person assessment day DS did in December for grad scheme where he was last 8 out of 1200 - never even heard back from them. Beyond rude in my opinion!!

I agree @craggyrat - I can't believe how rude the job seeking process has become! DS had a final interview and never heard back. He also had a final interview cancelled and despite chasing a couple of times to rearrange it (surely that should have been the employer's responsibility?), never got a response!
He was part of a group interview on Friday for a grad job, and at the end of the day, they were very clear as to what the time line was, and promised that everyone would be informed either way - surely that should always be the case?!
And yes @ExpensiveDecoration I'm sure it was easier in our day!!

@Seeline rubbish isn't it. They don't even need a stamp and a letter anymore to inform people - just an email! DS is first reserve on another scheme and got loads of feedback and heard straightaway.

Good luck to your DS Craggy!

Happy birthday to your young man @craggyrat tomorrow!

And all the best to the YP here going through the recruitment ringer. It is truly brutal how they’re treated re ghosting front.

Anyone with any advice/suggestions for finding a cheap all inclusive holiday post GCSE's. I started a thread. But finding one, once you check the reviews is so hard.

Happy 21st to not so junior any longer @craggyrat

I dropped DS back yesterday. He spent all last week on a 5000 word project report and it was submitted with a day to go! This was a record early.
We'll see him briefly at the end of the month when he has an assessment day and will overnight here. It's the furthest he's got with any application. Agree the ghosting in the application process is awful.

Sorry @Oblomov24 we tend to self-cater, but friend has just had a fabulous AI week on the outskirts of Agadir if you fancy a little more exotic. Also have had three friends recommend Albania for great beaches and friendly people.

We tend to self-cater too, or splurge on a cruise every few years (I thought I'd hate them but actually really enjoy them although wouldn't want to do it every year). Thinking about it we are free in that period too this year, once DD finishes her second round of A levels and DS finishes at uni. Just haven't thought that far ahead yet.

On the same subject, a question - travel insurance. I was on a thread yesterday about medical issues and travel insurance. We've so far always done single trip because we don't travel much and had the DCs on it with us (neither has gone abroad without us yet). Someone said you can only do that while they are in full time education. So do they then have to get their own policy? What happens if they have an accident but you have to stay with them or similar?

@ExpensiveDecoration we used LV for our trips last year - got a year long policy.

Family and Group Travel Insurance | Get A Quote | LV=

DS had graduated, and DD was under 21 - all were covered, even on other trips (DD as long as it was with another over 21, or uni/school trip).

We didn't have to use it, so can't comment on service.

Thanks @Seeline that's worth knowing. We've never travelled abroad with friends/extended family either but I guess the same sort of scenarios have to be covered, accident to one affecting the others. We have got a lot of medical stuff so usually use the medical specialising ones now (DH's prostate cancer diagnosis has tipped us over into using these, before it was just run of the mill cholesterols etc so I have delegated that particular part of life admin to him now).

DD is back from her assessment centre. It sounds like she’s really enjoyed the experience. There were 9 candidates and there are 3 positions. So she’s done incredibly well whatever the outcome. She asked what it was on her application that stood out. Apparently it was the fact that she was doing law alongside business. Which I thought was really interesting.

DS went on a 1 week learn how to surf holiday last yr. I'll ask him for the details.

@OublietteBravo best of your luck to your DD. She's done really well ! Hope it's a positive outcome.

DS spent 5 hours on the river from 6am today. Not my idea of a good birthday but there you go...! He's waiting to hear from RAF over assessment day last week but he said it was really tough so not confident.

Great question to ask @OublietteBravo , hope she gets a positive outcome 🤞

@OublietteBravo Fingers crossed she lands one of the places. Sounds as if she was well prepared.
@craggyrat Hoping your DS also gets a positive result. He's got stamina staying on the river in these freezing temperatures for so long.

Good luck to your kids @OublietteBravo and @craggyrat . That’s interesting about the Law and Business combo - what’s the job/grad scheme involve?

Dd is now saying she’s certain about clinical psychology - which is incredibly competitive and she won’t be getting a first! But like Ds, she does like a challenge!

@crazycrofter - it’s the marketing grad scheme at BMW/Mini. So you’d think they’d want business with marketing. But apparently the strategy manager was really interested in the law component.

And as if waiting for an assessment centre outcome isn’t enough, DS starts his first set of uni exams tomorrow morning. First up: maths (he’s studying chemistry).

I posted this on the last thread not realising there was a new thread. So I'll add it on here too...sorry if you read it already but I'm guessing most people don't look at the old one.

Pasted from the old thread; I managed to accidentally delete mumsnet from my phone. I kept thinking I must put it back on, but kept forgetting. So I’m very behind with the thread.

Our news…those who remember us, ds2 went on his year abroad in Australia back in July. He met a gf out there, a non uni student. His first proper gf. Spent every spare minute with her, did no socialising with uni students. 6 months later they split up. So as Ds has no other friends there, he decided to quit. I am a bit annoyed at him really, I wouldn’t have put him down as the sort to give up. The university broke up for the summer in November and don’t return until the end of Feb. By then he only has 4 months of studies and he’s finished. He decided to quit mid November but isn’t home yet. He says he wants to work full time until he re starts at Sussex uni in October. At the moment there are hardly any students there as they all returned home for the summer. So he is in the flat on his own. I keep asking when he’s coming home, but he doesn’t reply. He has to pay £160 week rent for the flat until 1st July. So I guess it’s better that he’s using it.

I also said on here that my 3 ds’s wanted me to go to Japan with them in December. I wasn’t sure as I never go far and have only been abroad 4 times. Well…we did go. Ds3 (year 11) came with me. Ds2 went there from Australia and ds1 who was travelling when we booked it, but ended up being home, made his own way there. It was a huge culture shock for me. I found it overwhelming. But I soon got used to it. I’m glad I went. Though I’m never sitting on a plane for 15 hours again!!

Right, that’s our news, now to do some catching up with the thread