High School class of 2011

[DisneyNutMary]

My DS has been home since Wednesday...so far he has mostly napped...he says sleep is the one thing he doesnt get enough of at school! He also went to see the Muppets with his cousin and some friends, and last night we had a birthday dinner for him (he won't be home on his actual birthday)
It's been great having him around, even if he's sleeping alot, I'm going to miss him when he goes back. We're dropping him off tonight, he signed up to work tomorrow for extra holiday pay.

 

[minkydog]

This has been a nice Thanksgiving. DD18 came home Tuesday night, late. I let her sleep in a little Wednesday, then we went to get our pedicures done--cuz chefs gotta be pretty, ya know. She and I started cooking around 2pm and didn't stop until almost 11pm. Then up early on Thanksgiving day for, what? more cooking! DD & I had a wonderful time together and we put on a fantastic feast. She decided to go hang out with her friends Friday until today. We're going to go out for seafood in a bit. I want her to get on the road early tomorrow--she has a 4.5 hr drive ahead of her. I know the traffic on I-75 is going to be horrid Sunday. And it's supposed to rain in the afternoon, so I want her off the road as soon as possible.

Finals are Dec 7,8,&9. Then we'll have her home for a full 4 weeks.

 

[agnes!]

I have some questions for all you experienced college-student parents...

What do you do when your kid seems to not like their college all that much and also thinks like they were sold a bill of goods about some important aspects (in this case, certain educational programs) of their college? I don't know what to do...grades are very good, social life seems ok (other than there being too high a girl to guy ratio). DD's general statement about college is that 'at least it's better than high school'...but my college student seems so miserable to go back today. The problem is that this school seemed to be the best fit, there really isn't anywhere else, so what can my kid do? And, independent of her major, DD can't drop out of this other program she's in, if she does that she would then instead have to take general freshman-level classes for her prerequisites and that would basically negate all the upper-level course-work she's already done, so now she feels like she *has* to stick with this program for all four years.

I kind of feel like I've failed my kid. I think a lot of is is that she misses her dad & I & our pets. She doesn't want to go anywhere for Christmas, just wants to stay home and is tired of airplane travel and having to pack up all her stuff. She only gets a little over 2 weeks, I wish she had more of a holiday break like minkydog's DD

agnes!

 

[disykat]

agnes! No advice from me since my son is fairly close by and happy, but I sympathize!

My son is out right now visiting friends - who happen to be attend the same school he does! Cracks me up. At least a few of the people he's been out late with the last two nights go to different schools! This is a kid who I thought would have a hard time living in a city, in an overcrowded dorm (he was tripled and the lounges all still have students living in them) because he's always needed lots of down time. Apparently he's thriving on the social life.

On another "note," my engineering student has a project for English class where they're being encouraged to try something new. My son (who also loves music) is writing his first song this weekend!

 

[minkydog]

I have some questions for all you experienced college-student parents...

What do you do when your kid seems to not like their college all that much and also thinks like they were sold a bill of goods about some important aspects (in this case, certain educational programs) of their college? I don't know what to do...grades are very good, social life seems ok (other than there being too high a girl to guy ratio). DD's general statement about college is that 'at least it's better than high school'...but my college student seems so miserable to go back today. The problem is that this school seemed to be the best fit, there really isn't anywhere else, so what can my kid do? And, independent of her major, DD can't drop out of this other program she's in, if she does that she would then instead have to take general freshman-level classes for her prerequisites and that would basically negate all the upper-level course-work she's already done, so now she feels like she *has* to stick with this program for all four years.

I kind of feel like I've failed my kid. I think a lot of is is that she misses her dad & I & our pets. She doesn't want to go anywhere for Christmas, just wants to stay home and is tired of airplane travel and having to pack up all her stuff. She only gets a little over 2 weeks, I wish she had more of a holiday break like minkydog's DD

agnes!

I know that feeling. I dont' have any great advice for you--you can go back a page and read all about our ordeal with DD and choosing colleges. All i could tell you is to be open to listening and let her figure this out herself. She just wants to know that you'll back her no matter what. Ultimately, it's up to her to decide. As i told my DD, there is almost no decision made that cannot be unmade (well, if you're 10cm and pushing mightily, it's too late to go back ). Some kids take a straight path from freshmen 15# to graduation. Other's zigzag here and there, finding their way as they go along, seemingly without any definite goals. In the end, they all get where they want to go eventually. I just keep telling myself, "It aint over 'till it's over, and it aint over yet!"

DD has several plans. Her current plan is to finish up the year at VSU, then transfer to the local community college to get her culinary arts degree. Her secondary plan is to transfer to a school in Seattle and take up her culinary arts degree out there. My sister lives near Seattle and DD absolutely loves it out there. She even talks about settling out there some day, so she thinks she may want to give it a "test drive" by going to college there. I'm not moving on this one way or the other. DD has to find her own way.

 

[geffric]

Agnes - just take it one day at a time... some "kids" just dont know..My oldest son is one of those kids.. he was gonna quit for a while at the end of last year but decided to " hang in there" another year.. i think it has to be the going to ethopea trip in January that he wants..
After that , he is tallking peacecorp, air force, americorp, working on DCL or Juneau, national park service.. all over the board..

i micro manage but I cant anymore..he needs to figure things out himself..
only mentioned that when he comes back home that he can live here rent free and with food..but the other expenses ( like health care) he has to figure out and pay himself..



As for DS#2..he loves U of Ill..of course GF is 2 doors down from him so that helps..signed a lease for next year for him for an apartment.. i thought he would have to spend 2 year in a dorm but no not there..

 

[disykat]

Headed out in a little while for DS's first band concert! I always assumed DS would go to school far away, so it's really cool to be able to do this. His school is about an hour and a half away. It'll be a late night tonight though!

When I was in college, my parents were able to come to one concert when we were on tour and it meant so much to me. That was before cell phones and it was interesting finding each other to meet for dinner beforehand, etc. Tonight will be easy!

I'm not sure if we'll meet his new girlfriend or not. I'm kind of nervous about meeting her and have been fussing over my clothes and hair. Who knew parents got so nervous? In high school it didn't seem like a big deal. He comes home for break next week and she'll probably be coming one day during break. (She lives about two hours away and has a friend who lives near us.)

 

[Disneycrazymom]

disykat have fun tonight!

I am going to DS concert tomorrow night! It is the 2nd time I have got to hear him sing this year. Here I spent all last year crying driving home from the concerts and plays thinking I would not get to go this year! He also got a part in the play. Not a lead but a title part so I will get to go see that too. I am so happy he ended up at a school only about 30 min away!

Just think guys next week they will have finished the first semester! I think it went really fast. This time last year was way more stressful.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

The concert was so good. Wow the difference between high school and college is really measurable. And DS came from an award winning high school choir! I enjoyed every second of it!

DS has finials this week and will be home for break on Thursday. When do your kids come home for winter break?

 

[HannaBelle]

Hey Y’all!

I lost this thread for a bit, I am so glad it popped back up on the 1st page of the board. I did a search and looked in my subscriptions and could not find anything.

Anyway…DS came home on Saturday and I love having him home. He is iffy on his grades and I am anxious to see how he did. He loves his campus and the experience, but he says it is very hard…lots of studying! He has already decided to change his major from Animal Behavior (biology + psychology) to Psychology. His dream job was to become a marine mammal trainer and my dream job for him was to become a veterinarian. He has decided he absolutely does not want to take all of the biology and is considering do some type of counseling or getting a phd. (Like that is not a lot of work! heh)

I would not be disappointed if he wanted to change schools because he did not like it, but I am going to be very disappointed if he wants to transfer b/c he thinks a state school will be easier. I cannot say if it will be easier or not, but I do know that during his senior year he was a big slacker! He took 5 AP exams and got straight 3’s. His current school won’t take anything less than 4’s. I am hoping that the work load is just a bit of shock and he will feel differently in the spring.

He has 4 weeks off and I am looking forward to it!!!

 

[geffric]

HI DS#2 comes home Friday..finals are this week thru thursday, but gf has a final friday, so he is staying gonna be home thru 1/14. Hope he found a job..

his brother gets home on the 21st or 22nd for just 2 weeks.. then on to Ethopia..

 

[minkydog]

HI DS#2 comes home Friday..finals are this week thru thursday, but gf has a final friday, so he is staying gonna be home thru 1/14. Hope he found a job..

his brother gets home on the 21st or 22nd for just 2 weeks.. then on to Ethopia..

Holy cow! Ethiopia!

I'm so glad to have DD18 home. I really need her right now. Her dad is in the hospital and I'm working until Dec 21. Thankfully, she has jumped in and done whatever needs to be done to keep things going.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Minkydog I am sorry to hear your DH is in the hospital. I hope he recovers quickly and gets to come home!

 

[disykat]

Minkydog, I bet she's glad she's home right now to help you! A small blessing to count in a really hard time. Praying for your family.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Disykat, How was the concert and did you meet the new girl?

 

[disykat]

It was great to go to the concert. I'm spoiled by the big choral productions I was part of in college and this was just a run of the mill band concert. The auditioned groups were pretty good, the non-auditioned really not. My son felt good about his part and his group was good.

We didn't meet the girlfriend - yet. We got caught in traffic beforehand and she had an intramural game during the concert. He's coming home tomorrow and she'll come over (lives 1 1/2 hours away) on Thursday.

 

[agnes!]

DD came home on Wednesday, yesterday when she woke up she said it was the best feeling *ever*...to wake up at home, in her own bed cuddling with one of the cats. They both seem really happy to see her too.

Barring those post-Thanksgiving blues I posted about a while back, her first semester actually went well, looks like she could even make Dean's List (depends on a class that she doesn't know her grade for yet). She had no free time for most of the semester but once she got past a huge class-project that was due about 2/3 through, things got better. Next semester the workload probably won't be as bad - she is only taking two Honors courses (rather than the 3 she took this past fall). She was ecstatic that she got all the classes & sections she wanted. Still wants to stay in her chosen major, still wants to work in that field. One thing about next year...at the end of this semester, with her AP credits, she'll be an academic Sophomore, which will bump her up in the dorm-selection process for next fall (guess I'll have to change my signature).

I'm not fond of how the payments (tuition/room/board/student fees) for winter/spring semester are due right after January 1st...gack, it's like buying a car every year. And what's really scary is the online payment system... bingo! $$$ gone *instantly* .

minkydog - sorry to hear about your DH's recent health troubles, hope things are going better for you & your family.

agnes!

 

[HM]

I brought DS home yesterday. He was up really late last night and when I checked on him at 11 am today, he was out like a log. (I brought my sick DD home from HS).

He did quite well in school except the "remedial" math class he took. Much of it was new concepts for him at a very fast pace (since his math teachers in HS weren't too good at teaching him). He's going to take it again for grade replacement. Argh.

Glad to have him home. His room at school was a mess and when I bring him back in January, I'll have to spend some time cleaning the floor/carpet and dusting/wiping down stuff before I'll feel OK about leaving him there.

 

[minkydog]

I'm not fond of how the payments (tuition/room/board/student fees) for winter/spring semester are due right after January 1st...gack, it's like buying a car every year. And what's really scary is the online payment system... bingo! $$$ gone *instantly* .

Ugh. I feel your pain. We had to pay up by Dec 14--merry christmas, indeed!

 

[cruisnfamily]

DD's grades are terrible! She took 4 courses, and so far 2 Cs, 1 D and 1 unknown. This spring may be her last semester away. If she doesn't show marked (and I mean very marked) improvement next semester...like all As....she'll be home in the fall going to community college. She'll lose her bright futures scholarship, which is only a couple of thousand dollars of the whole picture, but hey, we need those couple thousand dollars! We're just not going to pay for her to party. I'm sick to my stomach over this!