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

pixeljig · 10-25-2009, 10:19 AM

If you would like to share the minor irritations that you child is unhappy about at the school.

It might show a trend that would be interesting to read and determine whether they all are going through this no matter where they are or is it college specific.

ebeeeee · 10-25-2009, 10:20 AM

A group of students in her major who are BFFS...walk to class together, go to meals together, stay in a group as if they were still in High School. Apparently the same group treats the classes like HS classes, talking during lecture, etc.

pixeljig · 10-25-2009, 10:24 AM

Sorry, whats BFFS?

rodney · 10-25-2009, 10:33 AM

inherent lack of common sense among a large group of the students at her school......(I imagine this is universal?)

SimpleRules · 10-25-2009, 10:37 AM

Singlular - BFF - Best Friend Forever
Plural - BFFS

That is annoying ebeeeee and it most likely won't last - boyfriends/girlfriends, transfers, drop outs, overseas study, etc.

dbwes · 10-25-2009, 10:49 AM

D is a soph now, but I know the answer to this. She goes to a Catholic, Jesuit school and complains about the dorm regulations -- they are stricter about signing in guests, hours that the opposite sex is allowed in, times when guests have to be out, etc.
I mention this, pixeljig, because I recall you are looking at SCU.

mom2collegekids · 10-25-2009, 11:40 AM

^^

Personally, I like such dorm rules...it's very annoying for the roommates when one has friends over late into the night. It's hard to be the "bad guy" and say, "hey, could you leave? I'm trying to sleep." or "I'd like to change my clothes, but I can't while your boy/girl friend is always here."

My kids (both at UAlabama) have/had no complaints as freshmen. They have new dorms, they have private rooms, they're in honors so they have priority registration, UA doesn't use TAs for lectures. So...no negatives for being a frosh.

seiclan · 10-25-2009, 11:49 AM

My DD, a sophomore at UCF, bemoans that she has had a tough time finding a group of true compadres/BFFs. She has lots and lots of what she would consider superficial friends (from her classes and her sorority)and does do stuff with them... but has not been able to find others like her who do not drink, smoke, or like to go out to all hours of the night. My DD has been through a lot in her life and at 19 is already an "old soul" (or perhaps a more mature student). Many to most of the college age extracurricular activities revolve around going to clubs, and/or drinking. She would love to find a group to just go to dinner and a movie, or stay in and watch DVD's with.

lje62 · 10-25-2009, 11:53 AM

I agree with mom2
Though I no longer have a freshman , my now sophomore daughter had issues with late night guests and general noise late at night from her roommate ( TV, lights on, etc )
My now senior lived in a suite freshmand year and complained about the girls who never pitched in with dishes or other tidying chores to keep the place neat.

atomom · 10-25-2009, 11:54 AM

How quickly couples "paired up" during the first few weeks of school--and now, after two months, all the "relationship drama" going on among the girls in her dorm.

Marian · 10-25-2009, 12:00 PM

Mine are no longer freshmen, but some of the things they complained about included:

Drunks in general.

Accumulated garbage near the trash cans -- and on some occasions, vomit in the bathrooms -- on the weekends because there was no janitorial service on the weekends.

People in neighboring rooms who talk to their friends on Skype late at night, with the sound coming through the wall.

Not being able to get particular classes or sections you want because upperclassmen were allowed to register before you.

Annoyances with the school clinic (not being able to get beyond the nurses and see a real doctor in one instance; having the school pharmacy not carry a medication the student needed in the other instance).

oldfort · 10-25-2009, 12:02 PM

D1 found she could never be alone. When she lived at home, she could go to her room to study and chill out. In college it was hard initially to have to eat with people she didn't know, even though she had a single, it was hard to keep people out. She found it was hard to have to be mentally "up" all the time.

D1 also thought it was stressful to be on her own, without us as her safety net. There is no one to remind her to turn in forms, make appointments...She learned to keep a to do list/diary of what she needed to do.

After a semester she did get used to it all. She figured out what she needed to do to find some quiet time. Now she finds it annoying to have me remind her to do things. It's all part of growing up.

lunitari · 10-25-2009, 12:17 PM

D1 is irked that her roommate is a real slob, but that's her only complaint so far.

Tulare · 10-25-2009, 12:21 PM

Lack of alone time has been the biggest adjustment so far. She has a chatty roommate and an active dorm floor and many new friends who like to go do stuff together. I've told her being lonely would be a bigger problem, but I do understand how exhausting it is to always be "on".

emeraldkity4 · 10-25-2009, 01:20 PM

Lack of alone time has been the biggest adjustment so far. She has a chatty roommate and an active dorm floor and many new friends who like to go do stuff together. I've told her being lonely would be a bigger problem, but I do understand how exhausting it is to always be "on".

I think this would be my daughters complaint if she spoke to me.
She needs her space and it is difficult when you have a friendly roommate. I expect next year she will live off campus.