<p>Thanks, mamom.</p>
<p>It is gratifying that ShawD is honing in on an area where her talents will make her very good – she is great with people (she makes friends everywhere she goes, kids love her and she loves them), really likes biology but likes to be an applier of knowledge and not a developer of knowledge, has a high IQ, and is really good with her hands.</p>
<p>shawbridge- Good luck to your D in transferring into a nursing program in one of the UMASS schools. UMass Amherst is highly competitive as a freshman, and tells kids that if you are not accepted as a freshman, it is nearly impossible to transfer in to the program, even if you are a UMass student in another major. </p>
<p>UMass Dartmouth also has a good nursing program, and is much smaller than Amherst. My D was accepted to UMass Dartmouth as an engineering student, with practically a full ride, but chose to go elsewhere. She didn’t even apply to Amherst, since the size overwhelmed her. I would check it out Dartmouth. I also think UMass Lowell has a nursing program. I received my Masters from Lowell, and it is a well respected school.</p>
<p>I am sure that Shaw D will do well in whatever she decides.</p>
<p>Hi All</p>
<p>Nice holidays. Too much eating. </p>
<p>I have been tired of the kiddos sleeping in until late late morning/mid day and staying up late gaming…and how much texting and FB have played roles during the break.<br>
DH had a talk with the kiddos after I had hit my limit—they pitched in to vacuum and spruce up the bathrooms yesterday.
I was feeling like a cook/housekeeper and GM of a resort hotel and not much of a mom of a family…things have been better the last 24 hrs…</p>
<p>Still no news on the last grade–idk–I did read online at the Us site that the U doesn’t issue credit for L1 language courses until L2 is completed…still I should think that the grade and exam are accounted for somehow…hmm…</p>
<p>I can see from the last few weeks that kiddo is bored here now.
At least in kiddo’s case (STEM maj and var athlete with 2 a day practices) – kiddo is used to being on the go and enjoys it. So being home without the constant interaction with classes, team and friends–kiddo is bored here at home… I think we will help kiddo secure employment or an “internship” next winter so there is something besides eating and sleeping to be done. 
Kiddo is continuing to train over break–yet a part time slot would be helpful.</p>
<p>Ah–the book resale thing needs to be handled. I may mention that…though it is likely that selling them in the fall will be more profitable.</p>
<p>I’m so grateful boychild has a job over break. He’ll go back to school with a very nice chunk of change in his pocket beside the Hanukkah/Xmas $$ he accumulated. </p>
<p>He bought his books - used - last fall on Amazon and sold them back at the bookstore at the end of term. $140. Not too shabby, imo. </p>
<p>We discussed summer jobs over dinner last night. He can go back to Marshalls, might look into working the summer at the flat track in Saratoga, he can intern with the Judge again or take a job as a sailing instructor/counselor at niece’s uncle-in-law’s camp in Maine (my pick.) He could also go and work as sailing instructor/counselor at his camp, but he hates the owners - who are only nice when one is paying them for the privilege of spending 7 weeks there but are mean & nasty when they are paying you. He did apply for two internship with our Senators but highly unlikely he will get either.</p>
<p>Hello to all. I am thoroughly enjoying having D at home - bummed that she has such a short (less than 2 week) break and will be heading back on Monday. In the meantime, she is trying to squeeze as much as possible in to a short time: spending time with various groups of friends, which has included a few sleepovers and dinners at our house - which I love. I miss my D, but also her friends who always hung out at our house, so it’s nice to have them hanging out with us again for a while!<br>
I’m in the office today while D and S (with a couple of their friends providing them with company) are preparing a belated birthday dinner for me (my request for a birthday present together with some animals from Heifer). They went grocery shopping last night and I was told not to look at the contents of the refrigerator too closely so the meal will be a surprise. They’ve done this for me a couple of times and do a really nice job, so I’m looking forward to coming home from work and having a nice meal waiting for me!
No word on D’s grades yet, but she isn’t worried and expects to do well. She only needs a 3.1 average to keep her scholarship, and she has assured me that will not be an issue.</p>
<p>gsmomma, good to know. Amherst would be convenient because her brother goes to school in the neighborhood (and has a car). I don’t think she’d want a freshman year not in nursing. I think Canada will be the first choice for her. But, we don’t know much and there is lots to learn.</p>
<p>Hi all. Mostly a lurker on this thread but thought I’d join in. We are enjoying D’s freshman winter break especially since it seems that sometime over the past semester my H and I seemed to have somehow gotten smarter and less lame, at least according to D. She actually listens when I give advice instead of immediately blowing me off. And this is only one semester so far! Think how brilliant we’ll be after 4 years!!!</p>
<p>Yes, my H and I have also gotten a lot less lame, and D is listening instead of dismissing! She said she appreciates us more; apparently a lot of her new friends’ parents are much less stable and supportive. Her grades were well above what she needed to keep her scholarship, but not what she had hoped for. The good thing is that she admits that she could have done better had she spent more time studying and less time forming friendships. Now that those are solid, she plans on putting in the extra hours to get the 3.5 she’s shooting for.</p>
<p>DD has been home now for 2 weeks and has slept in every single day. She went to the library yesterday to get a dozen or so books. Says she finally has the time to read for fun. Her grades are in and they were fine. She got 3 A- and a B. She got the B in calculus. She had 16 credits even with only 4 classes. I find it weird and not thrilled with the +/- system. It worked against her but I guess it helps some. She will keep her partial scholarship and some how she made the deans list.</p>
<p>Another late sleeper here and feeling like 4 weeks is a long time just to decompress. Love having him home but like others thinking ahead to next winter’s break to perhaps find a better balance. Great chat yesterday re grades - doing very well and, more importantly, feeling good about it. Of course, I had to remind him to keep it up, all will start to count more for grad school, etc.
DS wants to spend the summer back where he grew up (we moved cross country just as he started school) so he’s looking into internships and courses - we are fine with anything that is productive.
Meanwhile, have gotten the haircut done, the banking, a couple of dr.'s appts and dentist and new driver’s license on the list.</p>
<p>Not so much a late sleeper as on a completely different cycle than the rest of the family/life as we know it. We put the first week down to jet lag but now realize this is much more : up at 5, naps during the day, to bed at 8, or midnight…Were just happy hes home. Thats in quotes because weve moved and are in temporary accommodation so hes been travelling back to the old neighbourhood to see different sets of friends or theyve been coming into London and meeting up. We actually havent seen that much of him but when we have, hes been fizzing over with excitement about his classes, his friends, his teachers…</p>
<p>Lately, D has been on this wierd sleeping schedule – she stays up all night, goes to bed when I get up for work (around 7 am), then sleeps til 3. It’s like when she was born – she has her days and nights mixed up.</p>
<p>Hi everyone - I hope that you are enjoying the holidays. We are finding that D is still keeping “college hours”…sleeping late on the days that she is not working. One thing that has surprised us is how much time she wants to spend at home or going out with her parents. We figured that she would be spending more time with friends but she actually would rather go out to dinner, shopping or to the movies with us. She is also hanging out with her sister and our dog! I am not complaining we are surprised that we are no longer considered lame and that we seem to have also gotten smarter during the last few months. She did say that when it is time to go back that she will be ready for it…she did well academically last semester but has changed her major. It is nice having her around.</p>
<p>Idinct, I’m probably too late as your son may have taken the car back already…but at my son’s school (small school) the public safety department (security) actually provided rides for him to a doctor’s office off campus when he needed to see a specialist. He had to go about 3 times to various offices. There was a small fee added to his account. His school is small, so getting to the health center itself was never an issue. The health center helped arrange with public safety for the rides. I just wanted to mention it because I would hope that at bigger schools there would be some sort of transportation available to a health center for those without cars.</p>
<p>He’s transferring to a bigger school, but it is close to home so I can get him anytime he needs medical attention and in the fall he’ll take a car. I will say that the small schools probably do offer more personal service which is kind of nice. The ladies were so helpful when I called and if it was a big school I’m sure it would be somewhat different.</p>
<p>@Shawbridge: is your D looking at any of the Second Entry nursing programs? That way, she could continue where she is with underlying science and breadth classes, and still finish in four years (2 + 2). I think U of T and McGill both offer this; I haven’t looked recently. Just a thought.</p>
<p>Sounds like we are all fed up with the sleep schedules of our kids! Woke my DS up at 11 this morning and told him I was going shopping. Came home at 2pm with groceries to unload and he was still asleep! 3:30 now and he is eating a “snack” (it is really b-fast) but we are having a holiday dinner out at 6:00 tonight.</p>
<p>count my d in with those nocturnal teenagers. Drives me insane!</p>
<p>ldinct – My daughter says that you can get to the health center on the bus. You need to take Gold from the dorms and then transfer to Green or Blue at Rose or the Transit Center. It may not be a whole lot of fun when you are sick, but she says that she needed to do it a couple of times and it is manageable. So if you don’t really want to send the car, know that there is a workable alternative for getting out there and getting the needed note.</p>
<p>HighHead, it is a good thought but she isn’t. Apparently the last two years is very intense as they cram 4 years of materials into 2 academic years plus at least one summer. She wants to start with a class of nursing students. Queens does as well. She was told it is harder to be admitted to the 2nd entry.</p>
<p>Been enjoying family time and having DS home from school. He is off for a month. Since most of his HS friends go back to school in 10 days or so, I’m not pushing re: doing something productive. Once they leave, he can focus on getting a summer internship. Fortunately all his classes were pass/fail first semester (same for all freshmen) so no grade or GPA worries. I think it is a great policy and think more schools should adopt it. I chose this option when I went to college a bazillion years ago and found it very helpful.</p>
<p>No big plans for New Years. Just quiet dinner at home. We have a big open house New Year’s Day. Tomorrow is prep day for that. Happy New Year to all. Wish you all good health and good fun. Good grades and good friends to your kids. Peace and a booming economic recovery to all. Thank you for your continued friendship and support.</p>