Moving on up... Uni/CollegeS5/S6/S4/Work

[Groovee]

Hey everyone

It's that time of year... school returns within the next week or 2, others will be preparing to start college or uni. Some will be moving out. Some will start work... so here's the thread for those in that position.

For me Dd is going into second year at Dundee Uni. She did a fantastic first year. She's off to be a mentor to those starting uni this year. Ds has just gone into S6 and has the world to consider in the next year.

Me... I need to find a job after losing my job in June! Done in quite a callous way that I am taking my time to be kind!

I too am still friends with people I made friends with in Queen Margaret Hall of Residence Glasgow Uni 30 years ago. They've now been knocked down and turned into flats. I do wonder though if social media makes a difference these days, I didn't really keep in touch much with friends back home, it's only in later years we've reconnected - we had to write LETTERS back in the day

Haggis DD1 severely dyslexic was well supported at Dundee. They (quite rightly insisted on carrying out their own screening but when they did she qualified for DSA which they used to provide her with all the required ICT, software and services of a proofreader. She was worried that her screening would take place and results be available too late for first round of essays and exams. They reassured her that semester one was light and all would be fine. It was.

Thanks Lidl. Dundee would be a good option for us so good to know about support. Since I last checked, some of the unis that we had previously discounted because of their requirement for Nat5 maths seem to have dropped the need for it so we have more options opening up. Which while good for offering more choice also means there are more we need to check out..

Thanks all, he's upstairs doing his application for accommodation now and i've pointed out the benefits and disadvantages of both flats and corridor type halls - he's to rank his preference so I've left it to him. Only one of the old style halls is full and can't be selected, everything else still seems to be up for grabs.

DS will also be looking for learning support at Aberdeen but can't really comment much yet. However, they've been pretty responsive and engaged with email so far so that's a plus point.

Wax hope he got the accommodation sorted?
I have ds going into 3rd year at uni he has been researching and preparing for applying for internships next summer. This is the lad who before uni was so disorganised( take a chill pill mum) and now is super organised and grabbing every opportunity. It’s just a maturity thing I guess.
Dd going in to S6 taking 3AH and so we start in the uni application treadmill again!
Good luck to all those moving on with life post school, it’s an exciting time whether it’s work college uni apprentice route etc. My mum used to say that everyone’s job is important in society and I think we should remember that. After all if the fabby bin men didn’t turn out for their shifts our country would become disease ridden and medics who are often see as more important wouldn’t cope.

DD20 is going into 3rd year of Edin Uni language MSc, but she's studying in Beijing for the year. It's going to be a long year for me, but she's looking forward to it.

DS22 is going into final year at Abertay. I can't quite believe that he's still on track. He has ASD and poor organisation skills which make projects very difficult for him to do. Somehow, he's made it through school, an HND at college and 2 years of Uni and he's on the home strait! I must prepare myself for another year of prompting (nagging) him.

Superjaggy my dd has just finished S5 and is studying for UCAT at the moment. She got 5 As so happy with that but the UCAT is causing her a lot of stress. She has a part-time job in a chemist and does volunteering. She is also going on a 'Doctors at work' course soon - it's a work experience thing run by the NHS and has a mixture of lectures & shadowing doctors I think. The school applied to it for her. She has also signed up for a thing called 'Operating Theatre Live' where they spend a day doing mock surgery & learning about different areas of medicine. We arranged some days of work experience at local GP practices for her just by phoning them up and that was great, she really enjoyed them. For UCAT there are lots of practice questions on their website and loads of companies offering tutorials and study days and other resources. The website stuff is free but otherwise you can spend a fortune! She did a study day with Medic Portal that she found useful but otherwise it's really just practice over & over. You can register & book a test from May onwards; I think they advise having at least 4 weeks to revise. Good luck to your daughter!

Thanks @emummy, that's really helpful. Good luck to your daughter too! Where is she planning/hoping to study?

We are in Scotland, so any of the Scottish units except St. Andrews! Glasgow impressed her most on the open days.

That's Ds away back to school. First concern... had I paid for the common room on parent pay? 😂

We have till next Wednesday to get ready; I'd better go online and top up all the meal payment cards!

Dr starts college on the 27th, the day before her 18th birthday.
She's already moved out and lives with her bf and his brother on the southside, but wants to move out of there soon.

How is everyone getting on? The school people will all be back now and getting on the exam treadmill, starting UCAS process etc. College folks next week? New uni starts the week after?

I seem to have bought up the entire contents of Ikea and argos etc but still have a list of stuff that DS2 needs for Uni - moving next weekend! eek! Struggling to get him to deal with any of the actual paperwork and he isn't engaging as he should with the disability service at uni - he may yet arrive at the halls in a hearse after I throttle him. I can see this being a very expensive 1 year holiday.

Good luck Wax - to him and you! I'm still not sure how my dad fitted all my stuff in the car when I went away to uni...
All ok here, 3 children back at school & settled in ok. Dd now has her UCAT to look forward to on Wednesday; the stress is building and I will be very pleased when it's done.

Good luck with the move for you ds Wax, honestly my boy really grew up in that first term, and now says he fully appreciates we did loads to support him! But I do feel your frustration and stress. emummy huge good luck to your Dd on Wednesday I will be thinking of her.
So far so good for Dd and 6 th year. Well I say that but she says the mechanics of maths teacher is sexist. I think he may find he has met his match this year as Dd has his card well and truly marked. The poor man should be afraid very afraid!🤣

DD1 started her PGDE so we have had some nice teacher talk. We have moved DD2's stuff into her fab west end party pad I mean flat. DD3 having problems getting her S6 timetable sorted out. She got A, BB,CC for Highers, typical offer would have been 4 Bs so looking at a doable conditional. She phoned 1st choice uni and admissions person said likely to get a 2 Bs conditional. School are insisting that she fill all her columns so Ah (in the subject she has A for so other than love for subject pointless) 3 crash Highers and a Leadership award / oh and she is Head Girl. I am seriously worried that she won't meet conditionals as she's stretched too thin. School are saying no more "enhancements/self study/frees" as those with full timetables do better. I know where I teach (same LA different school ) that enhancements are still offered, so this is a school policy not a Council directive . I know for many S6 is a waste of time but for DD it won't be she won't be suffering from unconditionalitis . She wants to sort things herself but I am itching to phone school. DD4 started 5 Highers and I am waiting for the fright when she realises how much harder they are. Bright spark but only 15 so not very resilient - yet.

Emummy good luck to your DD for the UCAT!

Wax that seems like an incredibly onerous 6th year for your DD - can she not fill her time with volunteering, peer mentoring, stuff like that?! Good for her for wanting to sort it out herself though!

Sorry, that last bit of post was for Lidl

Wax, what I meant to write to you was, don't worry too much about not having all DS' bits and pieces, when I took DS to Hillhead last year we did a last minute dash around Bridge of Don tesco extra and met many, many parents and kids doing the same!

In my house we've got DS preparing for his return to Aberdeen on Tuesday (and I'm looking forward to there being food in the fridge and slightly emptier laundry baskets, but I will miss his grass cutting expertise!).

And DD started her 5 Highers courses at school this week, she's doing her usual beautiful course notes as we speak. Hope she can keep it up!

I've noticed my grocery bill going down significantly since we took ds back up to Aberdeen nearly 2 weeks ago!

Although that's balanced by the £40 shop I did for him at the big new Lidl that is literally next door to his flat

He's currently trying to find a part-time job and discovering that you have to thole lots of rejections (especially as he has no experience) - but the last couple of places he took his CV in to seem to have been a bit more positive.

He's also restricted because he can't work Saturdays or Tuesday and Thursday nights (due to his rugby).

Dd starts college on Tuesday, she's coming over to see me tomorrow, she'd never admit it but I think she wants a Mum cuddle.
She's coming over on Wednesday too for her birthday, 18 eek. She's asked for risotto carbonara which is her favourite and I'll take her out first for her first legal drink.
A local bar/restaurant makes amazing margaritas.

Has he tried here pb?

www.indeed.co.uk/Part-Time-jobs-in-Aberdeen

Glad to hear everyone is getting there. I don't want to leave too much until we are in Aberdeen as DH has an injury and might not be able to drive, leaving me to drive his big car that i've never driven before and i've also never driven that far before :(

Could you go out locally in the big car this week to familiarise yourself with it?
I can't drive big cars either, I have a Mini.

Wax I switch from Maw wagon 7 seater to teen gal i10 and manage. I don't like to divulge how many driving tests I sat but I have been driving for 23 years and the only accident I have been involved in was an elderly gent smacking into me from a parking space. During DDs swim meet years I forced myself with google help to drive from our neck of the woods to Aberdeen, Dumfries Inverness and (once) Prestonpans. Aberdeen drive is boring but bearable. It's not horrible I have driven to Aberdeen Halls as swimmers were kipping there and it was quite straight forward.

Well done Lidl.

DH would be there to assist, I just have a lot of anxiety about joining from slip roads. I passed my test first time over 30 years ago but have had spells of not driving at all. I've driven continuously for the last 15 years but always local and although I had to do one junction of the motorway pretty much every school day for 7 years, I still felt sick in my stomach every single one of them :( The things i've bloody done for my children!

On the plus side, DH has a bit more mobility and reckons he should be okay to drive next week, Even if he manages half then I can do the boring 2nd half after the slip roads :)