<p>It’s been a while since I checked in, but I have been reading along. For the most part it seems that we all are “settling” in to this new world with our respective college first-years. </p>
<p>Mine made an interesting revelation. First semester he arranged all early am classes because he thought it would force him not to sleep in. This semester all his classes start later. He told me he realizes in retrospect the former made him less productive. He found that he would drag out of bed, not eat breakast, roll into class half asleep, and then return to bed after class. He would eat a big lunch (hungry from no breakfast) and then, bloated, procrastinate in the afternoon. Evening was for socializing, which meant late night was for searching for food and studying/cramming, then waking up the next morning wiped out. This semester, with later classes, he says he still manages to get up in the morning. Now, though, he has a decent breakfast, goes to class awake and nourished. He grabs something light for lunch and then studies in the afternoon. By early evening, he is hungry so he has a relatively early dinner, socializes for a bit, and then works for a while. He said this makes him able to get to bed at a reasonable hour (think: before midnight I presume) and awake refreshed for the next day. Music for a parent’s ears.</p>
<p>Next up: room draw saga. I anticipate commiserating phone calls over that one.</p>
<p>EDIT: Forgot to add: I’m starting over again with #2 - 1st college tour coming up in March. Just the two of us. Could be great. Of course, could not be great. I choose to create the former but acknowledge that some of latter may creep in…</p>
<p>Do any of you watch the TV show “The Middle”? I just watched an episode (“The Yelling”) that made me laugh out loud .</p>
<p>It’s about a frazzled mom with 3 kids (2 high school, 1 elem). She’s doing her best, but not always with the best results. I find the high school boy (“Axel”) to be especially funny.</p>
<p>I really enjoy the show, and I suspect some of you might too!</p>
<p>Love it and Modern family. Funniest new shows on TV. However, my H can’t stand the middle’s constant bickering. Hits too close to home?</p>
<p>While I don’t have all the info yet, apparently son and other wallet.cell phone “victim” were setting up some sort of sting. I have no idea if he was just yanking H’s chain (which is what I strongly suspect), but I would not put it past S because he does have a vigilanty streak I am afraid. </p>
<p>While nothing like the east coast shut down, it’s been snowing here all day and is really starting to add up. Of course, we were still working with snow from Christmas, so we’re rather used to it by now. H was supposed to go to Chicago for most of the week but his meetings were cancelled due to some other weather delayed people. So now he is home all week and I had fully prepared to be a giant lump while he was gone!! Time to formulate a new plan.</p>
<p>One of my coworkers who also has a college freshman just moved her back from school. Very bright kid, accepted at Dartmouth and Carleton, among others, but without merit aid, decided to go to UCSD.</p>
<p>Apparently, she changed from pre-med to engineering, and that change at UC San Diego requires a change in “schools.” Her first quarter classes won’t help in her degree, and because she’s off-track by a quarter, she can only get one class this quarter that she’ll need for her new major. After numerous meetings, the parents decided it was too expensive, so she has moved back home under MUCH duress. She’ll be taking two CC classes at two different CC’s with the hope of returning to UCSD in the fall.</p>
<p>While I understand the reluctance to invest many thousands of dollars, I’m not sure I would have pulled the trigger. First of all, when my S was looking, I was very reluctant to send him to any of our California publics, and let him know it would most likely take 5 years. Secondly, her D may have remained in pre-med if she knew she’d be yanked…the problem is NOT with her efforts or successes as she gone one “C” and the rest B’s and A’s. All of her new friends are continuing, and I’d think that when (or if) she returns, she’ll feel like the odd person out.</p>
<p>A really difficult situation, but I’d be hard pressed to pull the rug out from under my kid for a problem that is government driven.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t have pulled the plug. Surely you could have taken general ed classes, language classes, etc. that you would have taken at some point in time anyways.</p>
<p>I know the problem that they are facing, though. For example, the 1 year general chem class is Chem 6-a-b-c. During first quarter, 6a is taught. During second quarter, 6b is taught. You get the picture. So if you change majors and need to do the Chem 6 series, you can’t start until next fall when Chem 6a is taught.</p>
<p>Apparently there was an issue getting humanities classes, but I find it incredible that there was nothing? Oh well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we all parent differently…money is only money, but the college experience, not just the education, is a once in a lifetime gift.</p>
<p>There seems to be GF trouble in eggson-land. No details, just “I dont want to talk about it.” When he described last weekend as the worst in his life, I was pretty sure that GF was part of the story. Just got off the phone from weekly call and it’s confirmed.</p>
<p>Not sure if there is a break up or a fight, but he sounds very bummed on the topic… Not much for 'coptering parents to do. We offered to talk, but he’s not interested.</p>
<p>Classes, roommate and other fines activities all seem to “fine.”</p>
<p>I was just wondering today why son had not mentioned he needed more laundry detergent (although I had bought him those one sheet wash, dry all-in-one things). I am hoping he has somehow figured it out, but yes, I’d be the same… and be too afraid to know.</p>
<p>S2 hasn’t had much in the way of tests or grades yet, except for a couple of computer science quizzes that were A’s. He appears to be staying disciplined. He left the basketball game at half-time last night to get some homework done, which for him would be a big deal.</p>
<p>cpeltz, your story is a heartbreaker. I can believe, however, that alternatives might be limited and maybe the parents really can’t afford a fifth year (we never really know somebody else’s financial circumstances–they may already be living beyond their means). S did not have a single elective last semester or this semester and there seem to be precious few electives in the entire four years. Some of these engineering majors are very scripted. I’m pretty sure something is likely to push S2 into a fifth year, even without any of the budget cuts the CA schools have been seeing. H refuses to believe that, but just looking at the curriculum, I don’t see how that won’t happen. It’s just too many balls to juggle for one not to drop somewhere along the line. And that fifth year will be much, much more expensive than the first four because the scholarship/tuition discounts he gets are all good for only 8 semesters. I can see where that could indeed put some families over the edge. </p>
<p>Sorry to hear about eggson’s GF troubles. Great news Eddie. I’ll take fine.</p>
<p>Hm-m-m, I get “good,” not “fine.” And S is back to forgetting his required weekly call on Sundays, which elicits a strongly worded text (from me) on Monday morning. Actually, not sure why I insist on a call, since all I get is “good” when I ask how classes are, and “not much” when I ask what’s new. D, OTOH, is always chatty.</p>
<p>I would not have removed the student under those circumstances, though the general education requirements, for a highly qualified student, can be met by AP scores. My DS, at a large public, has no more gen-ed requirements, after having received almost two semesters of college credit for his high school work…too, if money is a big issue, particularly in the grad school horizon, it may have been a disruptive though financially prudent choice…</p>
<p>My DS will have an overabundance of credits in 4 years, but, as scheduling has been, he will be fortunate to complete his major on time, and, even in semester 2 of his first year, has learned he really has to work the system to get the classes he needs in the sequence he needs them, less he potentially enter a 5 year plan.</p>
<p>LOL, when I bought those all in one laundry sheets, I was thinking how expensive they are. But our kids seem to have the ablity to make a single box last an entire school year!</p>
.</p>
Time to formulate a new plan.</p>