Help for new (spring admit) freshman!

LTG
Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:52:15 +0000

Thanks Sunny and Parents-

I agree that getting the ID card early would have helped (not particularly easy since we’re not in Tallahassee). I think a problem is that incoming spring freshmen (not transfers) had only one orientation date available – the day before classes began – so, with the pressures naturally attendant with starting college, being unable to get the classes recommended on the map, just adds more pressure. Of course FSU cannot be expected to provide numerous orientation dates for only a couple of hundred students and I also realize that most spring starts are transfer students, but I do wish FSU had provided the brand new students with more information regarding the logistics of campus life. My daughter, who has been accepted to FSU, but who has not made a final decision yet, has received more info from the school than my son ever did – for instance my daughter received an email from the school informing her that her English ACT scores entitled her to some credit in Freshmen Comp. My son never received such an email, but had higher ACT scores than my daughter. When he met with his advisor at orientation, he asked about it and the advisor was able to get him the credit, but I wonder if he would have been sitting in English 101 had his sister not received the email from FSU.

Having said all that, my son said orientation was well run and fun. He finally got a decent schedule, even if not exactly what he wanted. They drilled the “if you don’t show up the first day you are dropped” mantra into him so well, that he went to a class yesterday afternoon and, even though there was a sign on the door stating that the class was cancelled for that day, he stayed in the classroom anyway-- just in case!

Now that he has a schedule, a dorm room and a temporary parking ticket, he’s calmer and excited. I’ll drive up on Saturday to bring him his bike and a bunch of books he ordered from Amazon. After that, I’ll probably be much calmer too!