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

[crazycrofter]

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

Fantastic news @NCTDN!! Well done to dd!

Wishing good luck to @Delphigirlds and @Piggywaspushedds - hope the interviews go well, and the travel is worth it for both of them! I was born on the Wirral and lived there til I was 9, when I moved to Worcestershire, so I think they’re both great locations!

And in more good news, DS actaully got paid today for the freelance work he did (checks notes) 4 months ago!

At last @Piggywaspushed👏🏼.
Oops I was a bit premature @Delphigirl.
Good luck to your ds for Wednesday 🤞🏼

Who would have thought August would bring all these positive job developments. Good luck to those with interviews this week. @NCTDN Brilliant news!

Great news @NCTDNI look forward to updating the list in due course.

Updated:
ComefromAway Leeds Conservatoire. Completed Year 2 - DS working as self employed musician/MD & electronic instrument programming.
Blinkbonny Nottingham, Sociology- DS now working full time in conference sales in London.
Photodad DD Art, ARU (Cambridge Campus). Volunteering in museums and school post degree. Is about to move to Germany to Au Pair on a working farm. DS Gap year in NZ (teaching windsurfing) Starts Cambridge Nat Sci in Oct 2026
craggyrat Cambridge history - Worked as a TA after graduating. DS Possibly going to do a PGCE or start a business or Officer Training in the Army.
cariadmbyth Royal Holloway history, Marketing master's at Cardiff- DD nowjob hunting
aslockton DD LSE Geography with German- Royal Navy officer
DS Reading Meteorology and Climate Science - has a grad role as a meteorologist and has bought a house.
ewwsprouts - Durham, biology - grad role in food science
handmademitlove- York, maths
alwaysplayspiccolopiccolo- Birmingham , English and film
piggywaspushed - DS1 Lincoln -Office work in local bus company
DS2 Birmingham , history - Sheffield for a journalism master's. Journalism job hunting whilst volunteer press officer at local football club and tutoring
justherewithmybabypopcorn - Nottingham, law - now has grad position with funded SQE
Coffeeandbiscuitime - DC just going into Y4 Medicine
oublietteletbravo - Exeter, business with law, now a sales and marketing coordinator (at a specialist software company).
DS - Newcastle, medicinal chemistry - going into Y3.
extensivelydecorating - Cirencester , countryside management (2025), at home, portfolio career in the outdoor environment. DC2 RHUL History going into y2.
Sansou- DS Software engineering in the Defence sector
Orangecinnamon- DD has graduated and starts as an unqualified teacher (apprenticeship/post grad route)
AnotherNewName - working in engineering
Still studying! DS is still working in engineering but in a better job and is now studying with OU to get his degree and buying a house.
delphigirl - DS1 job in political journalism/campaigning for a political publisher. DS2 Plymouth - ocean exploration and surveying- DS now graduated and applying for offshore survey jobs.
DD Demi chef de cuisine
mummyinbeds - DS Nottingham , law and French law- Working in pub, hoping to do ski season. DD graduated from Aberystwyth Uni with a degree in International Relations and Global Development and will be starting a Masters in Global Development at SOAS in September.
oblomov26 - Nottingham , finance degree apprenticeship. DS now working in London for PwC
ealingwestmum - Trinity College Dublin - Middle Eastern and European languages. DD has Graduated and starting work in Belfast: Associate Consulting, Big 4 from Sept 26.
zebracat - off for a year in Denmark
crazycrofter - Nottingham, Psychology- DD working for Mind on a new mental health outreach project.
DS Going into year 2 of Politics & Int Relations at Nottingham.
seeline - UEA , archaeology, anthropology and art history. DD has now graduated, and is job hunting primarily for museum/gallery/heritage/culture type jobs, nationwide.
shimy - Warwick, management- DS job hunting
Anneofcleavage - primary education , Chichester- DD Starting first teaching post in Sept 2026
NCTDN - Liberal Arts, Bristol. DD has just graduated with a masters from Bristol. Now job hunting in the south west.
Icanbewhatiwants- history, Sussex
decorhate - Economics and Politics, Sheffield. DS is a Data Analyst in London
Bluemarigold- Birmingham Biological Sciences- DD now working as an assistant ecologist
Heifer- Nottingham Biology- DD now doing a Masters in Public Health (International) at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Cantonet DD1: Working as a vet
DS1 Retaking a uni year / job hunting (in limbo)
DD2 UCL Year 3 Architecture
DS2 Bristol changed from Psychology, going into Yr1 Engineering
Lentilcakes: DS graduated in neuroscience at Bristol uni. Currently looking for work, has a voluntary role coming up (Mind charity shop - at least he’s in the right ‘sector’).
Kingscotestaff: DD going into 5th year Medicine at Newcastle

Wonderful news on the job front @NCTDN ! And good luck for the interviews coming up this week @Delphigirl and @Piggywaspushed .

After a traumatic cross country non train journey on Sunday DS passed his Army in person medical yesterday after only 10 months of arguing with Capita. This was at an actual Army base with Army doctor so v different experience in a good way. Hopefully will hear this week re first 2 day board. Still tutoring and business is progressing and he also submitted writing for some rowing magazine and heard he has got that job - obv not much commitment involved and v definitely unpaid but at least gives him something else to do.

Fantastic news @craggyrat. DS is loving his time in the UOTC which I never thought I’d say, and I do wonder if the army is the way forward for him after uni.
@Delphigirl around Sefton park is lovely, though house prices are eye watering (still obv nowhere near Bristol prices though!!). Then again, even the mere thought of a flat in Canary Wharf fills me with horror at the thought of the cost @Cantonet😲
God luck to others with interviews coming up.

It's not quite Canary Wharf @NCTDN but nearby.
But a lot more than last year's flat she shared with her now ex which was small but beautifully maintained.
The new flat is run by a small exclusive agency with excellent reviews but she turned up yesterday to a badly stained mattress & mouldy grouting. The outside decking and furniture was covered in months of pigeon shit . She and ds1 were unimpressed and decamped to her friends flat in Canary Wharf.
Getting somewhere at last @craggyrat🤞🏼

That is great news @craggyrat! I think about your DS every time I update the list. It is amazing how invested you get in young people you have never met!

Great news @craggyrat!👏👏

Oh I’m so delighted for him @craggyrat ! What a journey!

Thats great, such a shame it has taen so long. Capita really are useless.

Great news @NCTDN and @craggyrat !

Good news here too, I haven’t posted about it for ages as I didn’t want to tempt fate and I have been quite stressed about it. You remember DS struggled to learn to drive manual and had to switch to auto, which he passed last summer. But really needs both for the jobs he’s going for. Well, after 6 months of manual lessons and 6 weeks of concentrated coaching from me in my newly acquired manual car (he’s got my auto one, the things we do) he has passed in the manual! Rewind a couple of years and I seriously thought this would be impossible three summers of practice with him has aged me somewhat.

That's absolutely brilliant news @EffortlesslyDistracted !

Yay @EffortlesslyDistracted !!!! What a relief!

Yay @EffortlesslyDistracted - brilliant news! And well done to you too - all that patience has paid off! 👏

Honestly it has been one of the hardest things I've done as a parent, I am a nervous passenger at the best of times. We were nearly late today and my blood pressure must have been through the roof.

None of his tests (3 in total, 2 last year one this) have been local either and none with his driving instructors so hundreds of miles clocked up driving to the test towns for practice (had to be me as motorways involved both times). Just as well I like driving.

I agree that children learning to drive is the most stressful thing! I still get v anxious whenever either of mine go out in the car. DS (19) was planning a v last minute holiday with friends which involved hiring a car in Italy and him as the only driver. Omg I was so relieved when they changed their minds. It’s next summer instead now…

dd2 had FIVE driving tests in Chippenham which is a good hour and a quarter drive away. Didn't even make it to on eof them because of a jam on the M4. It was horrendously stressful and expensive and so frustrating that we could never get a test any closer. But worth it, they really do need to know how to drive.

Oh yes, driving is definitely one of the most stressful parenting things ever!! Dd had tonnes of lessons and was a terrible driver yet somehow passed first time - but then went and lost her licence and took a further two theory tests and three practicals! With ds we couldn’t find an instructor so taught him ourselves, which was also absolutely terrifying 😂 He took three practical tests before passing too. So in total I went with them to 7 tests. And I’ve only got two kids!

@NCTDN ds and friend drove 8 hours across Tunisia when they were 18! His friend had passed his test two weeks before 😮

Both mine passed first time with only a very few trips out with us - really all lessons. I'm a hopeless passenger and neither wanted me taking them out 😆
DD really has enjoyed driving and is happy on motorways, even the dreaded M25, but has switched to auto
DS passed 18 months ago and hasn't really driven since! I think he will need some refresher lessons before attempting anything now - I was amazed he passed in the first place!

DS got through 4 instructors (2 manual 2 auto, one at home and one at uni of each over three years) and two test centres plus about 6 weeks of out most nights with me for each of the last three summers. DD hasn’t even started yet, she’s not dyspraxic like DS but she has got zero sense of direction, DS’s is superb which helps because he only has to go somewhere once or twice to know it and actively enjoys exploring and getting to know places even though he’s not hugely keen on the actual act of driving. I’m the same re sense of direction and exploring, I love it and although this has been very stressful at times I have enjoyed the getting to know new places aspect. Even this time, the test centre was my old home one from growing up and I know the area very well but we still discovered lots of interesting viewpoints etc that I never knew existed.