You invariably chose to have it sent to your parents' address - safer, yes, but a way of convincing them that your social status lies somewhere between F ailure and C onqueror of Language . So when your mother calls to say, You've received a letter, you'll know by the way she says Letter that she's not talking The AA or Boots Opticians. The address is handwritten, she'll whisper. Of course, she'll know your next question because you've asked it before: Does it look like my handwriting? She knows your handwriting. She's probably kept the other stamp-addressed envelopes that you'd opened when you still had light in your eyes. but she'll say I cannot say for sure . Don't get your hopes up. As a general rule of thumb, if you can still remember your mother's first name, it's much, much too soon.