High School class of 2011

[ctinct]

ctinct that is confusing and frustrating! Hopefully a call on Monday will help you get it straightened out.

Just to add to the confusion I thought the unsubsidized loans started to accrue interest as soon as school starts (even though you don't have to pay it back until after graduation).Cruisnfamily I am sorry it has been a difficult summer.

I think there are several reasons I am having trouble. We are still dealing with major house damage from the tornado, and my niece is getting married and moving out of state. The tornado really reminded us how life can change in a minute (literally) and thought of what could have happened bothers me still. Too much change all at once and it is hard to see them leave home! They both must be feeling it too as they have been with the family every night for the last week. I am happy and proud of both of them!

You are correct. I misspoke. The interest would be lower than on a PLUS loan, though.

I haven't been having any nightmares or dreams that I can remember, but my daughter has been having some very vivid dreams. We looked some of the things she has been dreaming of up on a few dream dictionary type sites, and yep---they all relate to fear of separation or fear of something new. I think my poor baby's going to have a tough time at first.

 

[linnylu]

DD doesn't seem to want to buy much but...

We did get a folding desk hutch & a cool pop-up hamper from The Container Store, a new TV from Costco plus 2 sheet sets & a mattress pad from Bed Bath & Beyond. I figured she would need a long dress at some point of her college career so we hit a consignment shop and got some beautiful designer-dresses for only about $50 apiece. We do need to take them to a dressmaker/tailor for some minor alterations before school starts.

No nightmares here but I do have a bad case of insomnia.
agnes!

Agnes, I love the idea of the folding desk hutch and ordered one for my ds. Thanks for mentioning that!

 

[agnes!]

Agnes, I love the idea of the folding desk hutch and ordered one for my ds. Thanks for mentioning that!

Glad to help out. The hutch is really nice, we went to a local Container Store and bought DD's. It adds vertical storage (now she'll have a place to put all those expensive books...) without taking a lot of nhorizontalspace, plus it has room for a monitor/laptop on DD's desk (since the first shelf leaves enough space to use the desktop). The Java(?) stain is kind of dark but still it's pretty, we ended up getting the white. I do wish that this item were available in Chestnut, the Chestnut folding bookcase was gorgeous.

agnes!

 

[HannaBelle]

So, we have a had a busy couple of weeks. DS got his AP scores back and he got 3's on 4 tests and 1 test they have not completed scoring. I am very disappointed/frustrated/angry. He is going to a private school and they only take 4's & 5's. So, the cost of the tests & study guides are down the hole plus he will have to take those classes in college.

He knew I was upset, I knew he was upset and we did not dwell on it so I am venting a bit here...He had such bad senioritis this spring he was killing me. He is going to have to dig in this fall and work b/c slacking is not going to cut it and if he grades fall below a 3.0 he will lose serious scholarship money. I cannot do it for him, but I absolutely do not want to watch him fall on his face and it is so hard to be hands off!!! Only time will tell and I just have to keep breathing!

We got the bill for his fall semester and the balance is due August 5th, but they have an option for a payment plan...yeah, yeah, yeah! He is expecting another scholarship award, but it won't happen until later this fall.

Neither DH nor I ever lived in a dorm and I don't know what to use to get his clothes and what not there. Plastic totes, luggage, boxes, trash bags (just kidding, maybe!)??? He won’t have any room to storage empty totes or suitcases.

I have not actually seen his dorm layout and they don't provide measurements b/c some of the rooms vary...it looks like a postage stamp! lol So, we have been advised NOT to make any major purchases until we see the room. There are a couple of pictures online or a room in his dorm that show shelves above the built in desk, shelves on the wall above the beds, plus 2 closets per student and drawers under the bed so I am hoping storage is not too much of an issue but I am feeling the stress.

 

[RLccweems]

I'm so glad I found this thread....I need all the help I can get with this...going to read and then post questions later.

 

[golfgal]

So, we have a had a busy couple of weeks. DS got his AP scores back and he got 3's on 4 tests and 1 test they have not completed scoring. I am very disappointed/frustrated/angry. He is going to a private school and they only take 4's & 5's. So, the cost of the tests & study guides are down the hole plus he will have to take those classes in college.

He knew I was upset, I knew he was upset and we did not dwell on it so I am venting a bit here...He had such bad senioritis this spring he was killing me. He is going to have to dig in this fall and work b/c slacking is not going to cut it and if he grades fall below a 3.0 he will lose serious scholarship money. I cannot do it for him, but I absolutely do not want to watch him fall on his face and it is so hard to be hands off!!! Only time will tell and I just have to keep breathing!

We got the bill for his fall semester and the balance is due August 5th, but they have an option for a payment plan...yeah, yeah, yeah! He is expecting another scholarship award, but it won't happen until later this fall.

Neither DH nor I ever lived in a dorm and I don't know what to use to get his clothes and what not there. Plastic totes, luggage, boxes, trash bags (just kidding, maybe!)??? He won’t have any room to storage empty totes or suitcases.

I have not actually seen his dorm layout and they don't provide measurements b/c some of the rooms vary...it looks like a postage stamp! lol So, we have been advised NOT to make any major purchases until we see the room. There are a couple of pictures online or a room in his dorm that show shelves above the built in desk, shelves on the wall above the beds, plus 2 closets per student and drawers under the bed so I am hoping storage is not too much of an issue but I am feeling the stress.

That is WAY more storage space then I have EVER seen in a dorm room. As for getting clothing back and forth-suitcases, clothes baskets, and yes, even garbage bags are just fine-just use what you have-get boxes from the store like you would if you were moving even. Everyone else will be using those-along with totes if they have them. You don't need to go out an buy anything by any means.

 

[armomof3lvsdisney]

How is everyone doing? We take DS to college 3 weeks from today. I can't believe summer has gone so fast.

DS found out who is roommate is last week. He is from Mexico, DS has talked to him on Facebook and XBOX Live and they have several things in common.

DS got a flyer today from the schools outdoor club. The weekend after school starts they have 3 different outdoor trips that new students can sign up for. One is a 3 day hike in a national forest, 3 days of rock climbing, and a 3 day float trip. I think DS is going to do the float trip. I think it sounds like so much fun. Talk to everyone soon.

 

[ctinct]

Less than four weeks till I drop my daughter off. She should find out who her roommate is on Monday.

To update the situation on our financial aid change (Our revised financial aid pkg. deleted a $750 Perkins loan and all of her $1250 work-study)---she did lose it due to the last scholarship we sent in. The scholarship was only for a thousand, but added to her other private scholarships, it put her over some kind of threshhold. When I thought about it, though, it really isn't all that bad. We STILL would have been responsible for paying the work-study upfront (most kids use it for spending money) and daughter would have been responsible for paying the Perkins loan. So, basically, instead of gradually paying back 2 grand, I've just got one thousand to cover upfront. Daughter will look for a non work-study job on campus, but if she can't find one, I'll just give her a small allowance weekly for spending money, which is what I do now, anyhow. It just kind of stunk at first seeing her aid pkg. go down by a thousand, but when I thought about it from the perspective that this aid was basically loaned money, it is not that terrible. Most of her outside scholarships were applied to the fall semester only, so pretty much I owe next to nothing for the fall.

 

[minkydog]

How is everyone doing? We take DS to college 3 weeks from today. I can't believe summer has gone so fast.

I have one corner of the living room devoted to stuff-that's-going-to-college. We leave Aug 9. Yesterday DD18 & I went to Target to buy school supplies. She bought a study-buddy & a portable desk top with a gift card someone gave her for graduation. I tried to get her to wait on buying the notebooks, but she takes a LOT of notes and she wants to be ready to go on the first day.

I've done two things that i'm really pleased with.

**I made a small sewing kit: found an old cookie tin, a little one, and put some basic sewing items in there: safety pins, needles, red, white, and black thread, and a pair of small scissors. She just needs to be able to tack up a hem or sew on a button.

**I fixed up a small first aid kit: a red school box, some Mickey Mouse bandaids(from Walmart!), a couple larger knee bandaids, neosporin, Midol, Tylenol, Benedryl, and a thermometer. I told her if she has something she can't cure with her first aid kit she needs to go to the health center. DD already has her insurance card. I think i'm going to print out a basic "what to do when_____" card. You know, how to treat vomiting/fever/pinkeye/etc, how to tell when you need to go to the hospital vs waiting until morning.DD has a very good sense for handling illness and injury, anyway (daughter of a nurse, haha) so I'm actually not too worried about this.

 

[cruisnfamily]

I have one corner of the living room devoted to stuff-that's-going-to-college. We leave Aug 9. Yesterday DD18 & I went to Target to buy school supplies. She bought a study-buddy & a portable desk top with a gift card someone gave her for graduation. I tried to get her to wait on buying the notebooks, but she takes a LOT of notes and she wants to be ready to go on the first day.

I've done two things that i'm really pleased with.

**I made a small sewing kit: found an old cookie tin, a little one, and put some basic sewing items in there: safety pins, needles, red, white, and black thread, and a pair of small scissors. She just needs to be able to tack up a hem or sew on a button.

**I fixed up a small first aid kit: a red school box, some Mickey Mouse bandaids(from Walmart!), a couple larger knee bandaids, neosporin, Midol, Tylenol, Benedryl, and a thermometer. I told her if she has something she can't cure with her first aid kit she needs to go to the health center. DD already has her insurance card. I think i'm going to print out a basic "what to do when_____" card. You know, how to treat vomiting/fever/pinkeye/etc, how to tell when you need to go to the hospital vs waiting until morning.DD has a very good sense for handling illness and injury, anyway (daughter of a nurse, haha) so I'm actually not too worried about this.

I love the first aid stuff above! When you make up a your basic "what to do when" list, would you mind posting it here? It sounds like a great resource for DD, particularly if something were to come up in the middle of the night or when mom was unreachable.

So the only over the counter meds you are sending is neosporin, midol, tylenol and benadryl? I was thinking tums, motrin, allergy med of some kind, cough med, cold med. What other kinds of things would be good for DD's in room pharmacy?

 

[HannaBelle]

Minkydog, it this your first going to college? You really have it together! I need to make a serious Wal-Mart run for my kiddo!

I love all of the suggestions and reading that everyone else is a stressed as I am...I am sorry for your pain, but I am pleased to have someone to commiserate with!!!

 

[minkydog]

I love the first aid stuff above! When you make up a your basic "what to do when" list, would you mind posting it here? It sounds like a great resource for DD, particularly if something were to come up in the middle of the night or when mom was unreachable.

So the only over the counter meds you are sending is neosporin, midol, tylenol and benadryl? I was thinking tums, motrin, allergy med of some kind, cough med, cold med. What other kinds of things would be good for DD's in room pharmacy?

I have very few drugs in my cabinet. DH keeps some Tums around, but my arsenel pretty much consists of Tylenol, Advil, Sudafed, and benedryl. I keep on hand bandaid & bandage materals(tape, gauze), neoporin, tweezers, and a thermometer. I also have a BP cuff & stethoscope(because I'm a nurse. ) If I can't cure something with that, then I need to take them to the doctor.

I am not a fan of multiple ingredient meds. If you have a reaction you don't know which ingredient you reacted to. Plus they can cause sleep disruption. Tylenol Sinus is nothing more than Tylenol & Sudafed. Advil is an anti-inflammatory, best for migraines, toothaches, cramps, or muscle/joint injuries. I save the Tylenol for temps and sinus headaches mostly. Benedryl for allergies. All one-ingredient meds.

I also don't use alcohol on cuts. Alcohol and peroxide cause cell destruction which actually interferes with healing. Soap and water works fine for killing germs as long as you scrub the cut well. No dabbing around at it.

When I get my "What to do?" page done, I post it. I used to work ER triage, so I'm pretty good at picking out what's a true emergency and what's merely an uncomfortable or annoying inconvenience.

 

[minkydog]

Minkydog, it this your first going to college? You really have it together! I need to make a serious Wal-Mart run for my kiddo!

I love all of the suggestions and reading that everyone else is a stressed as I am...I am sorry for your pain, but I am pleased to have someone to commiserate with!!!

This is my first one going away to college. The trick(for me) is to not try to get everthing at once. I've been putting aside stuff in a rubbermain tote for about 2 years (towels, cups, washcloths, plastic bowls, plastic utensils.) I have to put everything out where i can see it, so right now it's kind of a mess in the living room. If i tried to do it all at once, i know I would forget things.

DDs roommate is bringing a TV, fridge, ironing board & iron, and an over the door full length mirror. DD is taking our old microwave, her printer, hotpot, broom & dustpan, medium sized trashcan & liners, and an over the door 5-hook rack to hang their bathrobes on. I have debated getting her a wooden clothes rack but i'm not sure if she'll have room for it. Think I'll wait.

Some things I also bought for DD is Clorox wipes, Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets, and a collection of quarters. i'm not sure if the washing machines take quarters or use a debit card, but she can always use the quarters in the vending machines. I'm also giving her the egg crate mat we used for Christian last winter when he was confined to bed. It will make that hard dorm mattress a little better. I've also been collecting some food stuff that she uses a lot--some microwaveable shelf stable vegetarian things, PB, graham crackers, salt & pepper, cocoa and Earl Grey tea, honey & Splenda.

I'm sure there is something I'm missing, but I think we're pretty done.

 

[agnes!]

This might sound stupid but what is everyone doing about banking? DD's college has an on-campus ATM but it's not our family bank and she will not have a car there to go any distance off-campus (at least for the foreseeable future or anytime soon). I hate to open an account at a bank that the nearest branch is at least 200 miles away from home...

agnes!

 

[Cinderella94]

This might sound stupid but what is everyone doing about banking? DD's college has an on-campus ATM but it's not our family bank and she will not have a car there to go any distance off-campus (at least for the foreseeable future or anytime soon). I hate to open an account at a bank that the nearest branch is at least 200 miles away from home...

agnes!

I'm 17 and am going to be a freshman this fall. I didn't have a debit card or anything before, but my parents opened me an account with the bank my school uses, even though my parents do not use that one themselves. They can deposit money into it online from home, and I have a debit card at school- there are also ATMs there.

 

[ctinct]

This might sound stupid but what is everyone doing about banking? DD's college has an on-campus ATM but it's not our family bank and she will not have a car there to go any distance off-campus (at least for the foreseeable future or anytime soon). I hate to open an account at a bank that the nearest branch is at least 200 miles away from home...

agnes!

I know at my daughter's orientation they have listed a time when students can come set up a bank account with the bank that has ATMs on campus. Like you, it is not a bank that is in our area. Could you just open an account for her anyway and then link it to one of your accounts so that you can transfer money into her account online?

One of the credit unions that I am a member of had a brilliant marketing idea. My daughter did not win the scholarship, but what they did was send a $50 voucher to the non-winners to open an account, along with a list of ATMs specific to their school that would be fee-free. We just opened the account today, and I asked if the ATMs were truly fee-free, since they were in places like 7-Eleven and pizza parlors, which are not normally places I would associate with free ATMs. The only catch is she has to draw a minimum of sixty dollars at a time. They even included the distance each machine is from campus, and in her case, there is one .3 miles away, so she can walk to it. My point is, maybe you can check with your bank if there are any fee free ATMs in odd places.

On a completely different topic, my daughter's school released dorm and roommate assignments today, a few days earlier than they said they would. My daughter has already been in contact with her roommate. It's getting real now. Can I change my mind and have her commute to community college for two years? I'm going to miss her.

 

[Anne34]

This might sound stupid but what is everyone doing about banking? DD's college has an on-campus ATM but it's not our family bank and she will not have a car there to go any distance off-campus (at least for the foreseeable future or anytime soon). I hate to open an account at a bank that the nearest branch is at least 200 miles away from home...

agnes!

My dd opened an account at the bank on campus. They had representatives at the school during registration and we opened it then. It is tied into her school id and she can use it anywhere on campus or off as a debit card. There is a branch of this bank in the chicago area so we are able to add money if needed.

only 19 more days to drop off.....starting to get sad......

 

[golfgal]

This might sound stupid but what is everyone doing about banking? DD's college has an on-campus ATM but it's not our family bank and she will not have a car there to go any distance off-campus (at least for the foreseeable future or anytime soon). I hate to open an account at a bank that the nearest branch is at least 200 miles away from home...

agnes!

DS has a branch of our bank in his college town but never really used it. We were able to access his accounts online and transfer money, etc. for him. They could write checks for cash on campus in the accounting office and if he 'needed" cash he just used the ATM. Our bank doesn't charge a fee so he only got socked with that ATM fee. He tried not to use that. He had direct deposit for his job on campus so that wasn't an issue.

 

[geffric]

My dd opened an account at the bank on campus. They had representatives at the school during registration and we opened it then. It is tied into her school id and she can use it anywhere on campus or off as a debit card. There is a branch of this bank in the chicago area so we are able to add money if needed.

......

we did that too..it is easier for him so..we did.

 

[cruisnfamily]

I have very few drugs in my cabinet. DH keeps some Tums around, but my arsenel pretty much consists of Tylenol, Advil, Sudafed, and benedryl. I keep on hand bandaid & bandage materals(tape, gauze), neoporin, tweezers, and a thermometer. I also have a BP cuff & stethoscope(because I'm a nurse. ) If I can't cure something with that, then I need to take them to the doctor.

I am not a fan of multiple ingredient meds. If you have a reaction you don't know which ingredient you reacted to. Plus they can cause sleep disruption. Tylenol Sinus is nothing more than Tylenol & Sudafed. Advil is an anti-inflammatory, best for migraines, toothaches, cramps, or muscle/joint injuries. I save the Tylenol for temps and sinus headaches mostly. Benedryl for allergies. All one-ingredient meds.

I also don't use alcohol on cuts. Alcohol and peroxide cause cell destruction which actually interferes with healing. Soap and water works fine for killing germs as long as you scrub the cut well. No dabbing around at it.

When I get my "What to do?" page done, I post it. I used to work ER triage, so I'm pretty good at picking out what's a true emergency and what's merely an uncomfortable or annoying inconvenience.

OK, so I bought a small sterlite container with lid to be her meds/first aid box and put in it:
assorted size bandaids
neosporin
Ibuprofen
sudafed
tums
aquaphor
cough drops


am I missing anything important medicinally?