College parents...fall semester?

[billlaurie]

My daughter is in the honors college and got enough of a scholarship to bring it down to in state. She loves it so much, Villanova was her first pick but no scholarship, she was happy we couldn’t afford it in the end. I’m glad she is in honors because all her friends are too, and it really is a big party school (and she is social).

I was a big fan after we visited in Feb, thankfully before the Covid mess hit the fan. The students seemed genuinely enthusiastic! I was really impressed with the business school and the personal interaction we got. Even though he got a nice scholarship, it was still more pricey than MD and SC, where he also got instate tuition. I still liked it enough to overlook that but in the end I think it was the sports and warm climate that won him over, plus the students at SC were pretty welcoming too, more so than MD.

 

[yeahdisney]

I haven’t committed yet to if I’m sending DS back. Probably not; all his classes are online. He says he’s OK to be here. He has entire finished basement to roam in. It bites to pay almost $16000 for dorm and meal plan-that you still must pay. And decide in October if your going to sign up for that again!

DD is staying where she is, her empty apartment will cost $540/month. Plus cleaning fee.

Uiuc is 40000 undergrad 10000 grad campus

 

[design_mom]

UMass did an about face last week and said that the dorms and campus would not be open! The dorms and campus are only open for a very small minority who have an in person class. This was after they had put together a comprehensive plan and students had move in dates. Their timing was absurd!
The chancellor even went so far as to encourage those with off campus apartments to not come. Well, those leases are already signed so you can imagine how that went over.
My own DS is a senior and he had already moved into his off campus apartment where he will be staying.
The irony is, due to the restrictions that were initially announced, hundreds of more students than usual got off campus apartments. Now that the campus is closed, they will be spending all their time in the local communities instead of on campus where it would a more controlled environment.
Anyway, I will be hoping and praying that colleges everywhere are successful. I would love a glimmer of hope that DS could actually have a little bit of a final semester this spring.

My son's university did the same thing. We were all set to move in (yesterday was his assigned move in date), then less than 2 weeks ago, they changed the plan. Now the first month of classes will be online and the dorms are closed. They even "suggested" that kids with off-campus housing stay at their permanent addresses for the first month (that does not seem to be happening.) Online classes are scheduled to start Monday, and dorm move-ins have been reassigned to mid-September (during which classes will not cease, so that ought to be fun.) My son is very pessimistic about whether they'll actually get to go back or whether the whole semester will be online.

 

[mjkacmom]

I haven’t committed yet to if I’m sending DS back. Probably not; all his classes are online. He says he’s OK to be here. He has entire finished basement to roam in. It bites to pay almost $16000 for dorm and meal plan-that you still must pay. And decide in October if your going to sign up for that again!

DD is staying where she is, her empty apartment will cost $540/month. Plus cleaning fee.

Uiuc is 40000 undergrad 10000 grad campus

That’s crazy that they can’t get out of housing since it’s all online.

 

[AustinTink]

University of Texas, just down the road from me, has the most cases of any college in the country. Nice.

I'm beginning to dread mid-September, when colleges and schools here have been in session for 3-4 weeks. I suspect we're going to see a huge surge.

The majority of kids have already moved back to the apartments around campus and the parties are in full swing. The surge may happen sooner than later.

 

[EMom]

DD lives with 3 other girls in a 4BR apartment. The semester begins 8/24. The class situation keeps changing, but as of yesterday, DD is the only one with face to face classes. The other 3 girls were switched to online only. No choice in the matter. I think the only reason DD still has in person classes is that she’s in the College of Health Professions and they just can’t effectively teach the upper level classes online. But I live in fear they will also be forced to go online.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Thank God first one finished in Spring. She was going away and to be honest I am glad it's over. Youngest starts this year but made honors in state school where she can stay home.
Glad neither is dorming, the entire group my oldest stayed with in upstate NY State school contractid the virus in April or May and this was in a very low hit area. Fear its going to be a mess at so many schools. She said there were lots of tension between her group where some were going out others were more concerned.
I am shocked that she actualkly said she's glad she is home.

 

[bethbuchall]

Classes start for my son on 8/31. He has a couple of labs that he needs to be there for in person. We’re moving him in on 8/28. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, but I feel overall we’re making the right decision. They come home at Thanksgiving and finish the last couple of weeks plus finals remotely.

 

[laughinplace199]

We just moved DS into Villanova yesterday. Everything went very smoothly and I was pleasantly surprised. The kids had to have a negative covid test before being allowed to move in and of course face masks are required everywhere except dorm rooms and while eating. Each kid got 5 packs of hand wipes and a wellness kit (mask, thermometer, hand sanitizer) upon arrival. They also gave each kid a portable nylon chair to encourage spending time outside. Classes start Monday. DS has 3 online and 2 hybrid classes so far.

 

[Southernmiss]

We just moved DS into Villanova yesterday. Everything went very smoothly and I was pleasantly surprised. The kids had to have a negative covid test before being allowed to move in and of course face masks are required everywhere except dorm rooms and while eating. Each kid got 5 packs of hand wipes and a wellness kit (mask, thermometer, hand sanitizer) upon arrival. They also gave each kid a portable nylon chair to encourage spending time outside. Classes start Monday. DS has 3 online and 2 hybrid classes so far.

Love the idea of a thermometer and chair!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

My son's university did the same thing. We were all set to move in (yesterday was his assigned move in date), then less than 2 weeks ago, they changed the plan. Now the first month of classes will be online and the dorms are closed. They even "suggested" that kids with off-campus housing stay at their permanent addresses for the first month (that does not seem to be happening.) Online classes are scheduled to start Monday, and dorm move-ins have been reassigned to mid-September (during which classes will not cease, so that ought to be fun.) My son is very pessimistic about whether they'll actually get to go back or whether the whole semester will be online.

This sounds like what they are doing at UVA.

My DD is a senior at Virginia Tech. Freshman started moving in following a staggered schedule this week. DH moved DD into her off campus house on Thursday 8/13. She works for campus Rec Sports in one of the gyms and has training for her job starting on Sunday, so that’s why she went back a week early. She’ll be living with 4 other girls in her house. I hope they all stay healthy, but I know how social this group is, so it does make me nervous. At first she had 3 in person classes and 2 online classes, but recently all were switched to online. Had she been an underclassman, we probably would have had her take her classes from home, but it’s her last year. We’d like her to have as normal a senior year as possible while still staying healthy. Fingers crossed!

 

[Bama Mom]

My son starts back Monday. He already had registered for three online classes and one on campus. We are local and so he commutes, He got an email from his professor for his one on campus course, which was scheduled to meet Monday and Wednesdays, that she is splitting the class into two groups. One will come on Monday and one will come on Wednesdays. So he is in the second group so he now will only be going to campus one day a week for a couple hours. My husband teaches welding at the local community college and he has had students all summer. They have to wear masks and social distance. Which means hubby had to split his classes as well. During the summer all acedimic classes were online while the tech classes had to meet in person. You can't really teach welding virtually. Its been Tough but they made it work.

 

[JimMIA]

Leaving about Noon today for Orlando. UCF checkin is scheduled for 1:15 PM tomorrow, starting with covid testing.

Exciting time!

 

[Southernmiss]

Moved daughter in to dorms on Sunday, 8/16. Was very much like every other dorm move in we've done. The college did stagger move in times so that "everyone" was not there at the same time.

Only one family at a time were allowed on the elevator with stuff and we socially distanced waiting in the lobby for the elevator. The college gift was a unusable joke of a mask and a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Daughter's roommate had moved in the day before. We met the family for dinner the night before move in at a restaurant offering outside dining. Our wait was 2 hours, but it gave us lots of time to talk with masks on to get to know the family. The family had requested an outside dining option, so that made us feel better knowing that they were cautious (and so is their daughter) about the virus.

The Walmart run to get last minute items (storage containers specific to a space under the bathroom sink, etc.) and a few other things was as crowded as expected. But people were giving each other space.

Daughter's college town has had a strict mask rule with a $1000 fine since April so the people in town all wore masks.

Already 13 athletes at the college and an employee with athletics tested positive this week.

Daughter is in an honors' dorm and 2 other students in that dorm building are friends of dd and we know that they have been cautious this summer so we are hoping that the other kids in the dorm will follow the masks and social distance rules-time will tell.

 

[kymom99]

Moved daughter in to dorms on Sunday, 8/16. Was very much like every other dorm move in we've done. The college did stagger move in times so that "everyone" was not there at the same time.

Only one family at a time were allowed on the elevator with stuff and we socially distanced waiting in the lobby for the elevator. The college gift was a unusable joke of a mask and a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Daughter's roommate had moved in the day before. We met the family for dinner the night before move in at a restaurant offering outside dining. Our wait was 2 hours, but it gave us lots of time to talk with masks on to get to know the family. The family had requested an outside dining option, so that made us feel better knowing that they were cautious (and so is their daughter) about the virus.

The Walmart run to get last minute items (storage containers specific to a space under the bathroom sink, etc.) and a few other things was as crowded as expected. But people were giving each other space.

Daughter's college town has had a strict mask rule with a $1000 fine since April so the people in town all wore masks.

Already 13 athletes at the college and an employee with athletics tested positive this week.

Daughter is in an honors' dorm and 2 other students in that dorm building are friends of dd and we know that they have been cautious this summer so we are hoping that the other kids in the dorm will follow the masks and social distance rules-time will tell.

My son got a mask from his school. It’s a really nice mask with a pocket for a filter.

 

[Monykalyn]

Leaving about Noon today for Orlando. UCF checkin is scheduled for 1:15 PM tomorrow, starting with covid testing.

Exciting time!

Good Luck Jim! We moved in Tuesday and was pretty smooth. The covid testing was easy and she got her results later same day (she was in morning testing group)

 

[bjscheel]

Sophomore DD is in her 3rd day of classes. So far no bad news and DD is very happy and enjoying being back. She's in an apartment with one other girl so no dorm worries or meal plan. She will stay if they go online but roommate would go home.

 

[Southernmiss]

My son got a mask from his school. It’s a really nice mask with a pocket for a filter.

This mask was made of a shamwow like material that tied behind the ears and from the nose down was free flowing like an open gator. It was funny and shameful and went right into the garbage.

There were also 3 simple water bottles for dd and her move in guests waiting in her dorm room. We left those with her as she drinks a protein shake each day that she needs to mix powder for. So these would work for that. But they are not insulated or anything.

Oh well. All in all that's not too much to really complain about.

 

[JimMIA]

Good Luck Jim! We moved in Tuesday and was pretty smooth. The covid testing was easy and she got her results later same day (she was in morning testing group)

Thanks! I believe wallawallakids is moving their DD in on Sunday. They're in Tower 3; we're in Tower 4.

 

[soccerdad72]

We moved our son in on Monday. His classes started Wednesday. He had one in-person and one virtual (live) class the first day, which he said was somewhat odd, but not too bad. He said it was a little weird being in the classroom with so few people and spread out so much.

At check-in, they gave them three masks (one orange and one black plus one with a clear window for use with deaf students - the college is one of two schools with a National Technical Institute for the Deaf), plus a thermometer and a small bottle of sanitizer.