Thread 55 - Covid GCSE Cohort - Autumn 25 - Yr 4 Uni and Graduates

[Oblomov25]

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.
Previous thread 54:
Thread 54

Sounds like dd is really settling in to her new job @OublietteBravo !

Good luck with the chemistry!

@EndlessDistraction ds is talking about year 2 accomm as well, but he really wants to try for a semester abroad, which I assume would mean it would be unwise to sign up for a house for a whole year? i need to check but I assume Nottingham uni accomm offers just a semester if need be. But then he may well not get the semester abroad, as only 60% get it, and then he'd be stuck without housemates...

@OublietteBravo is your DS doing a Chemistry degree?

Yes. He’s in the second year of a chemistry degree at Newcastle.

Is he enjoying it (other than the NMR!)?
My DS2 has just applied for Chemistry with drug discovery / medicinal chemistry (depending on the uni). He’s just got offers from Notts and Sheffield but really wants Bath.

He’s home!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn - yes, he’s enjoying the course. Especially the labs. And having a fabulous time in Newcastle.

He had offers from Leeds, Loughborough, Cardiff, Aberdeen and Reading as well as Newcastle (yes - I know it’s only possible to apply to 5, but if you get a quick rejection you can add another university. And then the university that had initially rejected him changed their mind. Not that it made any difference - we all loved Newcastle at the open day and that was always his top choice).

@OublietteBravo i love that he had six offers! Ds managed nine as he had four in the normal application process, then rejected them all and got five in clearing 🤣

He’s back too but we’ve barely seen him as he’s been out with friends.

Glad your DS's are home @OublietteBravo and @crazycrofter I think DS's Imperial application is a waste of time as he hates London and we can't afford it in the unlikely event he gets an offer. He has also said he doesn't want to go to an interview but Imperial always interview! I wish they would just send the rejecting so he could add somewhere more realistic but his two weeks is up this Wednesday - it is two weeks isn't it?

Yes it's two weeks @JustHereWithMyPopcorn . Bath is also pretty expensive! Dd applied there, but they still hadn't offered by Feb and she'd decided she was going to Nottingham by then so she ditched them. I was a bit relieved! I also don't think it would have suited her - she's a big city girl really.

Has ds visited all his options or will he be deciding via offer holder days?

I hear that Bath is expensive but it’s his favourite. We toured the accommodation at Imperial in the summer, the cheapest was £12k a year for a single self catered room in the basement with one window directly in front of a concrete wall! 😂

He has visited all the ones he applied to but I will encourage going to the offer days too just to make sure.

Still no progress here on the Army - they're reviewing medical records fully now that they have GP letter so fingers and toes crossed. DS had full day history PGCE interview in Cambridge last week and had really good feedback and has an offer if he wants to take it up. I think the teaching assistant job helped hugely, especially with some SEN duties as part of it. So some good news! He breaks up tomorrow for the fortnight. Nice!

Well done to ds @craggyrat ! It's great that he has that option; when is the deadline for deciding? I guess he could always accept and then pull out later if he gets an army offer?

Let’s hope they review their processes too @craggyrat so not to make incorrect rejections again, what is the point of spending £££ on ad campaigns to then turn down excellent candidates?

Mine is home on Saturday. It’s seems like a very long semester this time.

Thanks - he has 20 days to accept so not long. It was a very full on day but they provided accommodation and train fares so that was nice. Hes going to accept and then see what happens with Army as he really enjoys the TA role. Hes got offers for Classics MA from Durham and archaeology from York but I think he'd rather do the PGCE at the moment.

We were told by someone at gym who is Forces that Capita reject a huge percentage straight off on medical grounds so as to squeeze more money as then thry fo the review process as well. Not sure how true that is but for RAF he had to go twice to medical as they couldn't run the hearing test the first time.

@ealingwestmum - bet you can't wait for Saturday!

@craggyrat great news about the Cambridge offer, it would be sensible to accept that until the army get their act together at least.

That is great news about the Cambridge pgce @craggyrat. Accept everything and make decisions later. It is wonderful that he is enjoying being a TA. I bet he is learning so much but ready for Friday to come!

We broke up last week and have just spent 5 days in València, Spain, getting some winter rain! As soon as we landed everyone’s phones started going off with emergency alerts for major flooding in the València area from the local government agencies. We did get 2 days of fine weather and hired bikes to cycle to the beach and through the arts and science park. It is nice to have a change of scene, explore the indoor food markets and galleries.

DS is pleased interest rates have fallen and his house seems to be going through ok. No red flags on the survey. DD has a week of exams before finding out where she will be based for the next two years. Both home for Christmas next week.

Just catching up with the updates after a few days exploring a mixture of Christmas markets and 20th Century history in Gdansk.
DS and DD are both home for Christmas. Both have essays to write, one has a dissertation to get on with and the other a French exam to get in the mindset for (nothing to really revise for this one). So obviously they're snuggled up on the sofa watching Christmas movies.
DS has a few shifts lined up at our village pub, including Christmas day. He's hoping for New Years Eve too as his bank account is more than empty. DD's cafe job she's had since the end of year 11 can't give her any shifts this Christmas which is disappointing and a relief as she has grown to hate the job over the years and does nothing but moan about it.

Thanks everyone. @Aslockton weather in Spain and canaries been v unseasonal I think! Enjoy having them home

Glad you've got them both back @mummyinbeds ! Dd came back yesterday, with the rabbits - first time they've been here. They're now roaming free in her room..

We're meeting both the dcs' partners after our carol service on Sunday; no pressure, but both of them are very excited about it and think we'll love them! Really hope we do..

Enjoy having your dd back @ealingwestmum !

Where has December gone! Nearly Christmas! DD is home and got an extension on her last assignment so took some days off to decompress after the funeral but is now back at it.
How did the meeting of the partners go after Sunday’s Carol concert go@crazycrofter
We now have a date to meet DD’s boyf parents and also get to see his new house at the same time.
Very exciting about your DS new place too@Aslockton- is it local to you?

Has DS decided where he’s accepting @JustHereWithMyPopcorn- is it Bath?
The history PGCE at Cambridge sounds fab @craggyrat- can he accept then decline to go into the army if they come through with good news?

Have a wonderful Christmas time everyone and here’s to a great 2026 to come 🎄🥂

@AnneOfCleavage good to hear fom you. Yes he has accepted the place and done all the paperwork. Just need to post off original certificates to them which makes me nervous with Royal Mail! He can decline if he gets the Army later. Still waiting on that.

I think his GF may be coming next week but he hasn't actually told us - just something DH gleaned which I'm a bit annoyed about. I have to WFH next week and my job is extremely confidential so she can't be about for that and DH has to decorate in hall and kitchen as we have new floor going down in New Year. I just want to know what's going on. Honestly he is absolutely painful when it comes to getting info out of him.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone.

Yes, where has December gone? Happy Christmas everyone and thank you for welcoming me to this group.

We got DD home yesterday with news that she met a nice chap. This will be her first boyfriend. She has passed all her exams and will find out where her next posting is in the New Year. Lets hope it is near the BF not the other end of the country.

DS has just been called up for jury service, but now lives 80 miles away. He must change his home address. The house he is buying is not local to us. I have only seen it on rightmove but it is lovely and local to his work. Hopefully a friend from his houseshare will move in as a lodger. It will help with the mortgage but also be company.

I am desperate to know how @photodad's DS is getting on with his gap year. Is he in NZ now? Is @zebracat's girl doing ok in Denmark, how is your DS @piggywaspushed getting on with his journalism course?

Hi aslockton.

I lost this thread. I fell off much of MN for a while after my mum died a few months ago - a very weird time (still is) as she lived so far away and my family are terrible communicators. I had to grieve alone really.

DS is doing well on his course. He seems to be having a great time in Sheffield and made some better friends than he did in Birmingham. He's off to Cologne with some soon.

He's published a few pieces and has a job on match days at Sheffield Wednesday and is in the uni brass band. It's very busy. The course is full on. Lots of contact time. He seems quite laid back about applying for jobs so we'll see!

Hello again! I have also fallen off Mumsnet, for no reason other than general life-busy-ness, so thank you for the prompt, @Aslockton. I will try to be here at least intermittently in the New Year and to catch up on everyone's news!

DS is indeed in NZ now, and has been for around two months. He is happy and busy, with as much watersports coaching work as he wants six days a week. He's in a boarding-house about 30 mins cycle from the lake. The team of instructors (many of similar ages/life-stages) hang out as a bunch, and go surfing/climbing/on day-trips on their 'off' days.

DD is at home and still job-hunting, which is a bit dispiriting for her. She's had a couple of interviews but no success so far. On the other hand, she is learning to drive (passed theory test) and filling her time with relevant voluntary work which keeps her busy and is at least good for the CV.

Nice to hear from you all. Sorry about your mum @Piggywaspushed glad DS is doing well.

Nice to hear about all the new BFs/GFs. no sign of any of that for my two yet but at least it keeps the logistics of Christmas easier. DD went back to uni yesterday to look at a house with one of her friends as they live the nearest. I may need to pick all your brains with regards to houseshares, being a guarantor etc as DS stayed in halls throughout we haven't done this before. She seems to have settled into uni life really well but it's nice having her home.

@PhotoDad it's tough out there isn't it, DS still only has a part time non-grad job but he is also volunteering, has just applied to volunteer with a student gardening project at a special school. He is also planning to take some manual driving lessons as he has an auto licence. Good luck to DD and great to hear about DS, I had a fabulous backpacking holiday in NZ many years ago.

@craggyrat get him to use recorded delivery, it costs a few £ but worth it for peace of mind.

@Aslockton jury service, what happens if you move, do you get away with it or do they re-list you to where you are now? I have done it twice and it has been fascinating but I wouldn't want to do it again.