<p>Hm-m-m, I’m thinking it could be a couple of days before the bus hits the east coast? When it gets here, I’ll be boarding with a hot crab dip and an empty glass to try several treats from the bar!</p>
<p>D (2010) is home, but studying madly for GREs. S has finals going on, a la #theoryson & dragonlady’s son. He very definitely studies for exams – we can only hope it does the trick. He got a bid from a fraternity, so at least he has a place to live for the next 3 years.</p>
<p>We got our tree on Sunday, but it’s still in a bucket in the garage. Where’s the “decorating elf” when you need one?</p>
<p>We have one tree up (no lights or decorations yet) and still need to buy a real one. It will happen…</p>
<p>Can I get on the bus? I promise to bake cheesecake and butterscotch torte. Can’t remember what the destination is but with good company, drinks, dessert and George Clooney, it doesn’t really matter.</p>
<p>The destination is my house, to see the 20+ decorated/themed trees. You know, you have to make the guys (George, etc.) come in, too. Hope you’ve saved some yummy treats for me!</p>
<p>It was easy to find an “it could be worse” (than failing a class first semester) story. This morning on the news they talked about two TCU students being busted in a sizable pot sales operation. At least Son didn’t call for bail money. Can you just hear those parents? Oh, so that’s why you never ask me for money anymore…</p>
<p>Thanks, I am better. We need to have pleasant holidays, but there’s still a lot of work to be done with Son before he goes back to school. His sister asked me, “Is he going to be punished?” Hmmm…are shame and terror enough punishment? Dunno. Also have to get him to think long and hard about whether he really wants to change his major.</p>
<p>Yes, I KNOW he’d have great success as an English major (that’s one non-Aspie thing about him - a lot more verbal than engineer-y). But what does one DO with an English major? Adults with Aspergers are as a group chronically unemployed or underemployed. I always thought it would be a good idea for him to major in something that leads to a definite occupation. Could he be the eccentric HS English teacher?</p>
<p>Don’t forget - Tim McGraw is mine. And Downtoearth is using him when I am in the bathroom. I’m not drinking much on this trip, because I don’t want to share him.</p>
<p>I am bringing Red Velvet Cake. Pick me up in Maryland, when you pick up Owlice. Do we need to get out of our pj’s?</p>
<p>Missypie,
could your son possibly major in technical writing?</p>
<p>I have a feeling he could be really good at it. I remember your saying that he will often explain things in excruciating detail—and he is a good writer----this could be a very fortuitous combination.</p>
<p>Or awful Christmas attire. The vests/turtlenecks, holiday sweaters with flashing buttons, santa hats, or reindeer antenna things, grinch slippers, etc.</p>
<p>Totally in the Christmas spirit to TP the advisor’s house. I have never done it before and am all for new experiences.</p>
<p>I think Tim should just wear a little pair of Christmas boxers. It will be plenty warm on the bus. And if he should get cold…well…I am right there.</p>
<p>LOL, yesterday H brought home a huge case of TP…wonder if that’s what he has in mind?</p>
<p>The thought of it is hysterical…prof’s homes have probably been TP’d by students before…can’t you just see it…bus pulls up and a mass of parents wearing holiday jammies stream out and do the job?</p>
<p>It is a gas on the bus so far. Oh, and for some reason we’re all not gaining weight noshing on this stuff! And the maseusse and manicurist are being kept busy pampering us. :::::::::::Excuse me, George…my shoulders are SOOOO tight:::::: ahhh much better. </p>
<p>I assume my house will be clean and decorated when I get home…</p>
<p>MP, English majors are frequently hired in the business world. One of my interns was an English major at Amherst and he went on to a lucrative investment banking job in NYC, although those jobs are scarce at the moment. The math skills needed for most finance jobs is about fourth grade level, in my experience. People skills are important for most of these positions, but there are also folks who hang out doing the derivatives modeling, inputting data into spreadsheets, and writing reports who don’t have to have strong people skills, but arguably better math skills. Your son just needs to get business based part-time jobs and internships along with his degree. He should make sure to develop good Excel skills and maybe take six credit hours of accounting for good measure and should be all set with a degree in English. Many firms prefer to hire an English major to a business major because writing is such a scarce skill these days and kind of hard to teach. Like painting or singing, it is more of an art or talent than a skill, in my opinion. If he likes attention to detail, and you want him to have more direction at graduation, being an accountant or actuary might also interest him. </p>
<p>I am of the belief that a student’s precise undergraduate major makes virtually no difference to career outcome in the field of liberal arts. In other words, a history major, English major, or psychology major are all interchangeable. My undergraduate degree is in Middle Eastern Studies. I have worked in finance my entire career (and use a calculator or spreadsheet to add 2+2; math is not one of my skills). Both of my boys are majoring in systems engineering, but neither expect to actually work as an engineer. They just prefer the quant courses to more subjective stuff (get that from H who happened to major in Econ and got a law degree so never did the quant stuff but is really good at that). The older one will work in consulting or sales. Not yet sure on the younger one, but I would be shocked if he does anything technical. If he finds engineering to be too difficult, and he might, I wouldn’t worry for a nanosecond if he picked something like Excercise Sports Psychology or Dietetics (two majors he considered before picking Biometric Systems Engineering). He will likely get some job in business working for a major corporation regardless of his major. The one major I did discourage with my boys was a business major just because I think they will get that with their MBA so they might as well learn something else as an undergrad. But most of my older son’s friends will graduate from the Commerce School at UVA and they all have good job offers and seemed happy with that choice, so I guess even a business major is OK. I’m learning to be more open minded.</p>
<p>What I don’t want is for Son to end up in a job/career where one has to play “office politics” or read the boss’s mind to get ahead/not get fired, because that would be an Epic Fail, as the kids say. </p>
<p>I know that at my law firm, an associate could have amazing technical skills, but if he can’t determine what the partner really wants (as opposed to what the partner asks for), he’s hosed. It’s a challenge for even the most adept. One partner tells you to research A, then thinks you’re an idiot because you didn’t also research B and C. Another partner tells you to research A, you go the extra mile and also research B and C, and you get in trouble for running up the bill. It’s insanity and only the perceptive survive.</p>
<p>Actually, George is wearing a crisp white shirt and tight jeans…but he could change when he gets to Texas! And I don’t know why I fixated on George…he’s not necessarily the guy I’d choose for a wild fling…but he’s good with the shoulders…</p>
<p>Ok --don’t forget me SJTH–I will bring the warm artitichoke dip with veggies and my secret pumpkin bread, extra blankets and some Khalua for later. Looking forward to seeing all of you…</p>