<p>Lakemom - i just checked out Hipmonk. I like the interface - very visual. Thanks for the tip!</p>
<p>I have the almost empty nest- son is a junior in robotics, which means, for the next 5 weeks, he basically checks in and does homework here for two hours and he’s gone. The hardest part is my husband has been almost constantly traveling. So now I need to find people to do stuff at night or day and when he comes home for the 48 hours, he’s tired and just wants to be home. I’m volunteering but I need to ramp it up or I will go nuts. I’m probably going to read with elementary kids but this semester, it’s about me. I’m going to finally and hopefully lose the baby weight- from four kids and the youngest is 17!</p>
<p>Curious if your kids have picked a major, and if they have changed their minds since starting. Do they know what they want to do with their degree? Do you have any reservation about the degree?</p>
<p>My son started as electrical engineering and has now switched to math. He hasn’t decided which particular branch as of yet. Not sure what he wants to do yet, but he’s interested in DoD, FBI, NSA or whatever interesting comes his way. I don’t think he’s fully aware of working for a living yet. Right now he thinks he wants to work before getting a masters or phd. </p>
<p>I figure unless it’s something super specific, the major isn’t everything in the world after your first job. Hopefully a math degree tells people he’s analytical and a problem solver.</p>
<p>Our D went in with a specific major: Philosophy Politics and Law…it’s an interdisciplinary program specific to the university. She has added a second major, English, because she missed studying English…she loves Shakespeare, writing, etc. For her, it’s a great combination. At the moment she still plans on law school, but that may change (ok, I think it may change, DH and DD don’t think so.) She specifically wants to be a DA.</p>
<p>Although $300 - $400 for books is unfortunately pretty standard, please make sure your students are buying books from upperclassmen, using amazon.com, chegg.com, abebooks.com, whatever. Never, ever buy directly from the bookstore. If you need in a hurry, depending on where you go to college, small bookstores nearby might also sell textbooks.</p>
<p>eyemamom-- your son sounds like me. Started as engineering, switched to math, we even want the same career! I would suggest he study applied math over pure math. I’m not sure how the structure of the major is at Miami (do they have an applied math major or an applied track within the pure math major?). Here, I choose a specialization area (of 5 courses). I am thinking statistics right now.</p>
<p>He’s in Rochester, not Miami. There are tons of paths to take, from the 4 main math ones, ba, honors ba, bs, bs applied - there are also math combo degrees with many specialties. He’ll have to talk to some profs at school to determine which course match him best. I’m not really sure the difference beyond a few physics classes or the implications of one degree over another. If I were to guess I’d say he’d be most interested in the BS.</p>
<p>Whoops, sorry! I was thinking of geogirl1. I don’t have the BS option although I’m not sure if I’d want to take anymore science than I’ve already had to. Let me know what he decides! It was very liberating/relaxing to switch from engineering.</p>
<p>My D2 has an interesting approach to picking a major. She is making a list of all the courses she really wants to take and then seeing what major fits best. At the moment it is looking like IR (very interdisciplinary and therefore very flexible about electives after the core courses) and a minor or certificate in Peace and Justice studies. She has significant distribution requirements to fit in as well, although she placed out of many with AP scores.</p>
<p>She is not sure what she wants to do with it - but knows that grad school will likely be part of it.</p>
<p>I have 2 math majors in my family. D, who is a senior, found her way to applied mathematics and then added a concentration in biomathematics. She is hoping to work with a consulting company that works with other companies in their areas of specialty.</p>
<p>S is much of the way to a math major, so will probably get it and likely will double major. At the moment he’s enjoying computer science and wants to continue with it. Fortunately there is still time for all of you to try some more classes before deciding :)</p>
<p>My oldest started out wanting a double major in math and political science and intending to go to law school. Within a month of being at school, he switched to just math and hasn’t looked back since. My S2 started out a math major and I can’t imagine him switching out. They’re both hoping to go to grad school.</p>
<p>eyemamom --</p>
<p>We have several friends with math degrees who work at the NSA. Everyone either had a PhD or were ABD when they were hired. (And the person who was ABD was married to someone with a PhD who the NSA also hired… The NSA eventually paid for the person who was ABD to finish that PhD.) The benefits are great and there’s absolutely no bringing work home – very different from my job in IT in the corporate world.</p>
<p>Mom2m, my D is also planning to go to law school with hopes to work in the DA’s office. She is a government major and is still deciding between econ and philosophy for a second major. Her attorney mentors advise her to take as many classes that require reading and writing. Your D’s Engl major should prepare her well. Still, it this is just the beginning of the journey and who knows where my D will end up.</p>
<p>I started college as a bio major intending medical school. Then I discovered I didn’t like being around sick people (ruled out medicine) and hated the smell of agar (so no bio labs). I changed my major about a bazillion times, and had “perpetual student” as my career goal. This was back in the days when the CA public schools were really cheap, so working part-time could cover tuition with enough left over to live very frugally.</p>
<p>My college had a policy that once you exceeded certain maximum unit level, they would graduate you as soon as you completed the requirements for any degree. Because of that, I was being really careful to choose courses that wouldn’t finish anything. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice that my Philosophy of Logic course was cross-listed in both the philosophy and math departments. Out of the blue I got a letter that said “Congratulations on your BA in Mathematics!” So that is how I picked my major. :eek:</p>
<p>mihcal1, that’s an interesting way to pick a major!</p>
<p>S heads back tomorrow. His agenda today: laundry, picking up new sports jacket from alterations. His school gets two weeks for spring break and his break is different from all his best friends. He’s agreed to judge at a forensics tournament at a neighboring HS over the break so will be coming home. We’ll see him in 7 weeks! He didn’t come home from August-December due to distance/$/breaks were shorter. He had a good first semester but said it seemed quite long; is glad that spring is broken up a bit.</p>
<p>Life is tough for my DS. It’s his 19th birthday and we got text from him saying, “hey about 10 of us are going to a friend’s house about 2 hours away for the weekend and taking his boat out.” There are definite perks to going to school in Miami. It is 34 degrees here today. All of a sudden, our little birthday present doesn’t seem so critical!</p>
<p>mihcal - i love that story!</p>
<p>Mihcal, I can’t imagine that ever happening today! 
</p>
<p>Your college experience was similar to mine. If my friends hadn’t signed up for graduation, I might have chosen to stay for another semester! I loved school but didn’t quite have a definite career plan. </p>
<p>Geogirl, we’re expecting highs in the low 70’s and poor DD will be practicing in the 30’s. This is my kid who grew up believing a winter cost was a fashion accessory and not a necessity.</p>
<p>That’s great, mihcal. </p>
<p>My H semi-jokingly says, my senior year was the best 3 years of my college career. Similar situation for him at a public U, those were the days. If my kids said the same, we’d be having a very serious discussion about where the tuition money was coming from.</p>
<p>Thought about the empty nest thing yesterday when I got an invitation to a clergy spouses lunch at diocesan council. I was able to quickly say, “d’oh, that conflicts with D’s Solo & Ensemble contest” without missing a beat. Once she’s out of the house, I’ll have to line up some new conflicts. ;)</p>
<p>CPU – Your story reminds me of when I was teaching recitation sections of engineering mechanics while a grad student at Texas A&M. A student stopped by for help with homework and later told me that she was changing majors at the end of the semester. “But you can do this,” I told her. She replied, “I know I can; I don’t want to.” Men talk about how good it feels to remove a necktie; women have the sense to not wear one in the first place. :)</p>
<p>1012mom – I think I’d choose “ingenious” over “interesting.” I’m sure she’ll have a better idea what she wants to do with it nearer the end of the process. That’s the beauty of a liberal arts education.</p>
<p>mihcal1 – You are my new hero. No, really. :)</p>