What is your child's pet peeve as a frosh in college - Page 3

seiclan · 10-25-2009, 07:30 PM

I really believe that it is a maturity issue with my daughter (not substance free/partying issue). She spent many years very ill (from 12 - 16) with a chronic illness and really became "an old soul" when she went into remission (knock wood). She knows that her health and life are precious and does not take them for granted (as many adolescents do). I will encourage her to join perhaps some community service type club or some club or organization that she may be interested in to try to broaden her horizons. She is not alone (she has loads of sorority sister/friends and study buddies and hometown friends that she still hangs with. She just would like meet more people with depth (for lack of a better word). She is in a supersuite dorm and loves it btw (so she has her private space) and her best friends from high school have a suite right upstairs.

Modadunn · 10-25-2009, 07:31 PM

My son has made not one complaint. Not one. Not about the school, not about his roommate and basically only shown concern for the suitemate who seemed to have gotten on a party/sleep schedule and so they held an "intervention" to get him back on track. I am sure he has things that are bugging him, but if I channel his being and I come up with only one...

His mother is driving him nuts!!! She wants to hear from him with some regularity as if it's proof of life. And she insists he check his mail when she sends time sensitive materials like cookies. He honestly thought "friending" her on facebook would negate the need to call home but it hasn't quite worked that way. She asks questions like, how are you doing and what's new? Soooo annoying.

mummom · 10-25-2009, 08:25 PM

There is a lot of defensiveness around these parts, I think, from parents who know their kids drink, which mightily eases social interaction among strangers (which is really what these kids are). If a kid is not a drinker, for whatever reason, and is used in high school to having two or three or four very close friends, first semester college can be a cold and lonely place (no matter how many acquaintances).

On another topic, my S speaks to both me and my husband very frequently. If it eases his transition--why not? Personally, I don't think a son's not speaking to his mom for weeks on end is necessarily something to brag about.

zoeydoggie · 10-25-2009, 08:29 PM

D's peeve was "heavy shedders", the girls with very thick and long hair that left a lot behind in the bathroom and showers. I told her not to call them that to their faces.

eggmom · 10-25-2009, 08:38 PM

S complains that the school sends him too much email.

Also that his mother keeps trying to push warm clothing on him... but I'm not going to count that.

Modadunn · 10-25-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Personally, I don't think a son's not speaking to his mom for weeks on end is necessarily something to brag about.

I honestly hope this was not directed at me based on my post above in what was intended to be a tongue in cheek "complaint" about asserting independence. Considering it's from someone seemingly new to the board, I will turn the other cheek but still clarify that son calls like clockwork after classes on Thursday. And I will admit that the last care package I sent did include mittens, but he asked for them.

PackMom · 10-26-2009, 07:46 AM

Modadunn, I posted about my S's lack of comm. earlier in the thread so that comment could be shot in my direction too. I am certain that I drive S2 nuts with too many emails. I do find that he is better about returning emails (sometimes) than having long ph. conversations.

S2, now a soph didn't complain tooo much but like most freshman, he quickly tired of the cafeteria food. Another complaint might have been the suite bathroom, one shower,one sink,one toilet (all circa 1962) shared by eight guys, the heat in the dorm that necessitated keeping the window open most of the winter or the bright street light directly across from his window that lit up his room like a football field at night. This was easily handled with a black bedsheet and yards of duct tape..voila.
So really most complaints were minor and I really didn't hear him complain about things that often.
But then again..I really just don't hear from him that often..not bragging.

molliegym · 10-26-2009, 07:55 AM

I'm a fresman. My pet peeves- the broken heated in my room (I'm in Cleveland and it's already freezing here), and people who don't respect quiet hours (11pm to 8am weeknights). Twice a week I have to be up at 6:30am for a 7:30 lifeguarding shift and I hate it when I can't get to sleep because my neighbors are being obnoxiously loud or blaring music/ a movie at 1am.

Neonzeus · 10-26-2009, 10:40 AM

My Ss have complained about the "holier than thou" students, who lecture others about their personal habits, religion, choice of major, video gaming, dietary or drinking habits, etc. My kids believe in live & let live. As long as no one is preventing them from studying or sleeping, doing anything illegal, or taking their stuff, they try to be adaptable. They enjoy polite debates. One kid had a born again roommate who spent freshman year trying to convert him. While S wasn't converted, he was willing to go to church with this roommate once or twice to see what it was about.

My kids have said that there are too many freshmen who become shocked, angry, judgmental and/or insulting when they encounter others with different beliefs. They've opined its very "high school."

historymom · 10-26-2009, 12:42 PM

D's roomie wanted lights out by 9:00 on the weekdays and got irritated if D came in later than that. D is not totally nocturnal but doesn't go to bed THAT early. They have worked it out.

Other D is in a different dorm and she so far has had no complaints other than the dining hall being closed on weekend afternoons.

poetgrl · 10-26-2009, 12:57 PM

D is not a drinker, but really doesn't care if other people are. She's found plenty of non-drinkers at the parties with the heavy drinkers. She can take it or leave it, but she likes to be around other people and also understands the difference between the relationship with a long-term friend and a new friend. When she needs something deeper, she has plenty of old friends to call.

However, she really CANT stand the whole regimented eating thing with the cafeteria. She cannot manufacture hunger at a specific time and not be hungry when she is. I think her food plan will be much more flexible next term. Other than that, she hates having an early class, because she also cannot manufacture tiredness when she isn't.

mummom · 10-26-2009, 06:53 PM

I'm having a problem picturing a party scene of cold sober kids having fun with the sloshed kids. I'm sorry and I don't mean to offend, but I'm just not buying it. Unless I was the designated driver, after these kids had two or three drinks, they'd have lost me. I'd be on my way to another entertainment. I think it's a pretty well established fact that drunks lose their charm if you're not drinking along with them.

anxiousmom · 10-26-2009, 07:14 PM

Maybe something in the middle there - sober kids in great spirits, laughing and dancing around, with friends who have had one or two drinks who are in great spirits, laughing and dancing around. I can see it.

Columbia_Student · 10-26-2009, 07:16 PM

The cateferia near her dorm is terrible. She spent less money this year and eat much better. She was in a very popular dorm right next to a Starbucks coffee shop and it was reasonably noisy because that's where everybody socialized. This forced her to study at the nearby library.

JHS · 10-26-2009, 07:18 PM

Well, the sober kids might be making the sloshed kids do stupid kid tricks, all the while taking pictures that could be used in the future for extortion. Or they could just be taking advantage of the sloshed kids. I think that drunks don't lose their charm if you are playing poker with them, at least not until their money runs out!