Parents of the HS Class of 2024 (Part 2)

Parents of HS Class of 20xx
5416

Buy the gift cars at costco.com or in costco - $500 for $429.99 through tomorrow.

Southwest frequent flyer program is far better than any of the legacy airlines, far better. Good luck earning a freebie on AA, Delta, United, etc. And that you can change flights or cancel them and lose nothing…is fantastic…the other airlines just don’t compare. And free bags.

But there’s a reason SW moves more passengers domestically than any other.

PS - I love the seating methodology but I’m A list - I always have an aisle near the front of the plane.

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5417

Thanks for the feedback on SW.

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I mentioned several months ago that I was applying to be a coach with the organization ScholarMatch. After an impressively robust application process (including background check and sexual harassment training), I was accepted. Not complaining - truly impressive that they go to the lengths they do to ensure coaches are above-board.

After I was accepted, I completed a multi-step training process and then was matched with two students. One has needed a lot more support than the other, and she just submitted her first EA application. So incredibly rewarding! Many more to go, but she’s over the first big hump.

If anyone here is considering becoming a coach, I highly recommend it. Happy to DM with anyone about it, too.

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5419

S24 took the bus back to school yesterday and I am getting ready to take S21 to the airport. Two weeks and then break. Crazy how fast this semester has gone (and that S21 will graduate in less than 6 months!)

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5420

Southwest is great, make sure he’s signed up for their rapid rewards program (and the seating has always been fine for us, but it’s changing to assigned seats next year!) the ability to change/rebook so easily has been great for us, many times we’ve rebooked for a sale fare which makes us not hesitate to buy once we know our travel dates.

D24 took the bus/train back and was excited to see one of her HS friends on the same bus to Boston! it was one of the 3 she’s still in contact with daily, but they didn’t know they were both taking the same bus - and it’s the one of the 3 daily contact friends that she hasn’t seen since summer.
She brought us home a cold (yay), and will be back a week from today. She could come home Friday but wants to spend the weekend with friends, which I would love to go back in time to her on that dreadfully slow labor day weekend to say “see, you will make friends!” All comes with time…

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5421

Your profile is hidden, but if you DM me, I’d love to chat about it.

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Put D24 on the bus back to school yesterday…thankfully, Rochester (and her entire route, actually) seemed to have dodged the upstate lake effect snow bonanza over the weekend. It was so nice having her home, I missed her the instant we pulled away from the bus drop-off. We get her back in 12 days!!! Had our D20 with us, as well. It was wonderful. I have now booked a vacation for the four of us for over D24’s spring break week. We haven’t all been away together since December of 2022 :dizzy_face: Something to look forward to!

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5423

You can PM those with hidden profiles by clicking on your own avatar, then the envelope icon, then the down arrow, then the blue new message, and input their handle w/ @ in front of it.

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5424

It sounds like everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving with their families. I like reading the updates. We had a nice time - we met both kids in Nashville for a few days. It squeezes in a vacation, which is difficult these days, and works better than flying them home. S22 had to be back by Friday at 7pm, which makes for a short week. We had a very nice time though and it was so nice to hang out with all of us. D24 comes back on the 12th and S22 on the 13th. Wish we could have coordinated the airport trips a little!

D24 is really enjoying school. She is so happy with her choice. She is doing well with classes and finds it overall easier than high school since she’s not in classes all day long. She really values free time to do her own thing, so she’s thrilled that she can do her hobbies still. She got all the classes she wanted for next semester, including some fun ones. It’s all looking good for her!

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5425

I just realized that I’d really enjoy hearing comments from parents on which classes their C24s took that were better/worse than expected, and why. I’ll post my own child’s responses, and hopefully you will add if you feel inclined. So here it is, at UGA. Biology: both better and easier than expected. She had a bad HS Bio teacher, and didn’t take AP. I think she thought Bio would be like college physics. Female teacher was good and somewhat creative. Stats—started off easy, got hard. Her one possible B. Brit lit survey—fantastic. Very creative in readings and assignments. Much different from APs in HS. Italian, somewhat hard, but teacher is a gem. She doesn’t want to take the next one from anyone but him. She actually had an “advantage” going into college in that her public HS is highly rated, but potentially overrated for non-academic reasons. She had really good teachers only in Social Studies, Psychology, Econ, and Chemistry.

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5426

Just popping in with update. S24 is at his ED school. It seems to suit him - has surrounded himself with nerd friends. He went in looking at a science major. Blast from the past:

S24 is now considering engineering, LOL. Friends, perhaps not coincidentally, are engineering students. Lots of library time - I’m not complaining. Fortunately, internal transfer to engineering at this school would be easy if that’s what he ends up wanting. I proposed the possibility of summer classes if needed. The quarter system seems to make things fairly flexible. We’ll see. I just smile and nod :slight_smile:

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D24’s review so far of her classes:

  • Bio - loves the professor, says prof lectures in a way that makes it really interesting. Said prof is entertaining & funny. Purposely signed up for that prof for 2nd semester bio for next semester.
  • Chem - loves this professor, too. Loves his teaching style. Loves how you can retake tests to improve your grade, but only after you go to the tutoring center 2x/week for 2 weeks. Enrolled in this professor’s 2nd semester general chemistry class for next semester. Class has been challenging, but due to professor’s teaching style (and how it’s totally different than the bad teacher she had for chem in HS), it’s been do-able.
  • Science Fiction class in the English dept - loved this class. Said this class has been really easy.
  • 1st year seminar class about Transcultural Health - Kid’s review of this was “meh, it was ok.” She thought a lot of the stuff throughout the semester was a little repetitive. Thought it was kind of boring. Because of this class, has decided she doesn’t want to minor in public health.

D24 also said that, in general, college has been a little easier than HS.

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5428

D24’s review of classes:

Chem: Likes the professor, finds class mostly a repeat of material from AP Chem.
Calc: Professor is “nice” but, “a terrible instructor” but thankfully this material is a repeat from AP Calc, so she’s not learning anything new (yet).
Chemical Engineering Insights: Class is interesting, mostly just a series of guest lecturers (alum) who are working in the field, giving talks about what they do.
Literature and Cultural Studies: A LOT of reading (not her favorite pastime), but she really enjoys the class and the instructor and plans to take another class with the same instructor as soon as her schedule permits.
Exploration of Human Problems: On paper, the class sounds very interesting…lots of readings and sewing projects (?), but D24 says the execution is lacking. Not getting much from it.

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5429

I’m so glad there are so many positive reports coming back from your kids! Zero pressure, obviously, but as a Class of 2025 parent lurking here, when your 2024 kid is loving their school and you’re sharing what they love about it, please don’t hesitate to name the school. It’s helpful, when reading your notes and thinking “ah, I bet my kid might like that place”, to know where they’re going. There might be all sorts of reasons why you don’t want to share, and that’s totally fine, too. But if you’re on the fence, know that some of us — following just a few steps after you — like hearing about which schools are working out well for you and your kids.

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Austin College in Sherman, TX (an hour from the Dallas airport)

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5431

Almost end of semester report on how S24 and D24 like their classes

S24 – South Carolina Honors College
Honors MicroEconomics - loves his professor, thinks the class is interesting, it is harder than he expected. He definitely has to study
Honors Intro Accounting - his very favorite class. It is challenging, but he loves his professor and likes Accounting more than he expected. He struggled initially, but now is doing very well.
Honors Public Speaking for Business - he thinks this one is easy, but the professor is just OK.
Spanish 1 - He absolutely hates this class, which is too bad.
University 101 - Although a lot of his friends like this class, he thinks it is very boring, but an easy A.

Overall, he really likes SCHC. The Honors dorm has been great and he quickly made lots of friends there. His honors friends all study hard, but like to have fun, too. Honestly, I think S24 is having TOO much fun, but grades seem to be good, so I can’t get on his case too much. The Gamecocks having a better than expected football season has been awesome, and there is plenty to do in Columbia.

D24 - Smith College
Freshman Seminar - The Bible in the American Public Square. She has loved this class so much! Her professor is wonderful and already helping her research internships and research opportunities. Lots of in depth analysis and honing of her objective reasoning skills. Excellent class. Lots of work, but she is doing well.
The American Presidency - A lecture class, but she says the professor is wonderful and she has learned so much.
Intro to Cultural Anthropology - This class has been her least favorite, which is disappointing. The professor is good, but it is kind of an easy A for her and not as challenging/interesting as she hoped
Intermediate French - Good class, good professor, but it’s nothing exciting

Overall, though, Smith has been a dream! Northampton is absolutely wonderful, and she has met some very interesting, quirky, and kind friends. She likes the house system, and loves her roommate. Not much of a party scene, which is fine with her, though she did venture out to a frat party at Amherst, which she hated . . .

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I like the sound of that Bible/Public Square course!

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5433

Same. I want a do-over, so many classes I’d love to take now.

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D24 called about 30 min ago! Always on Facetime when I’m having a bad hair day. Haha! Today she took her final exam for her First Year Seminar class, said the test was about 25 questions and 3 short answer essay questions. The sci fi english exam is next Mon, Bio exam is on Tues, Chem exam is next Fri.

Asked/nagged her if she’s reserved a Lyft ride yet. Answer = NO. BUT roommate has a final exam also on next Fri. D24 is going to find out when roommate’s final is and is going to ask if she’d be willing to drive her to airport for gas money + lunch, which would be cheaper than Lyft (Lyft = $75).

Kid said it’s “cold.” The high there today is 54. By our AZ standards, that’s freezing. Kid said she needs some warm socks, is a little sad that she can’t wear flip flops to class anymore for awhile, and doesn’t want to wear a winter hat or beanie “because it messes up my hair.” :rofl:

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5435

So this is at WashU . . .

Survey of Latin Literature: The Republic (this is an intermediate level Latin class). Most enjoyable class, likes the prof, likes the material, finds it not at all difficult (S24 had a pretty good Latin teacher in HS).

General Chemistry I and associated lab. S24 was a little concerned about placing into this class (it is the more advanced intro track, 111 versus 105, and some Reddit kids and such recommend just doing 105 since it supposedly easier and still fills major and pre-med requirements), but it has worked out well. He was again very well-prepared and he finds it interesting.

Introduction to Microeconomics. Likes the material, not too hard, doesn’t love his instructor.

College Writing. Not hard (again, he was very well prepared), but S24 doesn’t particularly enjoy this class as the required writing assignments are not really his thing.

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