<p>I was thinking today that while DH (second marriage) and I both have kids attending our alma maters, our experience with our legacies is totally different. In my case I’ve come to respect my college more than ever, enjoying seeing my kids experiencing the same traditions and excellent classes. In DH’s case he has come to respect the school less and he believes it has deteriorated.</p>
<p>What have others experienced?</p>
<p>My daughter went to my alma mater. It was fascinating to see the similarities and differences in our experiences. </p>
<p>Her experience there didn’t change my opinion of the college one way or the other. It’s mostly a very good school, but it has some downsides, and it’s definitely not for everyone. I knew that long before she applied, and I still have the same views.</p>
<p>A really neat thing happened in our family. My father (now 86) had to leave West Point when he got polio. He was very bitter about it and always resented that he got his undergrad degree from Penn (hometown school). </p>
<p>When my son was accepted to Penn for Class of 2010, everyone was so proud and excited that it completely changed my father’s perception of Penn. He handed down his Penn tie to my son the Christmas after the ED decisions came out. It was pretty cool.</p>
<p>MOWC, people who go to West Point have a calling. I can understand how he was bitter. It had nothing to do with Penn and everything to do with polio. Horrible disease.</p>
<p>^^ I know. His father was a Colonel and it was just a huge disappointment. Both my parents got polio during the epidemic. It was neat to see him realize the value of Penn, though. He had graduate degrees from Iowa State and MIT, too.</p>
<p>MOWC–that really is cool–it bridges generations and life experiences.</p>
<p>S1 chose DH’s university. S2 chose mine. We thought it was kinda cool. It makes it even more fun watching sports…esp. watching games on tv and knowing that they were in the same stadiums we stood in cheering away for our respective schools. Just hearing them talk about familiar classroom buildings or other places around campus that we are so familiar with was really neat. One college bar that DH frequented turned out to be a favorite weekend hangout of S1 and friends. Long live Mitch’s Tavern.</p>
<p>Our daughter is graduating next month from the university where her dad and I met as grad students. The grad dorm that we lived in had been renovated and was being used for mostly freshman and sophomores. Guess where she was assigned. At least it wasn’t on the same floor! Moving her in was a surreal experience.</p>
<p>Despite our advice, our youngest son attends our alma mater. He even lives in the same residential college I did. We were surprised how much we enjoy understanding exactly what he describes in phone calls or notes. One of my favorite art history professors is now the college dean - what a nice surprise!</p>
<p>S2 went to the same undergrad that DH went to. What was really spooky was when S2 joined the same fraternity that DH had belonged to. As I told DH, “Your son is now your brother.”</p>
<p>(I’m my own grandpa?)</p>
<p>Next month our son graduates from my husband’s alma mater on the 50th anniversary of my husband’s PhD graduation (older but still exceptionally lively dad!). I’m wondering if it’s a first for the school. It was interesting in the beginning to see my son begin to own the place, even down to having different walking routes around campus. It’s been a fun experience for both of them. And H has more logo clothing than he’s ever had in his life.</p>
<p>Our DD has our alma mater on her list of potentials. It’s been fun doing tours, etc. It’s also interesting to see how various buildings are called different things from when we were there. Our guide kept referring to this one building and I had no idea she was really talking about the dining hall. It is not what we called it back then–same building but the students just call it a more “hip” name-the actual name is the same.</p>
<p>If she goes there it will be fun to compare notes. I do know that the dorms have been majorly upgraded since we were there and they are a LOT nicer now (for sophomores and older anyway).</p>
<p>Because most of the intro math and science course sequences haven’t changed in 30 years, I actually recognize course numbers that our son is considering. In fact, both he and I walked out on physics 260 because it seemed way too theoretical.</p>
<p>My nieces chose my alma maters for their colleges. Both loved their experiences there but the schools had changed SO MUCH from when I went there. Both have grown enormous compared to the more rustic/rural campuses I remember. I had a hard time recognizing my grad school campus when S toured it with me & SIL because it was so much larger than I remembered–even the law school! The older niece & I laughed about the pigpen that was between the grad dorm & the law school–it is no longer there. My other niece had a hard time believing there had been a bowling alley in the student union back when I attended. Neither of my kids were interested nor applied to my schools or H’s (the in-state flagship).</p>