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

Congrats to your DD @cantonet, fantastic that she has got that in the bag.

Good luck to the other DCs looking for work, I don't know why but it makes me very anxious to read how hard it is for them.

@EndlessDistraction you're not being selfish at all, we women constantly burn ourselves out looking after everyone but ourselves so we need to be able to say no, it's time to look out for our own health mentally and physically. I can't see a point where I can realistically retire either, my pension is crap and I'm 56 this year, I genuinely have never felt as poor through my adult life as I do now and DS2 is about to start university this year. I can't see anyway of putting more money into my pension to retire on.

Lovely to hear of the work successes and house purchases.

We went to see the show ds was working on last weekend. It was incredible. I then ended up at an after party with some well known from the theatre world people! Ds was incredible working the room networking.

No house purchase for him but he has rented a storage unit!

@EwwSprouts I so agree that travel is becoming more important as the world polarises. I think the UK is becoming more inward looking & I hate all this flag waving British first agenda.
@crazycrofter i think it's really not the done thing to renege on job agreements in her profession. It's a very small incestuous world in a very specialist area.
I think she's made a decision to take the job offer after discussion with one of the specialist vets in her hospital. As the pros outway the cons. She needed someone more experienced to point those out to her though.
It sounds so very difficult to progress in Clinical Psychology for your DD. But concentrating on her degree first is definitely the right thing to do.
@Comefromaway that sounds like an amazing night.
You must have been so proud.

That makes sense @Cantonet - good luck to her!

@EndlessDistraction that sounds about right re how long it takes to get onto the doctorate. I’m not sure if dd is persistent/resilient enough but we will see!

You never know! An old friend of mine's wife pursued that route (successfully) many years ago and I seem to recall it taking her a long time to get onto the doctorate too, but she has made a successful career out of it.

@Comefromaway how fabulous, you must be so proud of him. I'm having a run of theatre trips this month (enabled by that thread which you might have been on too I think) about what have you got planned this year. Blood Brothers last week, Dear England and Red Shoes next.

I saw Dear England last year in Manchester, it was really good.

Saw BB a few weeks ago too for a very special reason 😉

@Shimyi went for my first appointment at the Nuffield gym today. They just weighed and measured me etc. today. I think it would be great if it were nearer, especially as I get 6 months free gym membership. It took me just over an hour to drive there. So it’s a fair trip. I might try the train. It’s a 10 min drive to the station, then 20 mins on the train, it’s 0.7 mile walk to the gym from there. So it’s going to take longer by train, less stressful than driving though. But I’ve got to pay to park and £15 return on the train. Twice a week, that adds up. So I’m a little undecided whether to do the course. I’ve signed up, so I’m sure I will give it a go.

Hi @icanbewhatiwant Appreciate your update. Oh, it's a pain it being that far from you and having to pay for parking as well? That really surprises me as we don't pay at mine, they have a dedicated car park plus some extra private parking shared by Costa etc, as long as we register upon entering, its free. What a shame!Have you asked them about parking and whether they could reimburse travel costs at all? i know its a stretch but there's no harm asking, you can'tbe the only one in this position.

@Shimyi meant I have to pay to park at the train station if I take that option. Parking at the gym is free. I think it’s probably cheaper to drive than train, but easier by train. I’ll try the train next time and decide which is best.

Thanks for telling me about it.

BB was amazing. It was the first musical I saw in the West End back in the 80s (Kiki Dee as Mrs J) so I knew what to expect and it certainly didn't disappoint.

Sorry i didnt read it properly. That's quite a conundrum. I'm really hoping you can go, it'll be so good for your body, its worth it plus all the facilities you can access there. Sauna, steam room and aqua aerobics included.

Good to read all the updates. Interesting to hear about the Nuffield classes. I've mentioned that to DH as he has a dodgy knee and we have a Nuffield up the road from us. I joined a gym as they had a link with our local cancer unit and it has been transformative for me. I never thought id be a gym bunny but there you go. Almost 3 years and 4 stone gone and back to pre-pregnancy weight and I feel a lot better. Slipped disc surgery coming closer - pre surgery MRI next week. I hope work are more sympathetic than they were with the cancer

DS going down to Cambridge this week to stay with GF as half term. Next weekend he is in Nottingham rowing - any suggestions for an overnight place from Nottingham parents as he will need to be there for 7am- ish so hotel on the Friday may be better option?

@Aslockton he has applied for Navy now! Had a nice phone call following application trying to sell him submarine officer option. Hmmmm

@craggyrat The navy is desperate for submariners. It is very easy to switch to submarines, but extremely difficult to switch away from subs. DD went up to Scotland recently to see the subs, have a tour and attend talks about them. She decided they were not for her as there is too much engineering knowledge needed. She has a humanities degree! But the 27k joining bonus and additional pay makes it a lucrative career choice.

What role is your DS looking at? DD is a logistics officer, but is very good at the legal side, so may become a naval barrister in a few years. It has lots of options and variety and great post navy prospects. She is loving it, but the training was tough physically especially when you are female and half the size of the men!

Thanks @Aslockton I'll tell him that re submarines. He's looking at Intelligence Officer which has a long lead joining time but he is going to do pgce year first so no real hurry. His degree is history. He is waiting for appointment at recruitment office- has only done tests and long phone call so far. No appointments next week which is his half term so that may be Easter as can't take time off. They liked all his sport!

And forgot to wish your DS well with house purchase! That's amazing at this age!

Wow @craggyrat your ds is going to have so much recruitment/interview experience, given all his options! Good luck to him! So he's decided on the PGCE first whilst he's going through the navy process? That seems to make sense to me. Dh was a teacher, although he's changed career now, but he's always got that qualification and it means he can pick up agency supply work if need be - maybe that's a negative way of thinking, but it's always been quite reassuring to me that he has that option!

@crazycrofter yes I think that's the plan! He's really enjoyed TA job. I think his absolute top choice is Army as Education Officer but they're still faffing with medical records and non existent conditions. I'm keen he does PGCE for same reason- it's always going to be a useful qualification

Sounds like a great plan @craggyrat , lots of irons in the fire!

I've just had a brief chat with ds and he sounds really happy. Since giving up powerlifting he's had lots more time, so he's joined the uni sports centre and has been doing swimming/gym/padel/tennis/table tennis with various friends and his girlfriend. He says he feels properly immersed in uni life now - important as he lives in private accommodation which is a little way out and he hasn't really made many connections there. Most of them are at NTU anyway.

Great that he's loving life @crazycrofter!

Lots of great updates! That's really inspiring about your weigh loss/fitness @craggyrat I let all my fitness regime go a bit when my DF went into hospital last year and resolved to get going again this NY so things are slowly improving but I haven't been back to the gym yet. I go to classes and parkrun but don't do enough strength work and I'm not very good at picking up the dumbbells at home. I ought to look for some regular spaces in my week and commit to them. Hopefully the January rush is dying down now as it does get very busy.

DS has had 24 hours away staying with one of his best friends who is at RHUL as well as DD, DD appeared home on Weds having come back on the train to meet a friend here and DH ran them both back in the evening, they all had a night out clubbing and I picked DS up from the station late yesterday evening. Some concern last week as three RHUL students were stabbed (not fatally) in an incident at the station, but it appears to have been an isolated incident.

@EndlessDistraction I can't exercise at home - too much distraction! January rush definitely dying down at our gym. I think it is easier to go to ours as it is 5 minutes walk away from home. How awful about the three students at RHUL. It's a frightening world.

I do exercise in little bursts at home, a few press ups against the kitchen counter, up and down on tiptoe that aort of thing but I'm the dame with videos, can't comcentrate too many other things to do. My gym is only 10 mins walk away and I do go to classes but that is easy because they are at fixed times, I tend to put off ad-hoc gym visits. Think I might start going straight from parkrun (I walk not run) as I am in the gear and warmed up.

This Nuffield gym that @shinytold me about has 6 months free membership. I’d love to give it a go, but it’s too far away. I’ll probably do the 12 week course going twice a week, but an hour drive there and back is too far for extra sessions and after the course. I’ve been doing a Pilates class once a week, that’s about 15 min drive, I can’t be bothered driving that far…but I force myself. I have been doing weights at home (a PT trainer friend came round once to get me started) I am doing it as it’s meant to help my joints, but I’m very lazy and keep forgetting. I’m must try to be more enthusiastic.

I lost a stone and half a few years ago and have kept it off. So I’m happy with my weight, it’s hard keeping it off though.

My local Nuffield Gym has a week free membership this half term for local teachers, so I might try to go swimming a few times.

I have just booked Blood Brothers @Comefromaway. It is coming to a theatre in our city later in the year.

DS's ex was offered a job at his workplace but in a different department. He whatsapped us, but we have not spoken to him yet.

We are seeing his new house on Friday. This will only be his second viewing of it and we do some measuring. It is amazing, you spend longer looking at a £40 jumper, than viewing a house and making such a huge purchase. There were 9 viewings the day DS looked at the house and he had a 10 minute slot! When we bought our forever house, the first time we saw it together was the day we moved in! DH's grandmother had a fall and he was up at the hospital with her when I viewed the house with a 2 year old and 6 month old in tow! He viewed it separately later in the week as he was the stay-at-home parent... so he also had 2 little ones in tow.

@icanbewhatiwant thats really good keeping the weight off. I think I've found that bit the hardest as I just love food!

@Aslockton its amazing that your DS is buying a house at this stage of his life. You're so right about the jumper taking more time than house buying. We viewed ours twice in 2002, best of a poor choice at the time, still here in 2026 and i love our house despite its quirks!

Yesterday i logged in to DS student finance to see what happens re pgce application and saw his outstanding loan balance...absolutely frightening...