<p>Cpeltz–that’s fantastic! Good for him!</p>
<p>Everyone sounds like they’re doing ok…I only get short answers to text messages: “cool, thanks, okay” I did have a little cry yesterday…brought on by a stupid movie I turned on while I ate lunch. I need a little news/contact…</p>
<p>Heading out in a bit for more OOS travel. D2 said reading on the bus yesterday made her queasy. Needs to get used to it! Any suggestions? She just realized (!) one of her classes is unnecessary as she got AP creadit for a higher class level than what she is taking. Looking to drop it and add another. Can’t do it until athletic academic advisor approves when she get back in town on Monday and classes on Tuesday. Made me laugh since she plans to drop a Humanities class and hopefully add a physics class. Will see what happens.</p>
<p>We went out of town last weekend, and I haven’t caught up on this thread since then (actually, was behind even before we left). When we return from taking s to college and the dust settles (but before it’s vacuumed! LOL), I’ll catch up. </p>
<p>cpeltz, glad your son joined the debate club! S did Lincoln Douglas debate in high school, and that was his absolutely favorite high school activity. I don’t know if he will debate in college (wants to do a different kind of debate – Parliamentary Debate). I know he’ll use the skills he’s learned from debate, regardless. It’s a fabulous activity.</p>
<p>We leave bright and early tomorrow morning to take him to college. S seems to have emerged from his “fouling the nest” phase, and is being cooperative. “The times they are a changin’” for sure now. </p>
<p>Wish us luck! I will give a full report next week! We will stay overnight Saturday and plan to meet up with S Sunday morning to say goodbye and offer a last chance trip to the Walmart Supercenter in town.</p>
<p>Best of luck, Deja!</p>
<p>D seems to be doing really well. She calls to chat with me while walking home from orchestra practice since there’s no one else going her way and its at night. As I told H last night the distance is really really short and Tuesday nights she should have someone to walk with her (full orchestra) so its only the every other week sectionals that are an issue. She has some plans for the weekend already. Reported that there are some cases of H1N1 at the school. When anyone complains of sore throats or anything she offers up her Vitamin C (extremely high dosage stuff which she takes for a neurological illness where they think it might help). She’s had a few takers. When we go for parents weekend I’ll remember to bring an additional Costco sized bottle. I did get a bit concerned today because the newspaper was reporting particular problems for folks with neurological illnesses in relation to the H1N1. Suggested she get in touch with medical services and find out if they can put her at the front of the queue to get the vaccine.</p>
<p>She also was going off for a relay for life meeting last night. My son had leukemia when he was young and has participated in relay for life while at college but D has never shown much interest. We’re very pleased.</p>
<p>Ugh… I wrote and then “poof.” Not sure what is going on, but will keep it very brief in case. :)</p>
<p>As it is we returned from the drop off Weds night. Saying goodbye wasn’t nearly as hard as I may have thought mostly because son had so much on his plate he was slightly overwhelmed. I actually wish they could have brought the athletes in a little bit sooner instead of overwhelming them with both practice (and all the stuff that goes with it) and all the stuff of orientation. We tried to tell him that once classes begin, life will actually settle down a tad, but he was so tired I cannot be sure he heard us. I hope he sticks it out for at least a few weeks to truly give it his best shot. Frankly, he seems just so off kilter and so now I will worry.</p>
<p>He did call yesterday and ask if I would rush report his AP scores and seemed pretty happy to know that the school will accept all of his AP credits he hoped they would. They don’t correlate to specific classes (except for AP Calc AB for advanced placement), but it gives him a little flexibility I guess. Still… the conversation was all of five minutes long following is advisor meeting. He had been up since 5am for football, so in what has become standard, he was already tired at 1pm. Knowing that some will be cut doesn’t make it any better either. The kid needs some definite downtime and again, it would have been so much better had they had a week or so of practice and adjusting before all this freshman stuff was on the agenda as well. NCAA rules and of course it changes every year based on their game schedule. As it is, parents weekend they scheduled a scrimmage on that Sunday afternoon. I have no idea when they’d be leaving, but I don’t think our flights will work to also get to take in the game if indeed he would be playing. I just wish I had a better feel for how it was going and he’s so far away… <sigh></sigh></p>
<p>Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Modadunn, I am not even a freshman so I have a much smaller orientation process, and just having so many things going on to consider going to is wearing me out. You are definitely right that things will settle down a bit when school starts, things are crazy the period before. Just hang in there and he’ll settle into a schedule. I don’t have sports schedule to contend with and I am still having a hard time figuring out my schedule.</p>
<p>I woke up this morning with no more sore throat, so that’s good because the pep rally is today. I am still going to take it easy today so I’ll be well for football tomorrow (and class Tuesday), but if I’d had some kind of flu I’d have thought it’d last longer than a day. So hopefully things are good now. 
I already have homework to do! Class hasn’t even started yet. O.O I am so grateful I have been allowed to creep into this thread, my mom has nothing to say to me but complaining about my roommate so you guys have been very valuable these past few days.</p>
<p>^^^ Are you a transfer student, twisted?</p>
<p>Modadunn,
My S is also a student at Midd and my sister-in-law works there. She recommended that S only take 3 classes his first semester since he had was getting credit for the 3-4 AP courses he took. It helped ease the transition for him and he still has extra credits to use later if he chooses. I live in Burlington, so I hope you enjoyed your visit to Vermont. Weather is still gorgeous here! Feel free to contact me with any questions. Midd is a great, friendly, helpful school, so hopefully your S will settle in soon. Let us know.</p>
<p>Twisted,
Glad your sore throat is better. Enjoy the game tomorrow!</p>
<p>congrats to all for smooth launches and hugs to all with bumpier ones…</p>
<p>my d has made a happy transition into college life, loves the campus, roommates, classes, putting together a tutorial (create a class) and enjoying her freedom…had a couple moments of being overwhelmed but worked thru it…she did want to come home this wknd (just bc her two roommates were doing so and friend from home would also be home) but my son convinced her its better to stay… </p>
<p>off to drop my s at airport, he’s sophomore 16 hrs away, and fine getting himself set up at school…packed til late last night, and he reminded me what I told him last year,</p>
<p>a ship is safe in the harbor but thats not where its meant to be…I cried that he recalled that…</p>
<p>good luck deja, have your son look mine up…</p>
<p>terryw… I might be PMing you! But, yes, son relayed that his advisor told him much the same thing in that if he feels academically overwhelmed, he can drop a class if he’s found himself to be a tad ambitious and it should all work out in the end. I will also agree that the people at the school and in vermont in general were beyond fabulous – in fact, everywhere we went, we were met with truely wonderfully helpful people. This was especially noticable since we hail from a state known for its niceness. Both H&I loved it.</p>
<p>The weather while we were there was absolutely beautiful. And H&I had that extra day in our schedule to just poke around and play tourist and be on a mini-vacation. Younger D seems to have faired well in our absence. My sister came to stay with her and took he clothes shopping, out for lunch, a haircut and pedicure before her classes started. And talk about the third being the most self-sufficient? She didn’t think her chem class was a good fit at all for her and went directly to the dean and asked to be switched out. And they listened to her reasons and the next day she was in a different class? I know it costs us an arm and a leg and we therefore don’t do much to indulge ourselves, but paying that tuition is the best money we spend!!</p>
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<p>Glad to have you. Consider us your rational and empathetic virtual parents (who, not being your real parent, will recommend ice cream for many ills.)</p>
<p>I always think it’s a good idea for college kids to develop a relationship with an adult who is not a parent and not necessarily a teacher. We can fill that role until you have a live human person up there. If you go to church, you can let a concerned church lady (hopefully a good cook) befriend you. I started school in the fall of '76 and worked on the Jimmy Carter campaign. The lady who was in charge of the campaign loaned me a coat when it got cold a lot faster than I thought it would.</p>
<p>Oh I agree Missypie. I thought of that when they had all these parent meetings. Son managed to create some safe havens for himself in HS – both with teachers, administrators or just in their presence (hanging out in their rooms). It does him well to have adults who understand that he is equal parts nerd and athlete… and perhaps leaning closer to the former, but would eventually go crazy without the latter. But seeking out a few adult connections, while probably not at the top of is list, would probably be the best thing my kid could do for himself. </p>
<p>I just think that so many of these kids, especially if they were the confident type in HS, feel that they should have it all figured out or at least not feel confused, when it would be weirder in my opinion if they didn’t feel a tad lost. After all, should they have memorized the campus map before they got there? Or known where all the offices were and what they did there? I know some kids do, but they certainly aren’t expected to have done it! </p>
<p>While I am not going to touch it today, I am actually looking forward to cleaning son’s room. Finally, it will look as it was intended to look!</p>
<p>jym626 - Yes, I am a transfer from a community college. I posted a bit in this thread because I have close to the mentality of a freshman having never moved from home or been at a university, my CC was really high school part 2 and didn’t leave me with much to prepare for the transition. I mentioned it in my first post and no one seemed to mind so I thought I’d continue. I am the first in my family to go to college so I have really been enjoying the parents forum because my parents have really left everything up to me to figure out for myself, it’s nice to get the parent perspective from folks who are a little more involved in the process.</p>
<p>Sharonohio - can you provide a link to that article you referred to if it is online? Would raise a red flag with me here…</p>
<p>Never mind - I found it</p>
<p>[Swine</a> Flu Poses Risk to Kids With Neurological Conditions - MSN Health & Fitness - Cold and Flu](<a href=“http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cold-and-flu/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100244568]Swine”>http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cold-and-flu/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100244568)</p>
<p>Sore throat is back, so I am back to taking advil every four hours. I will rethink going to the pep rally today. 
If I don’t get any worse I am still going to football tomorrow but if it gets worse I will probably be unable to go, I have to walk to the stadium, and I will be very disappointed.</p>
<p>Have you gargled with warm salt water?</p>
<p>No, we forgot to buy salt and pepper. Oops. The caf reopens in a few hours so maybe I can go steal some.</p>