I’m bumping my own thread because it caused us actual problems already. This one is going to be all over the news soon
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Also be aware of refund deadlines.
Every institution (and sometimes colleges and even programs within institutions) has it’s own deadlines and policies for drop/add/refund.
At my school, students may drop through the fourth week of a 15/16-week semester, but the 100% refund is only in the first week (if there is to be a refund - most full time undergrads are at 12+ hours per Fall and Spring and everything over 12 adds not additional cost per credit for tuition but there may be course fees).
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An engaged student will always have something to learn from a professor in the
classroom-going to office hours and being invested in your own learning process is key.
Read and know the syllabus;
Attend class meetings and sit in the front;
If you have a question, others do as well so ask (instructors - good instructors - need and appreciate this feedback and it is no-stakes formative assessment);
Go to office hours, even if you think you understand the course content - faculty get lonely, too (and often have treats);
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Thanks for the info as I had not thought about this. Will look into the university policy and deadlines for refund in case of drop.
My son uses Rate My Professor too. It gives an idea, but you do have to be careful and really read. He gets better info from friend who have taken the class before. And some students just don’t go to class. He is always surprised how many show up for the tests! Ha.
D24 has her schedule for fall. She got all the sections/times she wanted, which is great. She is taking 15 credits:
Calculus 1 - she’s had some in IB Math, so hopefully not a very hard class for her.
Chemistry 1 - I’d like her to study for the CLEP test, but we will see.
Honors English - required for honors students, regardless of placing out of English
Honors 101 - a 1 credit class as an intro to honors and college
Intro to Drawing - will count as a core class and is also a prerequiste for the animation minor. She’s never taken an art class before, so it could be interesting to see how she likes being told what to draw, lol.
If she does do the CLEP for chemistry, she will instead take Intro to Computing. She’s not sure putting in the time for CLEP makes sense.
I’ve talked to her about adding Spanish too. I don’t think she will do that yet.
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Happy Father’s Day from scorching Georgia, everybody (or should I say, "y’all’)! We’re in a strange slow-down-and-wait mood in this house (regarding college and the empty nest). I need to bring in the boxed futon and mattress top from the garage, lest they succumb to a lack of total climate control. We do have a dehumidifier in there, but not air conditioning.
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hi - does someone have a link to the good duffel bags for bringing stuff to college? Thanks!
I like these 75L size, not too big, not too small, lightweight. Also available in a 105L size, though I fear that may be too heavy to carry, depending on what’s in it.
I got one of the big ones, maybe for the comforter. Hoping that along with 3 of the smaller ones should be enough. Plus S will have a carryon suitcase and backpack, of course.
Currently trying to divide the list between (a) stuff to fly there, (b) stuff to buy there, and (c) stuff to ship there from Amazon maybe later or if needed early, shipped to the hotel.
Not my first time around and fortunately, while S is a bit of a packrat, he is minimalist for wardrobe. Can’t overemphasize: less is more.
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Just search ikea bag inn Amazon and you get lots of similar ones.
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If you want something that will stand up and willing to pay more, a Patagonia duffel is the bag. Our Patagonia duffel has been shipped to and from sleep away camp 7 seasons and 4 years of shipping to and from boarding school. It’s a little worn but it’s still a work horse.
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I have Ikea ones from 2 years ago, but they are like these: https://www.amazon.com/VENO-Storage-Backpack-Carrying-Handles/dp/B07J6625YY
S22 used 5 or 6 and then folded them flat for storage. They’ve held up well and aren’t very expensive.
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Thanks everyone! I was remembering the clear ones which I just bought - will use a couple for D30 to bring to overnight camp.
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D24 is back home now from her graduation trip w/my sister. While in Norway, they went to the same Norwegian cultural museum that my parents & grandmother went to many years ago. My sister & D24 said that pretty much all the time in Norway & Sweden, the locals talked to them assuming they understood Norwegian & Swedish (my family is of Scandinavian descent). D24 brought each of us a tomte/nisse (those little Scandinavian elves/gnomes) and now we’ve got a new dala horse in our family room. They went to the mothership of all IKEA stores in Sweden. 
Ate Swedish meatballs 3 or 4 times over the course of their 3 days in Sweden, including some made out of reindeer meat. Brought yours truly back a jar of lingonberry preserves (which we always have with turkey at Thanksgiving and Xmas).
In Belgium, they stayed w/a good friend of my sister’s. D24 really liked Belgium, too. She brought home a bunch of fancy Belgian chocolate and we got to sample what is probably the best milk chocolate bar I’ve ever had in my entire life. D24 said that my sister’s friends wanted to talk a lot about American politics, which D24 steered away from. 
D24 said it was funny meeting my sister’s friend’s eldest son (he’s in his early 20s)…D24 stuck her hand out to shake his hand and the friend’s son didn’t know what to do with that. D24 got a kick out of it.
D24 said that there were a lot of super blond people in Norway. And lots of really tall people in Norway & Sweden. My sister is 5’9" and she remarked that she felt short.
D26 tried wine, didn’t like it. Also tried the cherry beer in Belgium and thought that was better, but “just ok” and couldn’t drink it all.
Learned upon arriving home that I should have listened to D26’s advice and waited to unbunk their beds or at least text D24 and check if it was ok to do it now. Because it wasn’t. A very tired, very hungry, and very cranky D24 cried over it and yelled at me about it. during her emotional melt down, she said that in a couple of months, she’s moving to Texas and everything is going to change and she just wants her bedroom to stay the same for now until she moves into the dorms.
So tomorrow evening after D26 has her In & Out Burger job interview, we’re going to re-bunk the beds.
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Same for my daughter. I think her 4th marking period may have been her best ever. She didn’t have to take any finals either (you needed a 93 average for the year AND a 93 in the 4th marking period), so I think there was some incentive and reward at the end!
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After all the fun and excitement of graduation festivities, D24 said her goodbyes to her boyfriend last night. We are headed out on vacation and he will have moved out of state by the time we get back. We all knew this was coming but it doesn’t make it any easier. He’s a wonderful young man who has treated her so well and we will all miss him. My heart broke when she said it was especially hard because she likely will never see him again. Thankfully she knows she wil be fine and she has a big group of friends still here but today is difficult. Hopefully our vacation will be just what she needs to regroup and move forward while being thankful for such a great first relationship.
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Oh, that’s so hard! Hugs to your kiddo.
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My child is driving me crazy with completing her summer to-dos for Mount Holyoke. She hasn’t missed any deadlines, but she has come close. I don’t want to hover, but lots of the stuff will take her literally two minutes. Submit your pronouns. Submit your emergency contacts. Grrr.
All good - just needed to scream into the void.
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I have definitely driven my D24 crazy with bugging her about these things. LOL.
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How do you know what she has to do for college? All I know is tuition is due, real soon.
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Glad I’m not the only one! They’ll figure it out soon when we’re not right there to push.
MHC sent parents an email with links to the to-do list that was sent to the students, plus a lot of the info was online, too. I was mostly interested in confirming move-in dates, health forms, etc., but naturally I noticed she hasn’t completed her housing info yet (due the 24th, so not a tragedy). Or her advisor info form. Or checked her date/time to register for classes. ugh.
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