Parents of the HS Class of 2011 - We're awesome!

Parents of HS Class of 20xx
5421

<p>S has been home since Sunday. He is still the same kid who left four months ago. He stays in his room a lot either playing online games or playing guitar and does not talk much. It is funny how we could chat for an hour or so on the phone when he was away.</p>

<p>The shirts S brought back from school seem so short on him. Did he grow or did he put on the wrong setting for the dryer? :eek: I have to find some hangers and buy a desk lamp for his room since he took everything with him when he left for college.</p>

<p>His past summer job place has not put him back to work although the boss promised him work as soon as he gets back. I am glad that he went out today and apllied a few places. Hepefully he will find something for the next five weeks.</p>

5422

<p>My d is only coming back with a small bag . As almost all her clothes are at school I guess she is planning on doing laundry frequently! :)</p>

5423

<p>^^^holliesue, or she plans for you to take her shopping? (But mom! I have nothing to wear!)</p>

5424

<p>Thanks all for the positive comments about grades. I agree with most of what was said and have said similar to DD; it’s a period of adjustment, I’m glad she has found her niche and her grades could be much worse. BUT, the problem is there is a competitive application next fall for spots in her degree program (who knew it would be so hard to become a kindergarden teacher!). She’s going to have to pull at least a 3.4 this spring to have a real shot and, let me tell you, she has basically never wanted to be ANYTHING other than a teacher. Her big dilemma was kindergarden or 1st grade…seriously.</p>

<p>We’ve had a couple of good discussions and I’ve let her take the lead. She knows what she needs to do - she’s a bright kid who was able to write papers and study for exams @ the last minute in HS and she just can’t do that anymore. Hopefully this really will be the lesson she needed and she’ll turn it around. </p>

<p>Welcome back Happy, it sounds like this has been a great year for you and yours - as someone said already, what a great gap year!</p>

5425

<p>Hey, absolutely, proudmom. When there is something on the line, they have to pony up and deal. Lots of these kids (including mine) have GPA requirements for scholarships, etc. I guess I just feel different than in HS, because even if they blow it, the whole situation is now in their hands. I wish your D all the best, but I also know (from experience) that maybe if there are requirements that you might not be able to meet, it’s an important opportunity to take a good look at yourself, your goals, your methods, etc. - as well as whether you really like the school’s policies.</p>

<p>I bet your D will pull it out in the end. I’m also impressed that her school IS this stringent about education majors. I wish all colleges took that kind of care in the teachers they are sending out into the world.</p>

5426

<p>D3 as last exam tomorrow, Calc, not her favorite. Could have come home tomorrow night but decided to stick around till Thursday a.m. D1 comes home tomorrow night. Grades do matter to an extent, you want to have them be good enough to stick around!</p>

<p>FogFog, Know you are ecstatic to have kiddo home and I am sure you concocted a Martha Stewart-esque worthy meal for him. Looking forward to hearing about the homecoming.</p>

<p>So glad everyone is getting their kiddos back for the holidays and looking forward to hearing about everyone’s experiences.</p>

<p>Happy, was not around last year but sounds like your move to DK was just what everyone needed. Good luck with your time in DK, we just got back after 9 years overseas and it was a wonderful experience! Enjoy every minute, even when you think you are not enjoying!</p>

<p>Happy and Safe Homecomings to all!</p>

5427

<p>Good morning all, </p>

<p>Hugs to Avondad and family, you are in my thoughts and prayers.</p>

<p>So very nice to tread about the kids being back home…few days and mine will too.</p>

<p>Sunnyday~Love the comment about the shirt too small…my kids are still growing so every time I see them i have shrunk</p>

<p>Happy~So very happy you are enjoying DK, seems as a very good family decision to have your D take a gap year.</p>

<p>Proudmom~Hugs to you, emmybet said it well! College is a time of personal growth and discovery.:)</p>

<p>Have a great day everyone :)</p>

5428

<p>So pleased to hear that the kids are starting to come home for a well-deserved rest! D has her last exam today (Calculus - as EAO said, not her favorite) and will be home tomorrow night. We’ll still be pretty quiet here through Monday, as S is just starting exams today and will still be studying over the weekend. But it will be fun to start decorating the house and getting into the Christmas spirit!</p>

<p>I have been preaching “Don’t worry about grades” to my overachiever this semester, but with so much riding on final exams I don’t really know what’s going on. Happily, she does not need to maintain a particular GPA apart from wanting to do well, so has the luxury of a semester or two to sort herself out.</p>

<p>Happy - glad that you are back and that you have turned a difficult situation into a set of wonderful opportunities. Looking forward to hearing more!</p>

<p>Echoing all the prayers for the AvonHS family in the coming days and months.</p>

5429

<p>I think proudmom than there are lots of students (mine is one) who have had a real shock this first semester with how much different and harder college is. My son also didn’t have to work very hard in HS-more because of the HS than his brilliance! ;)</p>

<p>I just hope, like others here, that he can survive this first semester with the GPA needed to keep his scholarship. He gets a probationary semester as well and I don’t think it will come to that but it’s good to have a little safety net.</p>

<p>His last exam is Friday-he finished up everything else yesterday. He is “stuck” there and the dorm is in “lockdown” mode-no talking in the hallways etc.-and he is bored since there is nothing to do and he can’t really study (or so he claims) for his last final-two in-class essays in his worst and most hated class (the Economic philosophy one). I believe his poor attitude towards that class will contribute more to his expected lousy grade than anything else. I hope he learns a lesson from this-I just know I will be thrilled to never hear this Professors name again! :slight_smile: </p>

<p>I love hearing about the kids coming home!</p>

5430

<p>Had a late-night conversation with D about some sadness she was feeling. The one thing that was the joy of her life in HS was an incredible traditional event our choir holds every December. She had a major role in it for the past two years, and reading the FB posts and hearing from her friends about how they enjoyed it this year did tug at her heart. She knows she’ll get over it, but it is a real feeling of grief. Soon there will be new traditions and experiences to take its place, and she will no longer know the kids who are still participating, but for now she is still sad.</p>

<p>It helped that she had her own play during this event, so she was quite distracted. I’m glad; if all she had been doing was studying, that would have been a real bummer for her. My older D didn’t feel a whit of sadness once HS was over, but I do think D2 has a couple of these special things that, instead of missing them so painfully, she will learn just to cherish as good memories.</p>

5431

<p>S has 1 exam tonite & 1 Friday, then a connecting flight home right after. Hopefully he has booked a shuttle & organizing clean up & packing.</p>

<p>He has shut his phone off to limit study disruptions, which is a big step. He needs to do really well on these exams due to a very rocky start. I second & third what a learning experience this was for him this semester. I really do think he has gotten a handle on what he needs to do to be successful.</p>

<p>Mosh pits, really. They are still doing this? Great, I can start worrying now. I thought a bunch of hipsters wouldn’t cause much trouble.</p>

<p>Going to start the holiday food shopping today with nonperishables. We do a big dinner 23rd & 24th, although it is getting smaller over the years with my mom & siblings no longer here & nieces & bil not wanting to get together. I did order a small frig from the Depot which they are supposed to deliver Tues.</p>

<p>Really looking forward to having all the kiddos home next week.</p>

5432

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<p>Pepper, I have to echo your comments based on conversations and statements from S. When he was home at TG break, he commented that he had learned more in this first semester at college than all 4 years of HS. :eek: He admitted that he got caught off guard and was scrambling and is somewhat worried about his GPA this term but he now if much more comfortable and knows what to expect 2nd semester. He quickly realized that he is now in a much more competitive environment where all of the kids are bright, articulate and care about school. While some of the HS kids were the same way, there was a good portion of each class that were there for the ride and not pushing to be the top dog and of course, the class material and most of the teachers taught down to the that level instead of pushing the unqualified kids out of the way as occurs at the college level.</p>

<p>Sorry for the mini semi-rant. Sounds like I need the frying pan for a quick visit back to the HS. :D</p>

<p>In summary, it sounds as though nearly all of the kids have gone through a transition this semestar and that the second semester will be a better experience. We are thankful that S was able to adjust and that he is thriving in his new environment and home away from home. It’s amazing that the first semester is done. Only 7 left to go! (That sounds scary!) I would much rather be here than where we were a year ago. I have read some of the 2016 class thread posts and its chaos and all nerves as the EA decisions are out this week and the fall test scores are showing up. Glad to have a 2 year break before DD goes through this process.</p>

<p>S is home in 4 days. :)</p>

5433

<p>Morning, all. DS is home (his college is only 15 minutes away, but he does live on campus) and made B’s in his first-year seminar (which was an art history topic) and in Spanish, which was awesome, and passed his pre-calculus class. We’ll just leave it at that . . . not a good grade, but passing and got his credit. GPA is a tad low, but we will work on that in the spring. He has made a couple of comments about how different college is – you aren’t sitting in a classroom for 8 hours a day like in high school. I think he has realized that there is still a big time commitment outside the few hours a day he is in class. He played a fall sport, so that took some time. So, as many of you have said, this was the adjustment semester. I will feel much more free to NAG in the spring! :)</p>

5434

<p>I have no idea where ds stands with grades this semester - I do know that his humanities class is an A but that his core classes for engineering might need that buffer to keep gpa 3.0+ to hold onto the scholarship. From cc, I know avg. gpa of frosh engineering is a 2.9 so let’s hope he’s above that line. Can’t cross that bridge now anyway so no sense thinking about it. I know this semester has been hard and trying to balance social/marching band commitments along with profs who are not hand-holding or sometimes p.c. for that matter, a roomie who spends much time grunting or being drunk…it is difficult. I know he’s had fun along the way - of that I am sure.</p>

<p>So, ds texts me to let me know the local ride will not work out because the ride is bringing their cat home with them (ds is badly allergic - same as me) and he wants to know if he can buy the bus ticket…of course I say. But guess what? The money he had in his bank acct (couple hundred) is gone, the money in his student-funds card = gone. The cash handed to him over Thanksgiving = gone. He basically has run dry and if I want to see him this Friday, he needs a deposit. I feel like I have been given a ransome note (“Look m’am, if you ever want to see your son again, you will deposit money into his account and now, because the dorms close on Sat!”) I am reassured by him that he won’t be so careless again, he will be more responsible in the spring term and good news (according to him I mean) his friend said he could get him a job in the ice cream shop next term. (LOL! Aim high my son, this may be your future career!)</p>

<p>Anyone else feel like they are being blackmailed</p>

5435

<p>LOL Amanda! You do have a knack of making me laugh (even if that’s not what you intended to!). Can’t identify with your S’s “all money gone” scenario though - D seems to be on the other end of the spectrum - she has hardly spent anything this entire term. She may actually be coming back with more money than she left, thanks to her blogging and newspaper editor jobs! She’s careful - sometimes, too careful with money. I had to tell her to stop over-thinking about a pair of boots she wanted!</p>

<p>Grades - like several others on this thread, D is one who had straight As in all her high school classes. Has been difficult for her this term - she quickly figured she actually had to study (as opposed to breezing through high school). She has been working really hard - she has As in all her subjects thus far, but is very nervous about the finals. I got a “what if I do really bad” text message yesterday - told her that she would learn to deal with it, no matter what. It is a rude awakening for these kids - I think she will be fine GPA wise for her scholarship, but she so badly wants to get all As that a single B is going to sound catastrophic to her. Oh well, we’ll see what the finals bring. She had a couple yesterday that she thought were difficult, but do-able. One more today and the easy ones are next week. She isn’t back for one more week :(</p>

<p>S is in the process of applying to private high schools, but gosh, I can’t muster up the energy to help him through the process. He’s a very good writer and nails his essays, but someone who’s gone through this with a second kid, please tell me how you found the energy for the second kid! I am hoping that by the time he has to apply for college, I’ll be enthusiastic about this process again…miraculously! I can’t shake the guilty feeling for not being more helpful to him right now…</p>

5436

<p>Good luck, arisamp! I think that applying to private schools for our kids was more stressful than helping D apply to college. And the atmosphere in New England is so competitive. Any chance you’ll know anything before mid March?</p>

5437

<p>arisamp, I’ve been through the college apps with 2, and they were very different experiences! I’m getting going with my last, class of 2013 now. You will have so much experience from the first college process that you will be a pro.</p>

<p>S did well his first quarter, and is 3 weeks into the second. He was going to add an extra class this quarter, but dropped it, which shows me he is able to make some wise choices for himself. Got a call this week that he and some friends are looking to live off campus next year, and need to apply now for a place in the bldg they want. That came out of nowhere! I won’t have a chance to see the place they are looking to rent, so will have to trust that he and friends can handle it. I told him he just added to my stress level, giving me one more thing to worry about.</p>

5438

<p>Haven’t checked-in in a while and I was so sorry to hear about your wife. I wanted to share this song with you. From a person with three very close women in her family having gone through the journey of breast cancer, it is moving and important. Your support of her will be so critical. Lyrics are below.</p>

<p>[I&#39;m&lt;/a&gt; Gonna Love You Through It (with lyrics) - Martina McBride - YouTube](<a href=“I'm Gonna Love You Through It (with lyrics) - Martina McBride - YouTube”>I'm Gonna Love You Through It (with lyrics) - Martina McBride - YouTube)</p>

<p>“I’m Gonna Love You Through It”</p>

<p>She dropped the phone and burst into tears
The doctor just confirmed her fears
Her husband held it in and held her tight
Cancer don’t discriminate or care if you’re just 38
With three kids who need you in their lives
He said, “I know that you’re afraid and I am, too
But you’ll never be alone, I promise you”</p>

<p>When you’re weak, I’ll be strong
When you let go, I’ll hold on
When you need to cry, I swear that I’ll be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to death,
Like you can’t take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.</p>

<p>She made it through the surgery fine
They said they caught it just in time
But they had to take more than they planned
Now it’s forced smiles and baggy shirts
To hide what the cancer took from her
But she just wants to feel like a woman again
She said, “I don’t think I can do this anymore”
He took her in his arms and said “That’s what my love is for”</p>

<p>When you’re weak, I’ll be strong
When you let go, I’ll hold on
When you need to cry, I swear that I’ll be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to death,
Like you can’t take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.</p>

<p>And when this road gets too long
I’ll be the rock you lean on
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.
I’m gonna love you through it.</p>

<p>Prayers to you and your family.</p>

5439

<p>I think my son was surprised by the level of competition at his university. Exams that he pronounces “impossible” and reliance on “the curve” in all but his freshman seminar class. As far as he knows, he is doing pretty well, but the curve will determine his final grades. He’s a bit frustrated by that. </p>

<p>AmandaK: So far, no significant issues here with money, but I have two close friends whose freshman sons are experiencing real money issues. According to their moms, both have blown through not only their first semester allotment, but are almost out of their second semester money as well. The moms are both frustrated. One son has spent a good bit of money on a tattoo, clothing, and eating out. The other, well she’s just not sure where it’s all gone. One family has decided to let their son sink or swim. When the money runs out, they assume he’ll have to stop spending. The second mom said that she told him that they need to have a serious talk about this after his finals. He keeps telling her that “he has a plan”. So, no real help here, AmandaK, but I know there are others out there in the same boat. (Tough, though, when he needs money to get home. Any way you can make him work off the bus fare while he’s home? Maybe you have some projects around the house that a smart, strong college student could tackle?)</p>

5440

<p>Ohiomom~Curve actually helps kids I thought! Mine is telling me his finals will not be curved :confused:</p>

<p>Collegeshopping~Thank you for that :)</p>