Thread 15 - Corona Cohort Year 12, 2021 Lateral Flow & Driving Tests

[orangecinnamon]

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Ds is saying he might like to take a year out. We’ve said he’ll have to find some kind of job if he does.

Dd on the other hand has been accepted onto an MA course but it’s two years and the first year will have to be self funded. She can get a student loan to cover most of the 2nd year fees but not maintenance.

So Ds taking a year out might not be a bad thing.

There are practically vertical side streets in Glasgow. When I was 16 my DSis took me to a party in a nightclub . Parked my mum's mini on a side street... three hours later, departed club and couldn't find car. You can probably guess the rest. After considerable seraching , found the mini at the bottom of the street in a lamppost. DSis swears to this day that some awful people did this and it was nothing to do with her parking....

@Comefromaway

Ds is saying he might like to take a year out. We’ve said he’ll have to find some kind of job if he does.

Dd on the other hand has been accepted onto an MA course but it’s two years and the first year will have to be self funded. She can get a student loan to cover most of the 2nd year fees but not maintenance.

So Ds taking a year out might not be a bad thing.

Absolutely to getting a job. I think gap years can be incredibly useful if done this way. You can still travel if wanted.

Congrats to your daughter. Hopefully the lessons are not too intense. Before postgraduate loans came in there used to be graduate bank loans. Some may still exist. It might also be worth asking her current institution if they have access to the postgraduate funding database..it lists a lot if weird and wonderful funders .

Ds doesn’t want to travel. He wants to earn some money and work on his music/prepare for auditions. Getting a job will be tricky for him though as he’s autistic and finds the application process difficult. Corporate, online application forms are not good for neuro diverse people. .

@Comefromaway

Ds doesn’t want to travel. He wants to earn some money and work on his music/prepare for auditions. Getting a job will be tricky for him though as he’s autistic and finds the application process difficult. Corporate, online application forms are not good for neuro diverse people. .

My nephew has aspergers and McDonald's had a really supportive training programme for him. This was for a part time post after school. I can imagine scenario based interviews would have been a nightmare for him.

Oblomov21 hope it not too expensive. Is he practicing or has he taken his test yet? He’s doing well either way for Year 12. Most round here are not driving.
Comefromaway sounds like he has a plan. Dd will be possibly taking a year out.

He didn’t get an interview when he applied for McDonald’s last year. It was an online application form with what would you do in this situation questions.

Oddly, Ds comes across quite well in person. He’s very engaging.

Nor did mine come!

Oh what a nightmare Oblomov21! I am trying to teach DS to drive at the moment as we can not even get on a waiting list for an instructor and he was desperate to start. My god its terrifying! Somehow I am manly managing to stay calm on the surface - I am the proverbial swan!

@comfromaway @orangecinnamon when I did my post grad I took out a professional studies loan from the bank. Do they do that anymore?

It doesn't look like it...the scheme was called the career development loan.

Some institutions block their teaching e.g to a Thurs and Fri so the students have a better chance of getting a job. Also to bear in mind part-time study makes it difficult to find shared student housing because of council tax liability, in England. The new student loan scheme was supposed to allow a little for maintenance, but very often you find courses are the cost of the whole max loan.

Yes, they got rid of career development loans.

This course is quite intensive as it's at a performing arts college. Contact hours are 9.30am - 5.30pm Mon-Thurs with a 1:1 lesson timetabled for Fridays.

It's complicated by the fact that dh is himself part way through a part time masters that he needs to further his own teaching career. So we are also funding that. Back when he was a student a a conservatoire there was no funding at all for postgrad courses and only rich kids did MA's.

But that's life. Dd has been very fortunate and had lots of advantages in life. As I said to her yesterday, this is the situation many young people in the performing arts find themselves in when applying for vocational school and college. She didn't get a government MDS award for dance school aged 11 but she got a bursary and we were able to afford the top up fees whereas many other children would have had to decline the place. Aged 16 she got DaDa funding for musical theatre college. We could afford to pay her living costs, others were not so lucky.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn

Oh what a nightmare Oblomov21! I am trying to teach DS to drive at the moment as we can not even get on a waiting list for an instructor and he was desperate to start. My god its terrifying! Somehow I am manly managing to stay calm on the surface - I am the proverbial swan!

@comfromaway @orangecinnamon when I did my post grad I took out a professional studies loan from the bank. Do they do that anymore?

I'm not confident enough to teach ds, plus I only have an automatic car. My dad helped teach dd and will do the same for ds once it is legal for him to be in the car with him.

I'm still trying to get ds out driving. He's had the 3 lessons with an instructor, his lessons re start on 12th with theory 13th. He won't drive out with me as he says it's boring. When he wanted picking up from school I said only if he drives home. It's an easy journey though, on country lanes (not single track) so he drove home twice a week for the 3 weeks of school. Now he won't drive as he'd rather be sleeping/gaming. I find he gets going quite well when he does drive, but each time he doesn't drive for several weeks he goes backwards and forgets stuff. I can't see him passing this theory either. He's got the 4 in 1 app but apparently it's boring, stupid and pointless 🤷‍♀️

DS has just had 2x 2hr lessons before they stopped. He needs to have a few more before we think about taking him out for practice - if we manage to get him cover for my car. Can I ask how much premium are people paying to cover their 17 yr old on their car? On what type of car and with which insurer. Mine is a 1.6L CMax. I really don't want to exchange my car just to accommodate letting DS drive.

When dd learnt she used Marmalade. Her grandad paid as her birthday present. He couldn't get her on his car (no shit sherlock its a Mercedes AMG E class) but he got her on my company car which is a Mercedes 180 CLA.

She now drives a Hyundai i-10 and they use Admiral Multi Car. I don't know the cost. She has said that if we get ds on her insurance we can use her car for him to learn when she's home in the holidays.

Hi not been on for a while. I’ve got MS and not been that well but better now so need to catch up. DS finally at top of the list for driving lessons and has theory test and first lesson on the same day - week Saturday. He has insurance through Marmalade - Kia piccanto and I think it was about £280 for six months. Will catch up on posts now!

Driving lessons restarting again next week and DS has theory test in May (rebooked from the one cancelled in Feb).

End of year exams in the week after half term so revision has started. No EPQ since he is still doing 4 A levels - the majority will drop one after they know their results and estimated grades.

@Comefromaway

Yes, they got rid of career development loans.

This course is quite intensive as it's at a performing arts college. Contact hours are 9.30am - 5.30pm Mon-Thurs with a 1:1 lesson timetabled for Fridays.

It's complicated by the fact that dh is himself part way through a part time masters that he needs to further his own teaching career. So we are also funding that. Back when he was a student a a conservatoire there was no funding at all for postgrad courses and only rich kids did MA's.

But that's life. Dd has been very fortunate and had lots of advantages in life. As I said to her yesterday, this is the situation many young people in the performing arts find themselves in when applying for vocational school and college. She didn't get a government MDS award for dance school aged 11 but she got a bursary and we were able to afford the top up fees whereas many other children would have had to decline the place. Aged 16 she got DaDa funding for musical theatre college. We could afford to pay her living costs, others were not so lucky.

sounds like she is extremely talented !

@estherfrewen

Hi not been on for a while. I’ve got MS and not been that well but better now so need to catch up. DS finally at top of the list for driving lessons and has theory test and first lesson on the same day - week Saturday. He has insurance through Marmalade - Kia piccanto and I think it was about £280 for six months. Will catch up on posts now!

Welcome back !

There are so many talented young people it's difficult to say. But DaDa funding from the government is meant to only go to those with the potential to make it in the industry. Lots still never do though and it's always good to have a Plan B

Covid has had a detrimental effect. The disruption in training last year, mental health difficulties due to covid etc is the main reason why she feels the need to do an extra year MA. She was 16 when she started full time musical theatre college, many don't start that until age 18 which is why the MA institution gave feedback that they don't think she's quite ready for their 1 year MA and want her to do the extra (unfortunately unfunded) year.

Welcome back Esther, to better health days ahead x

With car insurance we did the same for ds2 as for ds1 we bought a 1.2 Corsa which was ds1's to use but is now for Ds2. We paid for one year insurance for ds2 with marmalade. It covers him as a learner and when he's passed for £750 for the year. He will get the one year no claims after a year. We both have automatic cars so no point insuring to drive ours. Plus being bigger, newer cars it would cost too much after they passed. As ds1 decided to take his car to university in sept DH bought him a newer fiesta. So ds2 could use the Corsa.

Ds2 is up early today. I said let's go for a short drive. He said no...he's too tired. I'm obviously not going to make him. Hopefully once his lessons re start he might be more keen. It's been a waste of 6 months insuring the car really. I know of a few people that had their driving tests cancelled in October then had the second one cancelled end of December/beginning Jan. they have now got their new date in September. Almost a year later. That's a long wait. So it will be a long time for our lot to get tests. I didn't cancel ds's theory because I know it will be a long time before we get another. I'm not sure how easy it will be to pass without having much driving practice.

We have bought DS a 1l tiny car and got leaner insurance for him through Collinswood and it was £260 with me as a named driver on it.

DD and I have been looking into applying for a provisional driving licence. She has ADHD and it’s as clear as mud whether you need to tell the DVLA or not: ‘You must tell DVLA if your ADHD or your ADHD medication affects your ability to drive safely. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result. If you’re applying for your provisional (learners) driving licence you do not need to tell DVLA about your condition unless you think that it may affect your ability to drive safely. Ask your doctor if you’re not sure if your condition will affect your driving.’
Anyone else’s DC had this conundrum? Her medication also states something equally ambiguous. DD has a follow up appointment with the psychiatrist next month so going to ask her before applying.
I’m assuming she’ll need to let the insurance company know this too.

We insured DS1 through Collingwood and paid £330 for the year on a Mini Cooper. If he passes before the year you get a percentage of the money back. His proper lessons with an instructor start on the 17th April.