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 🎉😘

She’s going to be a personal assistant. I doubt it’s her dream job, but she’s delighted not to have to go back to waitressing/bar work. And it’s a permanent role with a salary (and a David Lloyd gym membership) - that’s not to be sniffed at in the current economic environment. I imagine she’ll do it for a couple of years, and then use the experience to move on to something else.

It’s great to see what some of the dc’s are up to next. I’ve been on the thread since the gcse year. The time has gone quickly. Ds2 still has one more year at uni. but he’s already worried about how difficult it will be to get a job when he’s done. He says if he can’t get a job he will do a masters. Ds1 has spent the best part of 2 years travelling since his degree, he has been home 6 weeks or so job hunting, he’d love to get into ecology (biology degree) but everything he’s applied for wants more experience, so no idea how he’s going to get into it. He’s now said yes to a temporary summer job where he and ds2 have always worked the summer, at a grain place. Ds2 starts 30th June but ds1 doesn’t start until mid July as his job is slightly different. So that means he’s still got 6 weeks with no work, he has been doing to the odd bat surgery of an evening though. We live on the Norfolk/suffolk borders, so not that many job opportunities really. They will both need to move away to work I think. Ds3 is currently taking GCSEs. He’d like a degree apprenticeship after A levels, but he’s unlikely to find anything where we live.

Good to hear from you @icanbewhatiwant and good luck to ds1 with the job hunt and ds3 with GCSEs!

I’ve just dropped dd back in Nottingham for what feels like the hundredth time this year - can’t wait for her to get her licence back! Lenton was full of students dressed up for balls and parties. Dd is out tonight with her work friends, then having 70 😮 to her house tomorrow for her 21st. Sunday is a Psychology ball on a barge and then there’s something every day next week …

I drove past Loughborough uni on the way back as research for Ds… no evidence of partying there but lots of students jogging and the football pitches all in use… Quite different!

My friend’s DS has just had a great 1st year at Loughborough @crazycrofter .

Well, DS has had a bit of an unsettled week back home, his stuff is gradually getting sorted and put away and we are getting used to all being at home again. He went back to a volunteer job today and out with a home friend this evening, and has got a full week of volunteering next week with the possibility of some paid work next weekend.

That’s good to hear @ExpensiveDecoration - it’s a bit of a pipe dream really, depends if it’s in clearing…

Souhds like your Ds has got a busy week ahead, which is a good way to start. Fingers crossed for the paid work!

Oh to be young @crazycrofter ! I feel exhausted just reading that...I know a few of DS swimming friends who went to Loughborough and they enjoyed it a lot.

Hope your DS soon get settled back in home life and finds something that suits him @ExpensiveDecoration .

DS two thirds through exams. Finishes next wek thrn last two weeks will be college ball and rowing bumps and fun stuff. When we first saw cambridge on a mini break when he was first 15 he walked into the college grounds of where he now is, saw people celebrating finals with champagne and said I'd like to go there! He won't be home now until end August with the college job but it will be weird having him back. I hope he gets some interim work while the army application starts in earnest.

We took DS out for dinner in Newcastle this evening. He’s promised he’s going to pack this evening. He’s cutting it rather fine!

Aw that’s amazing that he ended up exactly where he wanted to go @craggyrat !

Hope ds got everything packed @OublietteBravo !

Dd has finally managed to get overlapping contracts so she can move her stuff straight into her year 4 house instead of bringing it all home!

Thanks @crazycrofter . I've got a list of questions re end of term and next year logistics that's a mile long that I'm saving up for next Saturday for when he's done with exams! Am glad your DD has got the overlapping contracts. Makes life much easier for you.

We’re home with DS. He was just about packed, although we had to help him clean as his room was filthy! Feeling tired now - we’ve driven over 1000 miles collecting children over the past 9 days.

@OublietteBravo Wow that is a lot of miles. Things we do for the DC. Enjoy time with them.

@craggyrat How fantastic that he fulfilled his aspiration!

@crazycrofter Overlapping contracts is the dream but so rare. Well played by your DD.

Actually, strictly speaking they don’t overlap - current one ends 31 Jul and new one starts 1 Aug - but the new landlord is letting them move their stuff over in July, so even better!

Well done @OublietteBravo thats a lot of driving!

DS made the podium today, coming third in the first day of competition at his world championship out of 39 competitors. He is 7 points behind the leader.

He is not expected to place (in the competition overall) as he is so young and its his first senior comp, so this is like winning gold!!

@Aslockton that's fantastic! Well done to your DS

That’s amazing! What was the competition?

Scary day here to find out about shootings in Austria where DD is. All is fine with her phew! Just really sad to hear of these events.

@NCTDN that sounds very worrying. Glad your DD is snt caught up in it but sorry for those who were.
@Aslockton well done to your DS.

DD is having an eventful time in Ghana. She's only been in the volunteering village for two days and has already been in a taxi which hit a small child, so she was interviewed by the local police. The child was okay but the driver was mobbed by angry locals. A body washed up on the beach this morning too and nobody can identify the poor soul. And whilst she was in Accra she came across a cow being slaughtered at the side of the road as part of the Eid celebrations.
Apart from that she's loving it as always. She's a bit of a local celebrity - it's her fourth time there and everyone seems to know her. She hears her name being shouted and gets random hugs wherever she goes.
Meanwhile, DS failed some of his exams - he only got the results today and resits have already started so he's too late to do anything about it. This seems the usual way in French uni. He's not sure what that means for his degree so will speak to Nottingham. No point speaking to Toulouse uni apparently. But it's 35° and he's chilled and loving life so I'm happy with that 😊

@NCTDN So glad to hear your DD is safe, what a relief, very sad for those affected, very sad indeed.

@mummyinbeds Your news from Ghana is shocking and i hope the body can be identified and I'm so glad the small child wasn't too badly hurt, your DD must be quite shaken to have been in the actual taxi. I hope you ds is is too affected by the exams he failed. How much of it will go into his actual degree? yrs abroad etc tend to not carry that many points so hopefully it won't bring his average down.

@shimy DD is absolutely fine - she's been in a car accident/incident every time she's been to Ghana, including a hit and run followed by a chase with her still in the taxi. It seems like run of the mill life there.
DS only has to attempt a certain number of credits and pass 70% of those (he thinks) It's just very difficult to work out how many credits he has as it depends on whether he took courses with or without tutorials and whether the tutor realized they were exchange students 🤷‍♂️ It won't effect his degree classification but could change his degree from ' with French law' to 'with French'. So I'm not sure it matters but he needs to confirm this.

I thought of your dd this afternoon @NCTDN - so glad she’s safe, but what a shock.

@mummyinbeds sounds like dd is having an eventful time! These trips must be so character building. We found the same with ds’ month in Vanuatu. He really had to grow up and face a lot of discomfort and frustration. As well as having to plan their own time, work out what to do with the kids and try to learn the language!

Sorry your Ds has failed some exams - fingers crossed it doesn’t impact his degree.

@crazycrofter Vanuatu is on DD's bucket list. Would your DS recommend it?
DD was thrown in to a class of about 40 under 5's the first time she went to Ghana and the teacher left to go to another class. She was a rather shy 17 year old at the time. She now has her favourite class but happily pops in and out of classrooms to help out - there are no doors (or walls in some cases). Apart from the youngest, they are taught in English because depending which village they are from, they speak different versions of Twi or Asante. The school is chaotic and severely under funded (Computer science is theory only because even the head teacher doesn't have a computer) and understaffed but the kids are happy 😊

Not surprised your DD is shaken @NCTDN, such a dreadful thing to happen.

Love the updates @mummyinbeds, your DD manages all the ‘drama’ so well, definitely character building. Fingers crossed for your DS that he is not adversely affected once the full set is released.

DD is currently sitting exams in circa 36 degrees heat, no air con in exam rooms. Last night’s was 18.30 to 21.30. She is ready to come home now but another week to go. She doesn’t comprehend how a region is so unprepared for weather that occurs every year, my response is welcome to the world of state funding 😂

@NCTDN so glad you DD is safe, such a horrible thing to happen.

@Aslockton Well done to your DS!

@mummyinbeds what a horrible couple of days for your DD but glad she's managing OK, sounds like a chaotic place to be! Good luck to your DS getting the exam stuff sorted, keeping my fingers crossed that the classification isn't affected.

Good luck to your DD with her exams @ealingwestmum

Thanks everyone - dd is fine.

@NCTDN Glad to hear she is fine. The whole city must feel shaken at such an awful tragedy.

@mummyinbeds Hope your DS has options that mean he can progress smoothly. Your DD is one resilient cookie!