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

I hope it's going ok today @craggyrat🤞🏼

Brilliant news for your dd @mummyinbeds.
In other news my youngest has surprised me again & informed me he wants to switch from psychology to mechanical engineering. Not sure how easy it will be, as he didn't do physics A level, but Maths & the other Sciences.
Plus Ds1 is really procrastinating on his dissertation & graduation has not been mentioned yet. He was given it only a month ago, for various reasons.

Dissertation procrastination is happening here too @cantonet 😩

Great news for your dd @mummyinbeds - sounds like she’s on the same body clock as my kids! 🤣

Hope today has gone ok @craggyrat 🙏

Thinking about you @craggyrat and wishing you all the best. x

Thinking of you @craggyrat, hope results are ok.

DD was planning on wearing the dress I wore to my sister’s wedding. But she managed to leave it at home, and only realised once she crossed the border into Cornwall. So we had an emergency trip to M&S, and she graduated wearing cream trousers and a cream blouse! She still wears both nowadays, so it wasn’t wasted money. Bear in mind that academic hoods are designed for men. They’re quite tricky to keep in place if you’re not wearing a shirt and tie. Safety pins are a must!

The colour of choice for graduation dresses was definitely white/cream. I guess that gets around the hood/gown colour conundrum. Which I remember only too well - my PhD gown was red and purple. A definitely sartorial challenge (I wore a grey dress in the end).

@shimyI remember the backpack thread too! It was funny really how it turned out after what seemed an ordinary question.

I am sitting in my car while ds3 does his theory test. He’s only had 2 driving lessons, I’m not sure he will pass as he hasn’t done that much revision. He never does badly in any tests as he’s a bit of a perfectionist. So I’m surprised he’s not a bit more prepared, unless he is really.

Further up thread you were all speaking about work experience. All 3 dc’s did work experience in year 10. But now ds3 has to do it again this summer, he’s year 12. He has emailed so many places. One said yes but changed their mind a month later. Some of the others have replied to say they’ve taken someone else on. Some have said no. Other haven’t replied. He’s trying maths type places, so accountants and financial advisors. He’s also asked a maths tutor if they would take him. No luck yet.

Door to hospital door and home in 1 hour 15. Appointment, mammogram, ultrasound, drainage, diagnosed and drained as cyst. Massive relief all round! We are v lucky with our local NHS provision here

That is great news. You will sleep tonight. X

@craggyrat ah that's great news!!

so pleased @craggyrat

Dd would like a white dress - gown has the Bristol burgundy plus a white trim with it being a masters.

what do dads wear?!!

@Cantonetis your ds doing a levels now? Physics is a big part of mech eng from what I’ve seen.

Fantastic news @craggyrat. What a relief !

That is blooming great news @craggyratSuch a relief. You’ll sleep well tonight.

How did the driving theory test for DS3 go @icanbewhatiwant?

Just seen that DD’s uni colours are blue and yellow and by coincidence she has a lemon dress for the Ball and a baby blue for her Graduation so no clashes here at all fortunately but that was quite by luck.

Shes driven back today and halfway there a light with an exclamation mark and what she described as a steering wheel came on and mucked up her music through her car speaker system to her phone. Her steering wheel seemed heavier she said but not all the time but she got to her uni house. Phew!! I’ve advised her to book into a garage next week (googled the closest one) as may need a diagnostic test and steering fluid top up - does that sound about right? She needs her car so this is a pain as we fly out for a week tomorrow morning so we’re no help. She phoned me in a right panic so I had to use my calm mummy voice whilst inwardly thinking arghhh. So typical as she’s been home all
easter and we have a garage literally two doors up who are fab so this was crap timing.

@craggyrat Delighted one trip delivered peace of mind.

I am so pleased for you @craggyrat I hope the process wasn’t too uncomfortable.

Just looked at the “crowd scenes” in DS’s graduation photos. A lot of girls in cream (their sashes were red and gold) but other colours also in evidence including non-matching but really the cloak covers most of it. Dads in lounge suit and tie or open neck shirt or smart blazer, open neck shirt and trousers (smart rather than chinos).

Thanks everyone - all the good wishes much appreciated. This week's fun and games is facet joint injections for the back - anyone had those.?

Re graduation wear - DS had v strict dress code for male and female with inspection beforehand. He did look like Jon Snow in GOT with his woolly hood... some of the parents clothing was - interesting...it said dress for a wedding from what I remember. We obv attend v different weddings to 98% of parents there. DH had good old M&S suit from McArthur Glen and i had a sale dress from Seasalt. Unfortunately the family tiara was being buffed so I couldn't wear that. You may sense I'm v v over Cambridge!!!

@craggyrat Snap! M and S suit for DH and sale dress from Seasalt for me too at both graduations. DD wore a black dress with small white dots on it. It was scrunched at the sides so could be near floor length or worn above the knee. I will try and find a picture of it. Back in my day, we had to wear a black skirt and a white blouse.

@Aslockton Seasalt must have done a roaring trade for graduations last year!

I wore a linen print dress from Next and a cardi for DS's, it was quite a chilly day (late Sept graduation). He gets his suits from Slaters as M&S etc never have the right size in store (28" waist lucky sod). DH went for smart blazer and open necked shirt, he also like Slaters for his more formal wear as he is not very confident about it and they are very helpful, he is also a non standard size with huge shoulders and lives in jeans and rugby shirts normally.

It was very hot for DS2's. I wore a dress I had had for a while from Thought and shoes that gave me horrible blisters. DH just wore his teacher suit (Next, I imagine) and DS boiled to death in his definitley from Next prom suit. The ties and jackets came off pretty sharpish.

To be honest, we probably would wear those things to a wedding.

If there were Americans at Cambridge, wedding wear is a Whole Big Thing so they will have interpreted that phrase very differently.

DS1's was in the autumn in chilly Lincoln Cathedral. Whatever I had planned needed changing. I was freezing. DS1 doesn't own a jacket. Loads of the parents at that were really casually dressed - jeans, trainers . Except for the Nigerian families who were spectacular.

Don't forget whatever the students wear,lower arms are visible.

York was an outlier in the olden days. Gowns are grey and you could wear any colour. This was considered very progressive (and was York's all round USP despite having colleges and tutorials). I wore a hot pink Laura Ashley dress.

DD graduation dress looked more like clubbing or cocktail party wear, but looked lovely with the gown and hood!

@AnneOfCleavagehe passed. Thanks for asking. He didn’t think he’d passed as there were lots of questions that weren’t in his 3 in 1 app. He didn’t bother to look at the piece of paper he was given afterwards until he got to the car. Then was surprised he’d passed.

Talking of clothes for graduation. Ds2 has been looking for smart clothes as he’s going to need them if he does a PGCE. Though he’s not applied yet. He’s struggling to find anything to fit him. He’s 5’4” and very thin. He doesn’t want to wear kids clothes. Most days he wears next joggers age 13 or kids shorts. He’s got a couple of pairs of jeans from ASOS in xxs that fit. We ordered several pairs of men’s trousers from next in 30” waist in short length. They are ok with a belt and I’ll pay someone to shorten them. He’s hoping to wear a shirt or jumper rather than a jacket. None of the men’s jackets fitted him. I think if he needs a suit for graduation he might have to get a kids next suit. Though I think ds1 just wore smart trousers and a shirt. Ds1 had 2 lovely suits made in Vietnam on his travels. That’s what ds2 could do with. It’s a bit of a long way to go though!