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

It doesn't like he can get his money back. And getting the date wrong is not covered by the cancellation insurance.

Sorry about the car @Seeline but well done to DD on the submissions.

@Comefromaway ouch, poor DS, it's s easily done and those cancellation insurances seem to be worded to wriggle out of everything, I have tried with theatre ones in the past to no avail.

@icanbewhatiwant sorry you are so worried about going away, we had our first foreign holiday with DS left at home last month and I was worried to the point of not wanting to go in the last few days too, what if something happened to us, what if DS crashed the car, will he feed the cats, will he set the house on fire. But of course we did go and it was all fine (house was a right state when we got back but that's all). I hope you manage to go and relax (it did take me a few days to unwind).

Sorry I haven't been commenting much.

@EffortlesslyDistracted thanks. Yes I’m sure you are right and all will be fine. I’m glad to hear your house is still standing!

@Oblomov26 I hope all is well with you and your ds’s.

Hope you and yours are all okay @Oblomov26 and that the holiday is goinng well @icanbewhatiwant

I'm an employee rep for support staff for the firm's TUPE process for this takeover and it has pretty much taken over my working life. It's just so awful.

In other news DS still waiting to hear from any Armed Forces. He rings the recruiters every week and nothing happens. He has got through to an actual interview round for a 6 month NATO internship but thats a v v long shot and stipend would barely cover accommodation. We aren't wealthy enough for that sort of malarkey! And his GF is coming tonight as it is their year anniversary. As we have sacrificed having a holiday for our 25th in July not to mention new internal doors and curtains to help fund his next year back at Cambridge I'm a bit tight lipped on his expenditure for that!

Your work situation sounds really stressful @craggyrat 😩 I hope the end result is better than you anticipate.

Still crossing fingers for your ds and the armed forces - what a ridiculously long process! Do I get the impression you’re not massively keen on the gf?!

To be honest @crazycrofter we barely know her. He didn’t mention her at all for first 4 months and then when she comes up we only see her for 1/2 hour or so. Sometimes she just goes without even saying goodbye. They have no shared interests and DS always ends up doing what she wants to do, even on his birthday say as to which film to watch, but then I worry he is using her as a place to stay in C and London. He never mentions her when she’s not here. Not one word! I think they both could do better! The money situation bothers me. She is very well off and DS is always v generous with meals out and presents etc and he simply can’t afford that. Before having a GF he alway said he could never face finishing with someone as he would feel awful and I think that is what’s happening here. Vent over!

Hi everyone, I’m sorry I’ve dropped off these threads for a while, it’s not personal I promise! Just life being busy. My mother in law died a few weeks ago - 92, dementia, a relief in many ways but very sad. She was an incredible woman with a great obituary in The Times which is no more than she deserved! Small funeral but a big memorial in the autumn in a cathedral, and I have been given responsibility for sorting all the music as the only one who understands the great English choral tradition which is amusing as I am the only non-English one in the family. Anyway.
My kids are all OK - DS2 will be finishing his masters in August and then it is not clear what the plan is as I don’t think he has applied for any jobs. But he is happy and focussed so that’s something. Ds3 has just done his last exams and only has his dissertation presentation to do before his graduation in July. He is in last interviews for hydrographic survey jobs (for which there are more jobs than grads and AI not yet an issue) so quietly hopeful. DD2 is cheffing, loving it, and showing no interest at all in uni, culinary school, making plans or telling us what she will be doing when our ultimatum delivered in January bites - be in education or training on 1 July or move out- so my DH and I are wondering if we are going to evoke the ultimatum or not. She is no bother, working hard and cooks for us on her days off so I suspect not. Ho hum. Her cooking has come on by leaps and bounds since she moved out of the pub and to a fine dining restaurant, the head chef thinks she is great and is training her well, and the kitchen is civilised and interesting gastronomically, so maybe she is right to stay put.

most exciting news here is that I am getting a new puppy - born last week - in July so really looking forward to having a baby again 🤣

That’s a difficult situation @craggyrat Do you think it’s possible they both feel the same way and so neither want to be the one to end it? Some people don’t want the hassle and guilt of being the one to end things.

Sorry to hear about your MIL @Delphigirl It’s never easy and dementia is a beastly disease so it feels you’ve lost them all over again. Lovely to hear all your DC news and congratulations on the newest member of the family due to arrive in July!

DD has now finished Uni and had her Ball Friday evening which her boyfriend attended as her +1. It was held outside with funfair type activities which has been the same all 3 years so all outdoors and each year the weather has stayed dry, which is so surprising and extremely fortunate.
She now waits for her classification (July) and graduation (September). She feels that she’ll prob miss out on a first as got a mid 50s grade when she had to say goodbye suddenly to her cat and then 2 weeks later another family bereavement. 3rd year has the higher weighting but we shall see. A 2:1 would be a fantastic result and well earned after a tumultuous 3 years.

Welcome back @Delphigirl ! You’ve been busy… sorry to hear about your mother in law, but it sounds like a life well lived!

Good luck to Ds3 with his job interviews and to ds2 as well (is he the one that challenged inappropriate behaviour at work?). I understand why you gave dd her ultimatum back in Jan, but it does seem that she’s got her head screwed on and is making progress, even if she’s not officially in ‘training’. Enjoy the new puppy!

@craggyrat - totally understand your reservations 😩 I hope it comes to a natural end soon!

Well done to dd @AnneOfCleavage ! A 2:1 is very respectable and will of course make no difference to her career.

Hi @Delphigirl sorry to hear about your MIL but good to hear your update.

@AnneOfCleavage the ball sounds a lot of fun! Oh to be young... I thing you're right. Ds definitely won't want to be the bad guy which is ridiculous. This weekend has been painful but thankfully v short.

Thanks @AnneOfCleavage - ball sounds lovely (how did she avoid rain??? Miserable here) and fingers crossed for the 2.1. @crazycrofter - yes that’s the kid! It is amazing to see how happy and confident he is back at uni compared to at that awful job, I really do think working there totally knocked him. I don’t know what he will do next but he is adamant it will not involve comms/consulting. Thanks re your comment re dd2 too - yes I think we will continue to back off and let her get on with things. @craggyrat your description of that relationship did make me laugh. Sounds like it will fizzle out. Or he will fall in love properly with someone else and end it!

Checking in. Lost you so will catch up.

I also managed to drop of the thread for a bit. My phone decided it hated MN, and just wouldn’t load any pages!

I don’t think I’ve got much to report. DS has 2nd year exams, but is a bit vague about how many/when they are. Apparently the two he had last week went OK. I think he finishes on Friday. But I expect he’ll hang around in Newcastle for a bit as term doesn’t finish for another couple of weeks.

It’s ds’s final recital tomorrow. Four years has flown by.

I'd also lost the thread for a while. Back now!

DD had her final exam today and that's her done. Now for lazy days on the beach and a sociey old boys weekend to organise and host over the bank holiday. She's in no rush to come home and I can't really blame her. I can't believe her three years are already over.

DS had his first written exam today - four more to go. Today didn't go well - as usual he didn't finish (by a long way apparently) even with extra time. He's managed to pick himself up and head straight to the library - he has another exam tomorrow and I'm not sure he's done any revision for it yet. The lecturer left part way through and left them to watch last years recorded lectures. Apparently she will mark the exams. Not great value for money but I assume her departure is to do with the closure of the languages department :(

Hope the recital went well @Comefromaway

He’s happy enough given the lack of preparation time he’s had recently.

A landmark occasion @Comefromaway!

The end of an era for both yours too @mummyinbeds- that’s a big change for you! I hope the rest of Ds’ exams go ok 🤞

Every time I check Ds’ location he’s in the library 😮 I really can’t get my head round this new version of my son 😂

I think dd has one more thing to submit, but whether they’ll be marked in time for graduation is anybody’s guess, given the marking boycott at Nottingham.

Ds is coming home this afternoon for few days. He says he's got lot of work to do but keeps getting distracted in college. He is here until Saturday evening as he is seeing a concert on Sunday and has a band call for a show on Tuesday.

I have been following everyone's news but not posting much due to so much with life stuff, it's been quite overwhelming at times but you all here have similar challenges on the go.

DD finished a few weeks ago, and now is enjoying nearly 3 months of travel with different groups of friends on each trip, peppered with 3 visits back to Ireland to musically play in their key festivals. I block out singular turnaround days when home on the calendar.

This last year was quite stressful for her, as 100% of her final grading was based solely on Y4. Her course is notorious for single digit firsts, but she received the Gold Medal accreditation, reserved for those achieving 75 and above. I am amazed, given how she did not receive one mark in the Spanish 'language' related modules (68 being her highest mark) so this was a big achievement to offset. I always thought her Spanish level was super high, so no idea how the other 59 fared, but no matter, she did very well to keep it all together.

My husband took both mums to Dublin (86 and 83, both wheelchair assisted) in the final days' clear out, delivered DD's onward belongings to an aunt in NI by car ready for Belfast living) before returning back to herd them all back home. A 48 hours marvel of madness (I was home with the dog), but he made two old ladies very happy, vascular dementia is having a rapid decline on my mother's health.

Now to source travel/medical insurance for DD ahead of her South America month, not an easy task with insurers not liking a benign cyst diagnosis on her pituitary gland diagnosed from 3 years ago (called Rathke pouch for any medics out there)! Signed off with no further investigation by endocrinology but insurers all still reject her.

I really hate this current world of nonsense at times, but we'll get there.

Enough though, I am rooting for positive updates on all your DC in the transit stages of life, whether searching for prospect roles, in work or still studying. And loving the updates on the GF/BFs. No action still here, or nothing note worthy that develops into meaningful.

Oh and hoorah for new pupsters joining :))

Good to hear from you @ealingwestmum and really well done to your DD - fantastic achievement! I hope she enjoys all her travels. And well done to your DH sorting out all the clearing out and taking both your mums too.

@crazycrofter hadn't realised there was a marking boycott but I hope your DD gets everything submitted and marked - stressful!

Good to hear your update @ealingwestmum - sorry that life has been stressful. It sounds like you've got your hands full with elderly parents.

Amazing news about dd's results though - well done her!!! Hope she thoroughly enjoys her travel, before real life sets in.

@craggyrat it was on the BBC this morning I think - potential for graduations to be put back. It doesn't matter for dd I assume (I don't think her job is linked to her grades) but I really feel for those whose next steps depend on getting a particular degree grade. Nottingham does seem to be in big trouble and part of me wishes ds hadn't decided to go there too - although he loves it, so I doubt he's regretting it.

Dd appears to be at Alton Towers today, from her phone location, and ds seems to be somewhere in the Peak District - I'm puzzled as to why, when they've still got deadlines to meet, but hey ho!

@crazycrofter from what I've seen from Nottingham, they have contingencies in place for the marking boycott. Lots of complicated rules depending on credits already marked etc etc. in an ideal world, none of DS's law exams would be marked and his grade would be worked out from the french marks he already has - totally unlikely to happen but I can dream 😂 If students accept the derived grades they can graduate as normal and their papers will never be marked.

Hmmm @mummyinbeds that's a tricky one as dd is aiming for an overall degree grade of 65% plus (it's a criteria for at least one of the clinical psychology courses) and I think she's currently sitting at around 64%, so she really needs it to go up - I think the 64% only includes around 30 credits of year 4 so far. I guess she will need to wait until the papers are marked....