<p>Garland:</p>
<p>I had to laugh at that one! We’re not there yet, and I don’t even know if S will realize when he is low on funds.</p>
<p>Technically, he’s not low on funds, but he likes a sum of his money to be in his campus account, doesn’t have banking in the city, and doesn’t like to add money in because the bill comes to us. I explained to him that he can transfer it himself from the credit he has because of outside scholarships, so now I’ll probably never have another talk with him.</p>
<p>Son just called. He is sick with a cold, he accidently wiped Windows off his brand-new computer while trying to install Linux and now it won’t work at all, he has a pile of homework he hasn’t started yet, he has nothing in common with anyone in his dorm, he isn’t eating, and his room is a depressing pit with all of his stuff still in disorganized piles on the floor. He actually apologized for not having any upbeat tidbits for us and admitted that he just wanted to hear our voices (must be the cold meds talking). He really sounded kind of pitiful. I would have much preferred a request for money. I’m sure things will improve soon, but we probably won’t hear about it.</p>
<p>oh, texas137… poor baby. You might as well be the mother of a D with that “too much information” call.</p>
<p>Be careful what we wish for.</p>
<p>Texas:</p>
<p>I’m hoping it’s just the cold talking. On top of that, we’re getting the tailend of Ophelia and the weather is dreary and rainy. It can’t lift one’s spirits. Give it a couple of days. The weather is supposed to improve, especially since Ophelia has decided to move to Canada. By then, he should be over the worst of his cold.</p>
<p>Texas, I went through this and more during my D’s miserable, pre-transfer freshman year. so I always say no calls is actually not such a bad thing.</p>
<p>Hope things feel better soon! These all sound like recoverable issues, I trust.</p>
<p>Texas, the reality is they unburden themselves and then go their merry way feeling better while we stress the rest of the day. I just got a happy e-mail from my D rather then a stressed call so that was very nice. She has a running injury so has time to hang out with her suitemates and actually leave campus. She says it is the upside to her injury but will start running again tomorrow gradually. Division 1 sports are a far cry from high school varsity teams.</p>
<p>Texas
I’m hoping that your S will feel better and begin to socialize. In addition to his cold, his computer program is down and that is setting off feelings of panic. We all know he’s good with computers, and many in his dorm will be also. There are probably more kids like him at his college than he knew back in HS, but they are still strangers. I’m sure he’s in the right place, he just needs a friend or 2, a working computer (Linus does seem to knock off windows–my computer is now compartmentalized after this happened), a study group, and a sense of accomplishment with a homework set. Oh yes, some chicken soup.
I’m quite sure you were reassuring</p>
<p>My son has a nasty cold, too. He called today and talked longer with his hoarse voice than he has since we dropped him off. My husband got on the extension, and we all talked together. Interestingly enough, dh was the one who didn’t say much. Because I know more about what S is up to, I was able to ask questions that got him talking. We heard about his trumpet teacher and how great he is, about his classes, about the “cool Lincoln” he got to drive last night since he was “designated driver.” (Actually I think what prompted the call was that he wanted to make sure he was covered by insurance if he drove someone else’s car back there.) He said he is starting to settle in now (Classes started August 29.), and that he actually has some free time now. I think we talked almost 45 minutes! And, since his birthday is tomorrow, we have special permission to call him, even though it will mean two calls in one week. :-)</p>
<p>Ah, life is good!</p>
<p>If only we could manage some moderation in conversations! My son also has virtually nothing to say, while my daughter never shuts up. Sigh…</p>
<p>Texas, so sorry to hear of the rough start. Have him ask around, someone in his dorm can fix his computer for him while he recovers. Does his dorm have a cafeteria? If not, having to cook for himself can be a drag when he doesn’t really know anyone yet and is sick to boot. </p>
<p>Here’s some places that deliver. I don’t know how old this is, but surely some of them are still current: <a href=“http://web.mit.edu/wchuang/www/menus/menus.html[/url]”>http://web.mit.edu/wchuang/www/menus/menus.html</a></p>
<p>Mine was sick twice last year and it was rough. He said that was the only time he sort of wished he had a roommate - meaning someone to take care of him I think. </p>
<p>It’s so hard knowing they’re sick, tired, hungry, longely or whatever. But I’m convinced it will get better as soon as he feels better. </p>
<p>If he promises not to sneeze on my son I’ll try to reach him and see if he can help. He ‘forgets’ to charge his phone a lot and his mail box always seems to be full so I can’t leave a message, but I can try.</p>
<p>
Pho Pasteur in Harvard Square does a nice chicken pho. Alas, they don’t deliver. But Royal East and Mary Chung are within walking distance of MIT and probably have some sinus-clearing soups.</p>
<p>texas, sorry to hear about your S. Hope he feels better soon.</p>
<p>As far as boys’ ability to communicate emotion? Once I knew my S was nervous about something, I asked how he felt. All he could say was that his “throat felt funny”.</p>
<p>They can’t tell us if they don’t know.:)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the chicken soup suggestions. That’s a great list of places that deliver, too, over30. I’ll pass it all along. I actually don’t think he’s all that sick or I’d tell him to go to Student Health. He even knows plenty of people who could probably help with the computer problem; they just all happen to be in a particular dorm way on the other side of campus that he wanted and wasn’t able to get into. The combination of things may be bringing out a little more self-pity than he normally indulges in. I’m sure things will look better in a few days. We’ll actually be there for family week-end in 4 weeks and could help out with the computer and chaotic room stuff. But I’m sure by then he will have bounced back and not want any hand-holding. The reason he isn’t eating is that the kitchen in the dorm is “sketchy” and has flies and he doesn’t want to cook there (how’s that for “too much information”?). Now that might mean just one fly, but he’d rather starve than try to kill it. (If he sees a mouse he might have to transfer.) As soon as the fly dies of old age, the food situation might improve. (that’s assuming someone else on the floor clears away the corpse). How long do flies live, anyway? Do they go away when the weather gets cold?</p>
<p>Texas:</p>
<p>LoL about the fly.<br>
One prof I know told the story of how a fly was buzzing in front of his slide projector as he was trying to show slides. He tried to shoo it off but it kept coming back. Finally, he took his lecture notes and swatted it. After the lecture, a student came up to him and said: " Professor, I want you to apologize for swatting that fly. It is a sentient being and it has feelings." He told me he was unnerved for the rest of the day.:(</p>
<p>Ya’ll are making me think I’m abnormal. </p>
<p>I call home once a week, becaue that’s the agreement I have with my parents. The call usually lasts about 20 minutes, and my parents do most of the talking. I email my parents a little more often, but mostly that’s just my dad and I sending links back and forth. </p>
<p>Most of my friends (girls and guys) have similar Sunday phone call obligations, and nearly all of them are willing but not eager to make the calls. </p>
<p>Seems Olin has a shortage of the ‘call home every 20 min to give mom details about the latest campus relationships’ girls.</p>
<p>You’re not abnormal. I talk to my college son once a week or so - sometimes he even initiates the call. He doesn’t mind me calling so I do if I haven’t heard from him in a while. We also email a few times a week and once in a while we’re both on IM at the same time. We send each other interesting or funny links too.</p>
<p>This will all change when the 2nd one heads to college. We’ll probably never talk or email. Different kids.</p>
<p>My son has gotten a cold approximately three weeks after returning to school for five years now. I think it’s the reunion of all those viruses. </p>
<p>He did call a few days ago to say he was finally feeling better, and was disappointed when I told him I had a date with DH and couldn’t talk. </p>
<p>Texas137, am I correct? Your son is also at MIT? You might not want to tell him about the rats and cockroaches in the basements there… Or the cockroach controlled mobile robot: <a href=“http://www.conceptlab.com/control/[/url]”>http://www.conceptlab.com/control/</a></p>
<p>dmd77 - Yikes! Rats and roach-coaches! That certainly tops flies in the kitchen. I definitely won’t tell him. He might decide he should have gone to that other tech school on the left coast.</p>
<p>You’re probably right about the reunion of viruses. Son used to get sick every time he went to chess tournaments. All those mingled germs on the pieces from all the different schools represented…</p>
<p>over30: I just meant that I (despite being female) don’t at all match the ‘my college-age daughter calls every day and tells me everything’ comments from a lot of parents. </p>
<p>I guess my perspective is a little different, but what I’ve noticed (at Olin, which I don’t claim is representative of the general college population) is that parents of daughters seem to generally want/expect more contant, not that the daughters are more eager to initiate that contact.</p>