Parents of College Class of 2018 (A.K.A., "Is this the line to the poor house?")

[sk!mom]

DD started classes and her job Monday, She remains excited about everything. I've heard from her both days because of big things she needed- a $200 supply kit and special clothes for work. She just needed approval for the emergency cc we gave her. She seems to have settled in. She thinks that her job will be easy.

She hasn't mentioned the weekend so I don't know her plans. I won't pressure her to come home. We're doing well. I miss her but this is my busiest time at work so I just dove in there. I'm determined to not call or text too much. I don't want my ringtone to be associated with eye rolling. We all have had a friend with an intrusive mom and I don't want it to be me!

 

[elgerber]

My dd started classes Monday as well, so far so good. Me, meh, it comes and goes. Sunday was awful for me for some reason, I had ANOTHER total meltdown on Sunday morning. Then I talked to her on the phone later that day, and that was wonderful. It's very awkward though to talk to someone on the phone, that you are used to just having casual conversation with face to face, anytime you think of something to say. I don't like the emptiness at home either, and I still cry at the drop of a hat. Not nearly as much, but I'm still sad. I have a feeling it's going to hit me again hard in a week or two as the realization sets in that she isn't just at camp.
She is having a good time though, so I am so very grateful for that!! That is really what I want, contrary to all my whining. I won't see her till the last weekend in September though, the time that I always wanted to crawl, I now want to fly!

 

[scrapquitler]

DD moved in on Sunday and I helped her get settled in and unpacked. She has had orientation events since then, and classes start tomorrow (Thursday). Her schedules is set up with no classes on Friday, then Monday is a holiday, so no classes. Then onto the real schedule with no days off until the Wednesday of Thanksgiving week.

She seems very happy with her roommate and they are getting along well so far. She has given me a list of more things she needs, so we will be picking her up for dinner tomorrow night and stopping at home so she can pick up a few things that she has decided she needs. She plans to stay this weekend (and most of them) to get more adjusted to being at school, but her roommate is planning to go home most weekends.

Here are some pictures of her dorm room. We are happy with the room and I thin they have plenty of space, and will be very comfortable there. She is next to the lounge on her flooor, and the computer lab is on the other side of the lounge, the common bathroom is down the hall.

 

[scrapquitler]

Okay, I'm going to try AGAIN with the pictures.
view from her room

[/url]018 by TraceyQuilts, on Flickr[/IMG]
The building:

[/url]025 by TraceyQuilts, on Flickr[/IMG]
Her side of the room:

[/url]027 by TraceyQuilts, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]028 by TraceyQuilts, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]030 by TraceyQuilts, on Flickr[/IMG]

[/url]031 by TraceyQuilts, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[scrapquitler]

Why am I having so much trouble with the pictures? I have them hosted on Flickr, they are public, and I am using the little insert picture icon for each one. Can you all see them if you click them? How can I fix it so they show correctly in hte body of the post?

 

[mom2rtk]

Why am I having so much trouble with the pictures? I have them hosted on Flickr, they are public, and I am using the little insert picture icon for each one. Can you all see them if you click them? How can I fix it so they show correctly in hte body of the post?

You are copying the code for a link, but you need to use the BBcode.

 

[njmom47]

How is everyone doing this week? My ds started classes on Monday and has realized how busy his schedule actually is. I am having a hard time adjusting to the quiet and the hole in our house. As a coworker said yesterday, it's just weird without him. He is coming home for the weekend, wondering how that is going to be. This is a whole new normal....

This is pretty much me and my ds as well. Tryouts for his sport are in a couple of weeks so between classes and sports he will be very busy. I stalked his Twitter and he put an SOS out "because apparently my parents aren't coming to get me this weekend" but of course I will even though the Turnpike on Labor Day weekend will be a nightmare!
I have been just fine but did text ds that I am going through adjustments too.

 

[scrapquitler]

You are copying the code for a link, but you need to use the BBcode.

whats' a bb code?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Our daughter's first class on Monday was a 100 level English class. The professor never showed. Turns out administration never assigned a professor to the section.

 

[JeannieNM]

DD is in her third day of classes. She is having a bit of a hard time and has not quite gotten the hang of her schedule. She has 10 classes, and they take up a lot of time, she is in class 24 hours a week, while most kids are in classes 18 hours max. She originally thought her dance technique classes, ballet, modern, and jazz would just be dance classes but it seems they have discussion and papers too. Her psych class has a custom textbook that has not come in and she is not able to do the reading, which is frustrating her. Her roommate is a business major and only has 6 classes and a lot more free time. Hopefully, things will settle down soon. The social part is going well. I am trying to be supportive and not get caught up in her stress but it is hard, she is one to wear her emotions on her sleeve, though she also moves on quickly.

She is 14 hours away by car, and 2 hours by plane, she won't be coming home until Thanksgiving. She really wants to settle into the college life there.

I am going to try and post dorm photos.

 

[mom2rtk]

whats' a bb code?

When you put a photo on Flickr, there are several kinds of codes available.

In the lower right hand corner of the black part of the screen (assuming you are getting the newer version of Flickr, it seems to come and go for me) click on the curved arrow. That will bring up some options, one of which should be BBCode. Copy that code and paste it here.

 

[njmom47]

Our daughter's first class on Monday was a 100 level English class. The professor never showed. Turns out administration never assigned a professor to the section.

My ds said his first class ever of college was cancelled too. It was English 101 I think. Of course he didn't say why...and his school is PA.

 

[njmom47]

Okay, I'm going to try AGAIN with the pictures.

I was able to left-click, open in new tab and see them. I'm curious as to what other college's dorms are like so that is why I checked them out. Ds's has two little windows....other colleges seem to have nice big windows with lots of sunlight!!

 

[mom2rtk]

I was able to left-click, open in new tab and see them. I'm curious as to what other college's dorms are like so that is why I checked them out. Ds's has two little windows....other colleges seem to have nice big windows with lots of sunlight!!

You can also click the quote button and the link will show in what it copies from her post. I clicked on the link in my email notice of the post.

Scrapquilter, your DD's room looks very similar to my son's room. He's a sophomore this year and opted to stay in the same room with the same roommate he had last year. It was conveniently located on the second floor right by the stairs.

 

[disneymom2one]

Our daughter has had a pretty good week. She likes all of her classes. She texts us throughout the day - mostly random things like "they have bananas in the cafeteria - yay". I despise bananas like no other so they were rarely in our house (the smell makes me ill). We talk probably a little more than normal but the conversations are usually pretty brief.

She's probably had more social activity in the past four days then in all of high school combined and I'm very grateful for that. A group of freshmen from her hall meets up for lunch every day so my worries about her eating alone were (for now) unfounded. She joined the fencing club and also the honors council and the big activities fair is coming up next week.

We're driving over to see her tomorrow for my husband's birthday. She's not coming home because they have a lot of campus events this weekend but we'll probably see her again later in the weekend since it's Labor Day. She is coming home next weekend as she has an ortho appointment here. Fortunately, she doesn't have classes on Friday because we're keeping her medical/dental stuff here in town for now.

I'm okay. I work a lot (teaching 12 semester hours this fall) and that keeps me on my toes but she is so missed. It feels surreal to have her there and not here but she's truly happier and managing things better than we could have hoped for. That has helped - a lot.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My ds said his first class ever of college was cancelled too. It was English 101 I think. Of course he didn't say why...and his school is PA.

A professor was found and emailed everyone Tuesday night. First class was this morning.

 

[elgerber]

Why am I having so much trouble with the pictures? I have them hosted on Flickr, they are public, and I am using the little insert picture icon for each one. Can you all see them if you click them? How can I fix it so they show correctly in hte body of the post?

Love the Harry Potter poster, I see my Ron Weasley

A lot of storage space in there, that closet is very big, and room for another shelf unit is awesome.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

This is pretty much me and my ds as well. Tryouts for his sport are in a couple of weeks so between classes and sports he will be very busy. I stalked his Twitter and he put an SOS out "because apparently my parents aren't coming to get me this weekend" but of course I will even though the Turnpike on Labor Day weekend will be a nightmare!
I have been just fine but did text ds that I am going through adjustments too.

Do you mind me asking which school? My DD's at Stockton.

She moved in yesterday. It was so hard. Her best friend came with us to help so that was a great relief. When we got up at 5:30 to start packing the cars, she was really sad and crying. She went and took a 1/2 hr nap and felt much better when she got up.

It was a great ride (approx. 2 hrs) and she DJ'd and played a lot of "our songs" -- Bon Jovi. Her room isn't much bigger than a prison cell. Of course I always have my camera, but left it in the car so the only pics I have were from my cell phone and really dark. Move in was well organized. We had her bed put at the highest level possible. It's roughly 3 feet off the ground. My 5'1" girl is going to need a higher step stool.

She moved in earlier than the rest of the freshman to attend a outdoor retreat for 2-1/2 days. She was so anxious and sad she didn't want to participate in any of the icebreaking games. She just hung back and cried. I felt bad because she's had separation/anxiety issues in the past. And she had told me prior that when I cry she gets more upset and scared. So while there were moments of my husband crying, and her best friend crying, I only teared up once and then stopped myself. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. And what made it worse was they were not allowed to bring their cell phones to camp, so no contact. They told us if you don't hear from us, all is good. If you do, something bad has happened.

I was even good for the drive home, but once we hit our hometown exit, I started bawling my eyes out. But then I had to come home, get changed and get to a marching band meeting, so I had to suck it up.

Last night my phone rang and it was her. I almost had a heart attack. She said she was fine. That every girl in her cabin brought their cell phone and her counselor felt bad that she wasn't able to reach out, so she let her borrow her phone to call me. I think we both felt so much better after having spoken for 5 minutes. Bless that counselor. She has no idea how she helped us both. I was so grateful to hear that my daughter had eaten and was participating, things she would not do in the past.

So I'm sitting in the house, trying to find something to keep me busy. The silence is deafening. But I know this is normal and I will find my new normal, just as she will. And I think the more time that goes by, the more it will hit me that she won't be home in a few hours or a few days. I have spent 19 years with her as my sole focus. Now what?

 

[JeannieNM]

Here are some dorm photos- before and after.

 

[JeannieNM]

Before and after desk area