<p>my D lives in the honors dorm and one reason she wanted to do so is the studiousness (hopefully) and the ability to network, so analyst your sons math skills should be in high demand and he can get likewise help from a talented english person. Besides the support they have at the schools themselves. Not math minded always admired that talent!!!</p>
<p>twisted-</p>
<p>If you are able to get a credit card in your own name (some companies are no longer offeringthem to college studnets without significant credit history already in place, and some arent offerign any to under 21 yrs olds without a co-signer any more) BUT-- if you can-- get it and pay all bills on line. How will your parents know you have a credit card account? Dont have any paper bills mailed anywhere. You will be fine.</p>
<p>Thanks, oregon. I did take a loooong walk to take care of some errands and I feel a little better now, I really needed to take a step back and calm myself. I will find a way to manage it. I had expected to be able to graduate with 3-5k in savings just from the loan refunds, and so I figured yeah I’ll graduate with debt but I’ll have a bit of money for a security deposit on an apartment so I can move to take a job if I have to, and hopefully I’ll have a bit of money set aside in case I haven’t found a job yet when my grace period ends to buy me some extra time. Or, depending on how much I had, I thought I could use a portion of it to pay off my federal loans and get those out of the way. The idea of that disappearing all of the sudden scared the hell out of me. You’re right that I am very tired. I also have a sore throat and am waiting to cool down from being outside to take my temperature, so a bit of panic there is setting in too. Hopefully I will be better for the football game on Saturday. 
If anyone catches on that I am sick no one will want to talk to me anymore and I will miss out on all of welcome week. So I have gotten out my thermometer in stealth and feel like I am sneaking drugs or something. XD If I have a temperature, and even if I don’t, I am pretty much going to lay in bed until Saturday and Lysol everything I touch. I feel sorry for my roommate. If she got sick I’d be freaking out.</p>
<p>ETA: 98.8, that’s a teensy bit high for be but I am still hot from outside so most likely no fever at all. I guess I will take some advil and rest up and go to the health services if it gets any worse. Does that sound okay? My parents aren’t picking up the phone now. >.<</p>
<p>TK: oregon101 gave some great advice. This can work out!! I am thinking about taking it myself…taking a nap, a walk and some ice cream.</p>
<p>I will tell my drop off story soon. I still tear up when I think about it.</p>
<p>Tk, your posts reflect a strong, practical, can-do kind of person. I have no doubt you are in the right school for you and you will find a way for this to work out, but sorry you are having to go through it anyway. I hope you feel better soon.</p>
<p>I am enjoying reading S1’s advice to S2 on how to survive fall of freshman year. This is a sample of his email today. “I remember dinner as being my break each day and even dinner was tricky because you have to fit it in around any TA sessions you might need to attend… start your week after brunch on Sunday (minimal NFL football)…but try to make it to the gym at least once during the week…” He then goes on to talk about how easy his classes are this fall and how classes get cancelled a lot so he is headed to the beach. They cancelled for two weeks because of swine flu and are having a problem keeping the university open (in Rio), but of course S1 feels completely impervious to the idea he might actually get sick. he just sees this the same as getting snow days as a kid.</p>
<p>TK, rest is a good idea. Keep an eye on your temp if you start feeling worse, but the sore throat may be just dryness (hydrate! is my middle name), or maybe just a cold. When my D first went to college, absolutely everyone got sick with a nasty cold/virus/cough bug that they all passed around. It’s bound to happen sometime. But that doesn’t mean it’s the flu. And you sound very conscientious to me – don’t worry about getting your roommate sick. People can pick up viruses anywhere. Hang in there and take care of yourself and try not to worry about your mom right now.</p>
<p>I have a question about the common app that I cannot find the answer to anywhere! But I knew one of you wise '13ers could help me. </p>
<p>My S is a HS senior and is beginning to work on his common app. We have sent various SAT and ACT scores to all the schools on his list. We chose his best scores when possible, but there were a couple of schools that wanted ALL scores, so we sent them all. </p>
<p>I am assuming someone here might have done the same thing. My question: What do you then enter in the “testing” area of the common app? Leaving it blank sounds wrong to me, and seems like it would look bad, but we don’t want schools to see any scores that they don’t need to. </p>
<p>When D went thru this a few years ago, this was not an issue. All her scores were sky high so we put them all in the apps</p>
<p>Help? Anyone? Thank you!!</p>
<p>TK
you’re doing great. Take a nap, have some chicken soup, and don’t worry about anything but having fun and doing any on campus necessities until Monday.</p>
<p>On Monday, arrange to have your mail sent any where but home in the future.</p>
<p>Call your parents and tell them that most of the refund check is earmarked for various mandatory school fees…make some up if you have to. (Dorm fund, additional extraneous class materials, lab fees etc)</p>
<p>If you want to, tell your parents you will give them a portion of what is left over after the end of the semester,or if the loan is for the year, at the end of the year.</p>
<p>If the loan disbursement was for first semester only, make a different arrangement for mailing next semester (do it now)…file a change of address with the post office on line. Your parents will never get your mail in the future. you are over 18.
I am assuming the check is made out to you? And you are the one responsible for paying it back?</p>
<p>Open a bank account somewhere convenient for you and do all banking on line…ING is very good and secure an is an online-only bank…no mail at all!</p>
<p>I am sorry you are going through this. You deserve to enjoy your college years working hard to get an education.</p>
<p>If you feel guilty…don’t. Just make a promise to yourself that once you are an adult working a good living wage, you will help your parents financially if they need it, and follow through.</p>
<p>Just got back from leaving D. Everything went well. No tears from either of us. Haven’t heard much from her yet but didn’t expect to. Haven’t had internet access for several days so I need to read that last several pages of posts.</p>
<p>Welcome back Rochestermom–good job!</p>
<p>Wonderful news Zetesis!!
BTW - where is modadunn—should she be back yet??</p>
<p>DD posted this on Facebook yesterday.</p>
<p>“In this whole getting-to-know-you process, nobody touches each other. I miss human contact.”</p>
<p>I just wanted to drive to her and give her a big hug and kiss on the forehead. :(</p>
<p>Spoke to D. Long convo. She had gone to an athletic practice to try out for the team. Her homework so far is only reading. She is not at all overwhelmed. I told her that maybe they are starting slow and to keep up. Her high school was extremely rigorous.</p>
<p>Wow, just got an email from my son (perhaps the first ever of his own volition) saying he’d joined the debate club (the first EC he ever joined) and was going to add the class for 2 credits. YAHOO! Methinks my boy is happy and adjusting. Through the whole process, this is the most positive thing I’ve seen. </p>
<p>~ one ecstatic mom</p>
<p>cpeltz – that’s terrific. Sometimes our kids surprise us.</p>
<p>eddieo-- I sympathize with your D … </p>
<p>… I hadn’t spoken with D in almost a week when she called this morning. When I asked her about classes, there was the briefest pause before she commented how much work she’s got (and this from a rigorous HS all honors AP and tons of homework in HS kid etc. …). </p>
<p>It was hearing that catch in her voice, the way she intoned “there’s a lot of work” that has left me just a tad anxious all day. She hasn’t yet expressed any homesickness (for which I’m glad), but I expect she will as the grind wears on and the newness wears off. And then what does a mom do, when all she wants to do is hug her little girl? (ok, not so little, but you know what I mean)</p>
<p>cpeltz, so glad to hear about the debate club, but even more thrilled to hear he shared it! Well, my d called today saying she is getting sick, but she used her first-aid kit to take some advil and temperature; went to Walgreens to get vitamins, fluids, and liquids and called tonight saying she is feeling better. Not the best way to hear from your kid, but she handled it well and is excited for the first football game this weekend. She, too, is studying alot but says she thinks she is managing the amount of work and is able to go out and have fun. Overall, she’s doing well and so am I!</p>
<p>Well finally caught up this morning. So many posts over the last few days. I skimmed them so may have missed some points.</p>
<p>Spoke with D again last night. She needs to get PT information to the trainer and didn’t sign a HIPA form for the college before she left so we are trying to work that out. Sounds like she is fitting in. Going to meals with other CC kids and was going to watch a movie somewhere last night. So all sounds good. Classes don’t start until Wed. so this is just “fun” time with practice. Orientation starts today so it sounded like she’ll be kept busy over the next few days.</p>
<p>It’s good to hear how classes are going and the first about clubs–great news cpeltz on the debate team. Crzy, good that your daughter is feeling better and will be able to enjoy some football this weekend. Mom4college, my college experience was pretty much all reading and writing papers because I gravitated to those types of classes. Your D’s schedule sounds ideal to me.</p>
<p>Z, I sympathize with that pit in the stomach feeling on workload, although at least you know your D is a hard worker and excellent student so I’m sure she will do great. Two of S’s friends have already dropped to easier classes – one from calc to precalc and one to an easier chemistry. S2 said he was taking a biology quiz yesterday for extra credit, which sounds like good news. He never did anything for extra credit before in his life.</p>
<p>BengalMom-You can create alternate versions of the common app to send to different colleges. Go to the following link and search “alternate version” for instructions.</p>
<p>[Support</a> Center](<a href=“http://s3.parature.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5524]Support”>http://s3.parature.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5524)</p>
<p>Can anyone recommend any good books for parents about the post-launch time?</p>
<p>I’ve already ready “Letting Go” and “The Launching Years”, and I am looking for more about how the parent/child relationship changes, how to maintain open communication, dealing with empty nest, that sort of thing. Also, I’d appreciate pointers to any other books about this general topic that anyone especially enjoyed.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>