What is your child's pet peeve as a frosh in college

[sabaray]

I'll join the chorus singing lack of alone time. D is in a suite, which is nice but her roommate is always in the room. As D does not enjoy the frat scene as much as her roomie, she usually spends Saturday night in just for some time to listen to music she likes and relax. I'll add a lack of personal modesty on the part of the roomie is also causing some comfort issues.

[icedragon]

Meh, i'm a freshman and my room is right by the stairs...... I swear people can be so rude running up and down them and slaming doors.... grrrrr.....

[momofthreeboys]

My S1 is an upperclassman now, but his two major complaints were the food, which he thought was too greasy and too high caloric, and the noisy freshman dorms. Neither were all consuming complaints, but the two primary reasons he moved off sophomore year: so he could buy and make his own food and he could have a good night's sleep whenever he wanted.

[researching4emb]

My D's only complaint freshman year (she's now a sophomore) was that the girls on her floor were mostly airhead party girls. Also she started out so excited to join the club for skateboarders, skiers and snowboarders, because she skis and skates, and was quickly disillusioned, because it was a club of mostly guys who wanted to go on trips and get totally wasted.

But now she's found her way and her people more. It can take a while.

[stringkeymom]

seiclan, i'm hearing the same thing you describe, though that is expressed more as disappointment in finding that friends would rather get drunk than do something interesting (concert, etc.) the biggest complaint concerns the food, not the quality (excellent) but challenge of getting to dining halls while open and especially getting protein for breakfast (essential for hypoglycemics)

[momlove]

D1 found she could never be alone. When she lived at home, she could go to her room to study and chill out.

Agree with all the others on this. Growing up in a large family, I never really had a lot of personal space, so this didn't really bother me when I went away to college. In our home it's easy for my kids to find somewhere quiet to hang out whenever they feel the need. My son has spent 2 weekends at home since he started college, primarily so he could have some "down" time and to be around familiar people.

[geezermom]

No longer a freshman, but last year it was eye-opening for him to have peers who had never been around anyone but white suburbanites. (He's a lifelong city-dweller.) Along similar lines, he was amazed that so many of the restaurants in town were chains!

[mom2collegekids]

^^^

I think this is why some colleges are building "Super Suites" res halls. These are 4 bedroom private rooms with a shared living rm, kitchenette, and 2 bathrooms. Kids can be alone in their rooms. Also, no sexiling goes on.

My kids are in "Super Suites" at UAlabama. I know Auburn, UAH, Cal Poly SLo and a few others have recently built some.

To get an idea of what I mean...here is a link to my DS2 dorm...scroll down for floorplan and more pics.. one child per room. http://housing.ua.edu/ridgecrestsouth.cfm



As for the mom who posted that her D needs some "deeper" friends...she might see if her school offers "substance free" dorms. These are res halls where the occupants agree not to drink or anything - even if they are over 21. Also, some dorms are "quiet dorms" which have strict "no noise" policies after certain hours...certainly those students are probably more serious and mature.

[oldfort]

certainly those students are probably more serious and mature.

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Just because someone is quiet and doesn't drink, doesn't mean he/she is more serious and mature, or is more capable of forming a "deeper" relationship.

[JHS]

1. Daughter (years ago): required core humanities course filled with students who didn't know how to read poetry, didn't care to learn, thought it was appropriate to take up class time expressing their hostility -- just like high school.

2. Son (fewer years ago): roommate from sheltered environment overdoing it with drinking, annoying

3. Friend (home for the weekend, a couple of hours ago): It's wearing spending most of your time with people who are trying to re-invent themselves. Also, should have taken more courses outside of my comfort zone, have a couple of classes where nothing new is being learned.

Re sub-free dorms: A close college-age friend had a great freshman experience in a sub-free dorm at a sub-saturated college, but no one would have called this kid "mature" (unless by "mature" they meant "obedient").

[Rachacha]

My D's pet peeve is how dorm mates leave messes in the shared bathroom/showers on the floor. She is not the neatest person in the world either, so it must be really bad for it to bother her.

[dwhite]

Ok so I think my child is either clueless or the most flexible person around - he has NO complaints or pet peeves about anything at all. Granted, it is still early but when I ask him about dorm life, classes, etc. he always says everything is just wonderfult-could not be better! I even asked him if there was anything that was a bit annoying (roomate, hallmates, noise, lack of privacy) and he said "just you asking me if all is ok"! Ouch!

[MidwestMom2Kids_]

My daughter's pet peeve was her roommate wanted the lights out early (8:00 classes). Her roommate's pet peeve was that my daughter wanted to have her lamp on late at night. They survived. And now, fall of her second year of college, daughter has 8 a.m. classes two mornings a week...

[OldbatesieDoc]

Quote from number one son(text) "These drunken louts are a blot on the face of higher education"

[toledo]

My son's a sophomore, but looking back on last year, he'd say his pet peeve was the immaturity he saw on his dorm floor. He made other friends over the course of the year and complained less and less about his fellow floor-mates. By the middle of the year, his biggest complaint was the food, but as a freshman, he was forced to have a meal plan. Sophomore year is all good!