When did it switch from calling it O Chem to “orgo”? 
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I’ve heard it is a regional thing but I have no verification of that.
When I was at college, it was Orgo and P-Chem. I’d like to believe there is somewhere in the multiverse where it is O-Chem and Fizzo.
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It was orgo back in my day in the NE but my chem e daughter called it o chem (and p chem) in the midwest.
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I am assuming that harsh grading in Orgo means the professor will cut points for minor mistakes and offer no partial credit. Again, this is all from the online reviews.
Thanks to all for the advice and suggestions. S24 has decided to keep the major and continue with the professor, come what may. He has started studying for the course.
I as a parent need to back off and let him deal with it 
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For anyone who has loved having their kids home, but who also will relish the peace (and cleanliness!) when they return to school, I am here for you. Love my kids. Have loved some great conversations and time with them home. I’m proud of their growth and first semester accomplishments and how cool our conversations have been. But also, I’m also exhausted. And they are so messy!! I feel like I’ve been entertaining for two weeks. Quiet evenings and not planning meals with be recompense for missing their company
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D24 had a very good first semester of college. She’s found a couple of friend groups, has worked hard and played hard and has just secured housing for her sophomore year off campus. I would have rather she stayed on campus next year but she wanted to room with someone not in honors and therefore could not room with them in honors housing next year. At least they chose somewhere close to campus that appears safe and in good condition. Hoping the second semester goes as smoothly as the first.
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Dropped D24 off at the airport at 5:30 am this morning for her flight back to TX! She’s back at school now, called me when she got to her dorm room. The 3 week Jan Term class starts tomorrow.
It was great having her home. I think she was ready to go back. She met up with some high school friends earlier this week. She said that 1 friend is having roommate challenges…the roommate is “super boy crazy, like got on ALL the dating apps right away, has boys over all the time, and gets weirdly jealous & mad when my friend goes to the dining hall with anybody but her.”
D24 also shared that she doesn’t want to live in a coed dorm because “all of the students in the coed dorms sleep with each other, like, ALL the time and I don’t want to hear all of that going on all the time. The beds in the dorms are squeaky.” Outwardly, I just say, “Oh, ok,” but inside my head, I’m thinking, “OMG, I would never have had the nerve to tell my mom any of this! I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE’S TELLING ME THIS!” LOL.
The house is now a little less cluttered and a little quieter without her here.
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You and me both. I passed first semester with a C+ and got a D second semester. That was the end of my professional research scientist aspirations.
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We ended up planning a last minute trip once S24 arrived to Austria. Got back in time to see Hamilton which was incredible! Now he’s diving into Orgo past couple of days to prep for what’s ahead. So far it’s “fun” like a puzzle, we’ll see how long that lasts! Youngest goes back to school Monday so looking forward to some one-on-one time. Thought it might be fun to go see Oxford or Cambridge if he had any interest.
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Well, it’s been a hard 24 hours for D24 as she readjusts to being responsible for everything! 
Last night at 1:30 am she called us, having a panic attack. She thought she was anxious about possibly getting norovirus. In fact, it was academic stress (“if that happened, I might have to miss class”). We talked to her and had her take a Benadryl. Then, this morning, she calls her dad because she went to a routine appointment in her car, and when she got back the parking lot was full to bursting. He talked her down again. Parking is difficult there, but . . . (In my old lady voice)”Life is difficult!” Hopefully she’s over the case of nerves now.
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Learning how to juggle all of the adulting things is hard! Heck, I’ve been an adult now for a long time and there are still some days that I’m totally over it. Hugs to your kiddo!
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D24 said she’s loving her Jan Term class so far. Nervous Nelly Mom here reminded her to make sure she has some non-perishable food on hand for the snow & ice storm that’s going to hit her area on Thurs & Fri this week. I got a “Whatever, Mama, it’ll be fine” in return. 
She said it’s really cold there right now (low temp this morning was 18). Ok so is she using the winter gloves we gave her? No.
Does she know where they are in her room? No.
Is she going to look for them? No.
What. The. Heck, child. 
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D24’s school had a snow day today. Hard freeze and snow travel alerts through noon tomorrow in north TX. Kid sent me some snow pics. No classes for anybody today! Super curious if she found her gloves, but I don’t have the nerve to ask. Some parents on the college’s FB group started talking yesterday & today how they want their kids to drive home through the icy roads because they (the parents) would feel better if their kids were at home. Most of them listened to the advice of older students’ parents, who all said, “They’re safer staying in place.”
Dining services on campus are all still operational!
Dealing with ice and snow is a total foreign concept to our desert loving family, by the way. 
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I’m glad they listened to the collective wisdom of the FB group. I’m curious what was the rationale in wanting the kids home?
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So S24 is officially bored. His friends are either back in school or travelling with family, and apparently hanging with his parents talking about design ideas for the basement speakeasy is only fun in moderate doses.
We’ll have to get more ahead of this next year. I think as an intense first term was wrapping up, he was happy with the idea of a long period of doing nothing. But maybe some sort of trip or at least local adventures for this phase would be warranted.
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@NiceUnparticularMan - my D24 returned to college a few days ago, but her friends who are still home are working. It is a long time to be home with zero goals! Highly recommend a part-time/ft job.
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I second this!
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Nothing other than a general “I’d just feel better if my kid was at home with us during this snow storm.” Their kids need to leave the nest at some point.
A couple of days ago, DH asked D24 if she & her roommate were going to drive to roommate’s parents’ house to ride out the snow storm. D24 scoffed at that & said, “Psh, why the heck would we do that? We’d have to drive on icy roads and stuff. It’s better we just stay here. The dining hall is not even a 5 min walk from our room. It’ll be fine.”
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I was just discussing this with my kid, who is definitely ready to go back. I think the post-holiday period is weird for the college student home on break; everyone else’s life is returning to normal, but the college student is essentially on their own, in limbo. They realize how much they miss their routine and their college friends.
For us, it’s been healthy—the antsy-ness means our kid is excited to return to school (rather than conflicted about leaving home again) and makes clear to the rest of us that school is where he belongs (meaning we dwell less on how much we will miss him).
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D24 heads back to school on Sunday. It has been really wonderful having her home. I have seen such a significant change and maturing in her, it does my heart good.
I think she has been enjoying a new appreciation for the comforts of home, her lovely and large bed/bedroom and her own bathroom and on-demand home cooked meal requests aplenty. Her days have been spent sleeping until noon, going to the gym, eating dinner with us most nights and then getting together with friends each evening. I guess it is not surprising that she isn’t super anxious to go back up to school.
Last night she happened to check to see if any syllabi were posted yet and lo and behold, she has an assignment due on the first day of classes :eek:
Sorority rush starts in two weeks, and she’s looking forward to that experience.
Next on the agenda will be figuring out housing for next year. She and her current roommate plan to live together again. Roommate really wants to move off campus. D24 is fine with that, but would also be willing to live in the on-campus apartments that are reserved for 2nd year students (neither of them will have a car, so off-campus means relying on the shuttle). I would prefer she stay on campus one more year, and I’ve expressed that, but have told her I’d support her decision either way. Roommate’s concern is those on-campus apartments are only available for 2nd years, so it would mean moving again the next year. My D24 will be out on co-op the fall semester of 3rd year, so it is a non-issue for her (she’ll have to move out and find new housing again when she returns regardless of where she lives next year). I think the compromise we’ve landed on for now is to apply for on-campus housing just to have the option in her pocket, and if they ultimately decide to go off, we’d just release the housing assignment.
Other than that, the most pressing issue is packing. Somehow, she seems to be returning with a lot more than she came home with (including more robust winter gear), and trying to fit it all in a single checked back is going to be a challenge. We’re going to try vacuum sealing things to conserve space. 
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