DD called quite concerned and freaked out as her school sent all students and faculty an email alert regarding a credible threat of violence against a college or university in the Philadelphia area that would occur on Monday the 5th at 2 PM EST. The original threat was released to the press by the FBI and ATF. We don’t blame her for being somewhat freaked out after what just occurred in Oregon. So far her school is staying open. She doesn’t have class until about 3 pm tomorrow so we suggested staying secure in her dorm. What is going on in this world?
My husband is teaching a class this morning in “a college or university in the Philadelphia area.” All you can do is be careful and go on with your life. To do otherwise is to give these barbarians exactly what they want.
Couldn’t help but think of all of you today as I got a protein-rich breakfast off to my sophomore son who is taking the PSAT today! I can’t believe I have to go through this nightmare again! LOL He’s a very different student than his sister who is having the time of her life in college. I’m already worried about how we’re going to make it through the college admissions process despite having gone through it before. go2girl was extremely motivated. go2boy is just as smart, but an ADD diagnosis makes everything SO much harder. I keep telling myself that a lot of it has to do with maturity and I’m trying to keep myself in check but it is really hard.
Hang in there @go2mom. I’m in the midst of round two, son 2, and I thought it would be easier (no ADD diagnosis for S16). It is in some ways, but the procrastination and lack of proactivity is just as bad. Once again, I’ve chosen all the schools (based on his criteria) and I’m pushing early deadlines (based on my experience with S14 and the CC wisdom). So far I’m not picking the majors but I’m sure tempted! I do believe it is a maturity thing.
We are enjoying watching over S14s shoulder as he mostly does well in his third semester. He says he failed a Japanese midterm – and maybe he should have studied. We are glad he has a cushion of AP credits. We still talk with him about an hour a week and try not to get too involved other than that. S16 has begun joining us for the weekly Skype call.
The professor S14 worked for last summer told me he has a potential new project he thinks S14 would be interested in. Hasn’t yet contacted S14; I haven’t said anything either. It would be a great fallback (and he would be home with us for the summer) but I’m curious to see what he comes with on his own. He is supposed to line up a co-op experience. He’s still not comfortable looking for positions but he is trying.
Oh hi there, @go2mom! Just saw your post on the Class of 2018 thread. I think there are a few of us in both spots. Dropped DD18 off this morning for the PSAT too. We’ll see how that goes and go from there.
Saw DS14 this weekend in Cleveland to watch him play. Since it was a long weekend and for once DD18 did not have a soccer tournament, the whole family got to go. We were there literally for 24 hours but made the most of it. Got to see DS play, took him to Target and out to dinner, and hung out for a little bit afterwards. Also nice to see the other parents. We’ve gotten to know quite a few of them from attending sporting events. There’s also a big overlap between DS’s team and his fraternity and I’ve gotten to know them through that as well.
School is going well. He went to a job fair a couple of weeks ago and got 3 interviews from that. He’s also submitting resumes online and generally working his way through the internship hunt process. Busy time of year!
Just got a call from my Jr kiddo who took the “new and improved” PSAT this morning. He felt satisfied. He prepped as much as I had hoped/encouraged (which wasn’t overthetop crazy) and told him I was proud of the efforts. Tonight we pick up our DS14 at the airport who’s home for a few days for Tulane’s fall break…hoping to spoil him rotten before shipping back to NOLA on Sunday.
DS '17 took the PSAT this morning as well. He’s not nearly as motivated in school as his brother and sister; in fact, II had to drop him off at 6:45 this morning to make up some missing assignments that will get a 0 otherwise 
. But he has started to take more responsibility with respect to missing work so that’s something. Right now I’m thinking he’ll probably do CC, but who knows? His running might open up more possibilities, but he’ll have to be more mature than he is now before I’ll feel super comfortable with him trying to balance academics and a varsity sport at the college level.
We hear from our DS14 about once a week. He’s been busy with all sorts of things. Did an interview with a big-time internship the other day and thought it went well. He does have a backup plan if he does not land an internship – he wants to be an orientation leader. It does pay and he’d get housing/meals for the summer. Or perhaps he will do an internship on campus with his major’s department. Academics are going very well this semester, and he does not miss competitive running. He’s found other things to do on campus. We plan to see him in a couple of weeks. I’m sure the visit will involve taking him and his girlfriend out to dinner a few times.
Sounds like your DS is doing great, @momreads !
We hear from DD’14 more often this year, an unexpected side effect of having DS '15 at the same school. He is MUCH more chatty and started a group text thread with everyone in the family back in August, and so now DD chimes in whenever he texts. Loving it…feels like we’re around the dinner table 
.
DD’14 is still enjoying school and doing well, but probably letting the dining hall where she’s now a supervisor guilt her into too many hours. We’d like to see her find a work study job closer to her field, but she seems too busy to make plans like that. Her dad is planning to talk to her about it when they come home for Thanksgiving.
Feeling blessed to have the older two so well settled, but we’re now gearing up for DS’17 launch. This one is not at all interested in a big school, and doesn’t know what he might want to study, but seems to feel embarrassed about the CC option (which we’d be fine with). We’ll see how the PSAT comes out, and work from there.
Went to Philly this weekend to watch DS row in the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. Did well enough. We’re glad he likes it enough to counterbalance his studies (and deal with the 5am practices). He has an interview for an internship tomorrow that’s right in his engineering specialty. It’s for credit in the spring and pay in the summer. The logistics of getting to the place and back to campus are kinda ugly through so his mother and I are torn and might prefer for him to just wait until a summer internship becomes available. He seems to really like his major and school.
Went shopping for an interview outfit for summer internship interviewing. Apparently, no store in the city carries clothes in D’s size. She looks like a kid playing dress up in mommy’s outfits. Sigh. We’re going to have to take a trip…
@ordinarylives we had that problem too. I took D shopping for interview clothes late summer when she was home. Banana Republic and Ann Taylor carry very petite sizes of professional clothes at manageable prices. Also Limited, I think. It took a lot of shopping, and my D hates shopping.
My tiny sister buys high end suits at second hand stores. Me – I have no luck, because I wear, shall we say, a more popular size. 8-|
Nordstrom has a good selection, plus in store alterations. Nordstrom card holders also get at least $100 in alterations free annually, with more alteration credit the higher your annual spend.
I always have to get things altered, even petite sizes so that credit comes in handy. And of course all men’s suits have to be altered so it’s usual for the males in our family too.
I had to buy DS a new suit last spring. The suit (and shirts) that fit him in the fall no longer fit in April so I flew out for a weekend to take him shopping. I guess all that lifting he does for college athletics made him grow!
Yeah, we don’t have any of these stores in my small city. We’re going to have to take a road trip. She has some Anne Taylor pants in a 00P that didn’t need much hemming (and fortunately, I can hem). Still, kind of a pain to have to take a trip to go buy something boring like a suit!
I hate to sound like a Nordstrom shill, but free shipping and returns! I bought 7 homecoming dresses for DD online from Nordstrom (even though there are probably 3 or 4 within 10 miles of me) and DD ordered one by phone directly from a store in Chicago when she couldn’t find her size online. Of course she only kept one but it was very convenient to have them delivered to my door and for her to try on at her leisure. Then I just boxed them right back up and shipped them back.
Just returned from a four-day weekend and a visit with my son. He’s doing well in his classes, and is excited about his courses for the spring. Did not get the internship that he interviewed for, so he’s kind of bumming. But, I told him, it’s early, and something may come along later. He remains busy with his fraternity, volunteering for this and that, a part-time, tutoring job and hanging with friends and his girlfriend. He will be spending Thanksgiving with his girlfriend’s family. After exams, he and his girlfriend will head to our home for a few days.
DS told us that he joined a fraternity this year. I am not sure if I really get the whole purpose of fraternity. It seems to me that it’s mostly for social purpose. I wasn’t a part of Greek life on campus when I went to college. Maybe that is why I don’t get it.
4beardolls, my daughter pledged a sorority this semester. I don’t get it at all but she loves having this group of friends. She lives in a suite, 4 single rooms, 3 male roommates, which she loves and will not give up to move to the sorority house, but on a campus that’s 65%+ male, I guess it makes sense to have a circle of female friends.
Both DH and I were Greek as undergrads and have to say that it was an important part of our college years. Yes, it was a big part of our social lives but we also spent a lot of time performing philanthropic work. We have very fond memories of Greek life. We are still close with many of our friends from Greek life and keep connections with many others. It’s even been useful for DS, who recently called an old fraternity brother of DH’s who is an aerospace engineer for an informational interview.
DS joined a fraternity freshman year and it has been a very good experience for him. He’s made some very good friends and made him feel comfortable at school.
Of course, our experiences (including DS) has been at smaller, kind of nerdish schools that don’t have huge party scenes. It could be different at larger schools with a big party atmosphere.