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Thread 56 – Covid GCSE Cohort – Spring 26 – Yr 4 Uni and Graduates

103 replies

crazycrofter · 06/05/2026 09:00

The old thread has filled up and no one noticed - I think we're missing @oblomov26 sharp eyes!

I've tried to tag in everyone I can think of, but apologies to anyone I've missed!
@shimy @endlessdistraction @justherewithmypopcorn @mummyinbeds @aslockton @oubliettebravo @craggyrat @anothernewname460 @ealingwestmum @ewwsprouts @seeline @piggywaspushed @nctdn @icanbewhatiwant @comefromaway @heifer @kingscotestaff @delphigirl @zebracat @cantonet @socks1107 @blinkbonny @anneofcleavage

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craggyrat · 07/05/2026 06:53

@Piggywaspushed sorry to hear your DS1 hasn't had a positive response yet. So dispiriting for them- and us.

@crazycrofter that's great re your DD! Definitely sounds the best option.

Shocker of a week here. DS germs were obviously norovirus and last night DH and I went down with it. Never felt so ill as last night. First day off sick in 3 years. And my firm has been taken over this week completely out of blue and jobs are being lost. Happy Thursday. God I wish I could retire...

BlueMarigold · 07/05/2026 08:24

Thanks for tagging me @crazycrofter

Not really got much to report. DD1 is busy with her exams. Yesterday she got tickets to the graduation ball!

Piggywaspushed · 07/05/2026 08:36

craggyrat · 07/05/2026 06:53

@Piggywaspushed sorry to hear your DS1 hasn't had a positive response yet. So dispiriting for them- and us.

@crazycrofter that's great re your DD! Definitely sounds the best option.

Shocker of a week here. DS germs were obviously norovirus and last night DH and I went down with it. Never felt so ill as last night. First day off sick in 3 years. And my firm has been taken over this week completely out of blue and jobs are being lost. Happy Thursday. God I wish I could retire...

Oh no!

Get well soon!

crazycrofter · 07/05/2026 08:46

Oh no, poor you @craggyrat , hope you feel better soon. And sorry to hear about the work stress too 😬Are you in finance?

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craggyrat · 07/05/2026 08:50

Thanks both. No its legal field

EffortlesslyDistracted · 07/05/2026 11:02

Oh no @craggyrat hope you get better soon. DH and I both had a bug back in Feb (luckily not at the same time) it was not much fun. Sorry to hear about the job situation too.

Not fun for DD this morning either, she has a group interview / tryout session for some summer work, got to the station and found the entire network down, she phoned me in a panic and I told her to try and get a taxi but I was worried they'd be thin on the ground in the circs but she has managed to get there.

crazycrofter · 07/05/2026 12:17

Oh no @EffortlesslyDistracted - that's always the risk with trains, and it always happens at the worst time!

I was so stressed when my kids had GCSEs and A Levels at the same time - we only have one car and both used public transport to get to school. Ds had lots of options but all involved a change, and therefore the risk of being late, so I decided to drive him to each exam. But dd could only use the train and there were train strikes that summer... Fortunately they didn't have any exams at the same time, so when we got to the station for dd's first exam and found out that they'd changed the train times, I was able to drive her to school! I'm sure she could have got an Uber, but it just adds to the stress doesn't it.

Anyway, hope it goes well for and she gets the job!

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EffortlesslyDistracted · 07/05/2026 13:34

Thanks @crazycrofter I have fingers crossed for her. Oh yes, those train strikes. We were OK for GCSE and A level year because DS was in boarding and DD in walking distance, but when DD went to college that autumn we had no end of train strike related disruption, fortunately I work fairly near her college so could drop her off but it was tricky on days she finished early, there is a bus, but very slow and goes round the villages.

blinkbonny · 07/05/2026 19:10

Thanks for the pull back to the thread @crazycrofter. I’ve been keeping up but not contributing, which is shameful.

My dc are all (as of yesterday when DD1 finally got a job offer) in work, all at pretty basic graduate job salaries. I think the term “graduate job” is a misnomer, I hadn’t realised it means “we will only interview graduates” as opposed to “only someone with graduate-level skills/abilities can do this job”. My DD2 in particular has been doing very menial tasks - think sweeping-the-floor level work - she doesn’t think she’s above this, but does question how much her degree is helping her and can’t see what she’s learning She got passed over for promotion and is trying to figure out how to demonstrate she’s capable of more. One issue is her confidence - she presents as unconfident since she’s often seeking validation for her course of action. I think she needs to take more of a “seek forgiveness rather than permission” approach but she’s scared to. (You see the “unconfident” label is not unjustified!)

It saddens me as I have always really valued my degree for the critical thinking skills (while recognising these are not unique to graduates) whereas my kids are very much in the “was it worth it?” camp right now.

My DD1 at least is thrilled with her job offer (as you’d hope 24 hours in) - it’s not particularly well paid but is in the sector she wants to be in. My DS secured a job quickly last summer post-graduation which was great. He’s applying for other roles more in line with what he wants to do but not a nibble yet. At least he’s earning in the meantime and whilst there are no prospects, at least he’s socking away his money and I think that’s what is warming the cockles of his heart! He’s definitely gaining experience, too.

I sound like I’m being a bit of a downer on their achievements which I don’t mean to be, especially given the struggles others are having @Piggywaspushed - I’m very proud of them and recognise there is still plenty of time for them to move to something they will enjoy/appreciate more. I’m just impatient for them to get the recognition I know they are capable of!

Otherwise all well here. We are having work done on the house so living in the lounge with boxes all around us and we have no kitchen sink. And my company has been taken over and people are being made redundant - new vacant chairs every day you come in (I hear you @craggyrat). That is likely not helping my mood.

Still enjoying this thread, sorry for the long post!

EffortlesslyDistracted · 07/05/2026 21:10

Good to hear from you @blinkbonny . DD is still only y1 at uni so not looking for graduate work yet, but DS is taking the long view that the degree is just part of what he needs to establish his career and that as he went straight into it at 18 he now needs to build the experience that a gap year or mature student would have got earlier, every job he has applied for needs non-graduate skills and experience and only about half of them actually need the degree. He’s got an interview tomorrow so fingers crossed.

DD got on fine today, we had crossed wires as she had already been interviewed by zoom last week, this was an induction day (it’s for Royal Ascot so there are a lot of them, I’m more excited that she might meet the King than she is) and I ended up having to pick her up afterwards as still no trains (by then I was at work which is only half an hour away). So I drove her back to uni, we had a coffee together, then I came home via Costco and finally made it to the polling station which I was on my way to when DD called this morning. Tired now!

crazycrofter · 07/05/2026 21:24

Great to hear from you @blinkbonny and well done to dd1 on the job offer! It can take a while to get going in your career of choice, but you have to start somewhere..

Royal Ascot sounds fab @EffortlesslyDistracted !

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craggyrat · 08/05/2026 07:43

@blinkbonny good to hear from you and it's nice to hear your DCs all have something although I know exactly what you mean about grad jobs and what they are sold to be but clearly aren't...

@EffortlesslyDistracted Royal Ascot sounds fun!

Norovirus is on the mend here but what a fun week this has been!

DS has had to get a week's placement in local year 6 for September in preparation for pgce so has been in touch with local schools. Bearing in mind he has been working in a secondary since October in humanities/senco and has confirmed pgce place he hasn't even had a reply yet from any of them which is a tad disappointing.

Our firm are now in consultation with us re this takeover. Honestly I dont know how people sleep at night sometimes with the way staff are screwed over. I dont want to work in a city at this point in my life - there's a reason we all chose to work for this firm and its location and niche market was it. I'm now stalking the staff vacancies page of Taylors of Harrogate ...

NCTDN · 09/05/2026 21:56

Great news for your dd @crazycrofter

Poor dd seems to be getting rejections all the time. It does make her question the selling point of her degree being versatile and great for critical thinking. They fail to say that the AI bots will sift them out at the first stage.
so if anyone knows of jobs in or around Exeter please do let me know!!

crazycrofter · 09/05/2026 21:59

Poor dd @NCTDN - I really feel for her. Has she considered looking more widely/nationally?

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NCTDN · 09/05/2026 22:01

She’s looked near home but tbh her bf has just got a graduate job in Exeter hence why she is looking there as that’s her choice in an ideal world. But she’s open to other places if the jobs are the type she’s after. I think she’d just take anything in Exeter atm!!

crazycrofter · 09/05/2026 22:02

@craggyrat sorry to hear about the takeover and job losses 😩

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crazycrofter · 09/05/2026 22:16

@NCTDN It’s difficult when they’re in a relationship isn’t it, i can totally see why she’d rather be there. Has she tried agencies for teaching assistants? That’s what a friend’s daughter is planning to do as she’s already signed up for a house in her uni city, but hasn’t got a job there yet. I know they don’t pay TAs much though 😩

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blinkbonny · 09/05/2026 22:56

What kind of jobs is she after @NCTDN?

craggyrat · 10/05/2026 07:11

@NCTDN DS has really enjoyed the TA job this year. Definitely doesn't pay well but it has been good for him experience wise especially mixing with so many different adult age groups. How about NHS careers page? Sorry I can't remember what your DD did for her degree or what she wants to do

NCTDN · 10/05/2026 13:37

blinkbonny · 09/05/2026 22:56

What kind of jobs is she after @NCTDN?

Ideally something environmental. 🤞
there’s no way she’d do a TA job even as a temporary post - I’m a teacher and she’s seen that side of schools. Even though a TA is different, i wouldn’t want her inflicted on the poor children🤣🤣 definitely not her thing.

icanbewhatiwant · 11/05/2026 22:04

@crazycrofterthanks. Yes I need to say something. Dh and I are going away on Thursday for a week. We are leaving ds1 and ds3 home alone. I am quite worried about it all. Dh and I have only been away together one other time but I’m thinking I don’t want to go. Dh will be furious if I tell him. I am worried about the dogs, Ds3 (just turned 17) will take them for a short walk before school and last thing. A friend will visit and walk them lunchtime Fri, Mon and Tues. so I asked ds1 if he’d take them for a longer walk each day at the weekend. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked off. I also asked if he’d take the wheelie bins up the drive for the dustmen and water the greenhouse. He sighed. So I’ve no idea whether he will. He walks round telling the dogs to get out of his way. So they are nervous of him.
i also worry he’ll hurt ds3 but I know I’m being daft. He’s never been violent. But I’m finding it all stressful and letting my mind run away with me. I don’t want to say anything at the moment incase he refuses to help. He’s gone out tonight. If I ask where he’s been (I’d say have you been anywhere nice?) he’ll say no and walk away. In honestly don’t know how we’ve come to this. He was such a clingy little boy, obviously I’m glad he’s not still clingy but I miss it!

Seeline · 12/05/2026 07:22

Well - that's it! DDs final piece of coursework submitted yesterday and dissertation last Friday.
We had a bit of a breakdown last weekend when her supervisor asked for an extra section in her dissertation, and she was already over the word limit, and then she discovered some bastard had keyed her car the full length both sides, which tipped her over. We managed to calmer down and work outs plan, and she's done it.
Results at the beginning of July..... Long wait 🤞

Comefromaway · 12/05/2026 07:36

Ds has messed up. He’s working in London this week and somehow managed to book the wrong week on booking.com. He paid again for last night but needs to sort the rest of the week. Could be a very expensive mistake for him.

Comefromaway · 12/05/2026 07:37

Well done to her Seeline. Sorry about the car.

crazycrofter · 12/05/2026 10:46

Oh dear @Comefromaway - hope he gets his money back.

Sorry to hear about dd's car @Seeline - but great news that she's finished all her work! Dd is due to hand everything in by 25th I think; I don't dare ask how it's going!

@icanbewhatiwant that sounds really difficult, but I hope you can get away and put the worries out of your mind. Maybe send him a text with the things you need him to do, just so you know he's definitely aware. And then try not to worry. What's the worst that can happen?

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