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

[IDoDis]

Surely she will get the schedule she wants if she logs in at midnight. Hopefully that will giver her the advantage she needs to choose the times that work for her. I doubt the majority of college kids will be that organized. It must be a challenge to plan around two labs.

My son said that he can't even register for spring until Dec 2nd.

There was a registration glitch with a chem class. Prior instructor permission was required for the section she based her schedule around, but there was no note of that on the class schedule page. So now DD is in limbo waiting to hear back from the professor who is holding spots for students that took her this fall. The professor has very high ratings on ratemyprofessor, so DD is holding out for an opening. If it doesn't work out and other sections fill in the meantime, DD's schedule will be an utter mess. If she changes classes around now and takes a different chem class, she loses all of the great professors she has signed up for. I just hope she gets in.

My son got accepted to the study abroad program. It's in Tunisia. (I had to google it) He said it's very developed. He also said that this will almost guarantee him a minor in Arabic. I am excited for him, but geez, why couldn't he have settled for being an intern in DC? It will be an incredible experience for him.

That is really exciting! Sounds like the chance of a lifetime! My cousin just returned back to the US after living several years in Oman teaching English as a second Language at a university. He and his family absolutely loved it. He is now working on his PH.D, so once he has that, I would bet my house that they'll move back to the Middle East.

BTW, the newest Star Wars movie has been filming in my area! Maybe they are also filming in Tunisia!

I don't have kids in middle/high anymore, but our district had a snow day last Monday, and I live in Minnesota! Go figure! Not a good start to winter.

She wants to study abroad in Lincoln England. She first brought home info on a Eurospring program the school does, which is about 8 weeks in England, for only $11800!!!! Plus regular school costs, since its only part of the semester. Then she has found the film program has an exchange school in Lincoln, mostly TV work, but still. It's apparently almost a full semester, but I have no idea how much it costs. She said there is a long spring break there where they can go on their own to other parts of Europe. Very exciting, but terrifying!! Now, to see if there is any way to afford it, and if I would be able to afford us going to meet here there for break. There would have to be no Disney that year, and I could rent my points out to cover a teeny bit of it.

Would she be going this spring or next year?
I did my last semester of my senior college year at the University of London in a study abroad program. It was one of the best experiences in my life. We only had classes Mon-Thur with 3 day weekends to travel where we went to places like Stonehenge, Oxford, Amsterdam, pony trekking in Wales, etc... For spring break, I traveled with a friend through France and Italy for super cheap! We had many adventures, including getting robbed on a train and then having someone chase down the bandit and getting our stuff back. When school ended, I went to Greece before flying back home. Your DD should definitely try to take advantage of the cheap travel. Going to another country in Europe is like going to a neighboring state in the US. I did t spend much money at all traveling.

 

[sk!mom]

There was a registration glitch with a chem class. Prior instructor permission was required for the section she based her schedule around, but there was no note of that on the class schedule page. So now DD is in limbo waiting to hear back from the professor who is holding spots for students that took her this fall. The professor has very high ratings on ratemyprofessor, so DD is holding out for an opening. If it doesn't work out and other sections fill in the meantime, DD's schedule will be an utter mess. If she changes classes around now and takes a different chem class, she loses all of the great professors she has signed up for. I just hope she gets in.



That is really exciting! Sounds like the chance of a lifetime! My cousin just returned back to the US after living several years in Oman teaching English as a second Language at a university. He and his family absolutely loved it. He is now working on his PH.D, so once he has that, I would bet my house that they'll move back to the Middle East.

BTW, the newest Star Wars movie has been filming in my area! Maybe they are also filming in Tunisia!



Would she be going this spring or next year?
I did my last semester of my senior college year at the University of London in a study abroad program. It was one of the best experiences in my life. We only had classes Mon-Thur with 3 day weekends to travel where we went to places like Stonehenge, Oxford, Amsterdam, pony trekking in Wales, etc... For spring break, I traveled with a friend through France and Italy for super cheap! We had many adventures, including getting robbed on a train and then having someone chase down the bandit and getting our stuff back. When school ended, I went to Greece before flying back home. Your DD should definitely try to take advantage of the cheap travel. Going to another country in Europe is like going to a neighboring state in the US. I did t spend much money at all traveling.

My DD had some stress with registering but it worked out better than she hoped in the end. She's happy to get up for 8 am classes, so far, so I think that's helping her get schedules that work. She registered in late October which seemed so early. Fingers crossed that your DD hears soon.

DD is looking into study abroad opportunities too. I would love to give her that experience so hopefully it will work out at some point. The cost is a bit staggering though.

 

[elgerber]

Would she be going this spring or next year?
I did my last semester of my senior college year at the University of London in a study abroad program. It was one of the best experiences in my life. We only had classes Mon-Thur with 3 day weekends to travel where we went to places like Stonehenge, Oxford, Amsterdam, pony trekking in Wales, etc... For spring break, I traveled with a friend through France and Italy for super cheap! We had many adventures, including getting robbed on a train and then having someone chase down the bandit and getting our stuff back. When school ended, I went to Greece before flying back home. Your DD should definitely try to take advantage of the cheap travel. Going to another country in Europe is like going to a neighboring state in the US. I did t spend much money at all traveling.

Not this year, and I would actually prefer she wait until Junior year, so we have more time to get finances in order, and give me some time to possibly save up enough money to go visit here there!

I hope the chem class gets straightened out!!!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My son is all registered for spring semester.

I didn't find out from him - I found out when we got the bill in our email. Thankfully it's not due until early January.

He'll be home this weekend for the full week - I'll have to ask him if he was able to get what he wanted for classes.

 

[Bluestars]

I haven't seen my DD since early October. I.Am.Counting.the.Days!!

We're driving the 4 hours to her school next Tuesday afternoon. This time next week, I should be having dinner with her. Then Wednesday morning were all headed out of state for the holiday. Honestly, I don't think I've ever looked forward to anything as much!

It sounds like you have a great week ahead!

 

[Bluestars]

There was a registration glitch with a chem class. Prior instructor permission was required for the section she based her schedule around, but there was no note of that on the class schedule page. So now DD is in limbo waiting to hear back from the professor who is holding spots for students that took her this fall. The professor has very high ratings on ratemyprofessor, so DD is holding out for an opening. If it doesn't work out and other sections fill in the meantime, DD's schedule will be an utter mess. If she changes classes around now and takes a different chem class, she loses all of the great professors she has signed up for. I just hope she gets in.



That is really exciting! Sounds like the chance of a lifetime! My cousin just returned back to the US after living several years in Oman teaching English as a second Language at a university. He and his family absolutely loved it. He is now working on his PH.D, so once he has that, I would bet my house that they'll move back to the Middle East.

BTW, the newest Star Wars movie has been filming in my area! Maybe they are also filming in Tunisia!

What a pain for her to be in limbo with the class. It seems like they would include important information like getting prior approval on the class schedule page. I hope things work out for her and she gets in the class. How long will she have to wait?

Your cousin must have a fascinating life. That would be an amazing experience.

 

[Bluestars]

My son is all registered for spring semester.

I didn't find out from him - I found out when we got the bill in our email. Thankfully it's not due until early January.

He'll be home this weekend for the full week - I'll have to ask him if he was able to get what he wanted for classes.

That's nice that he gets an entire week off!

I guess my son is the only one who can't register yet.

 

[madge]

Surely she will get the schedule she wants if she logs in at midnight. Hopefully that will giver her the advantage she needs to choose the times that work for her. I doubt the majority of college kids will be that organized. It must be a challenge to plan around two labs.

My son said that he can't even register for spring until Dec 2nd.

wow! logging in at midnight for scheduling! ... that's hard core. LOL

Honors students were allowed to register a day before the window opened for other students (last Monday), which was nice. no idea how many hours DS is taking. I asked him if he got what he wanted, and the reply was he got what he needed, which wasn't what he wanted ... but it's all good.

DS comes home next Tuesday. Haven't seen him since Oct 5. Crazy. Then he's only gone 2 weeks before he's home for the break.

 

[Gina]

wow! logging in at midnight for scheduling! ... that's hard core. LOL

Honors students were allowed to register a day before the window opened for other students (last Monday), which was nice.

I can vouch for A&M being like that -- you have to have fingers poised over the keyboard when registration opens. And that's one of the main reasons DS is doing his best to keep the 3.5 needed to stay in Honors... They get to register before even (non-honors) upperclassmen, and that's a huge perk. Hey, whatever motivates him to keep his grades up!

 

[IDoDis]

I can vouch for A&M being like that -- you have to have fingers poised over the keyboard when registration opens. And that's one of the main reasons DS is doing his best to keep the 3.5 needed to stay in Honors... They get to register before even (non-honors) upperclassmen, and that's a huge perk. Hey, whatever motivates him to keep his grades up!

Yep, same here! Honor's gets early registration and after that it's based on how many completed hours one has. DD would not have been able to register until Dec 1st based on her hours. So the good professors classes fill up quickly. The Honor's class DD wanted was capped at 17. With all of the honor's kids registering first, it's the quick fingers that win. DD said her spring honor's class was full in five minutes! It takes care of her required English credits and is a fan fiction class. They are going to read and write continued stories including "Twilight" and "Shades of Grey," and have a class Tumblr page they are required to post on. This will be DD's fun "breathing room" class to off-set the heavy workload in her science and math classes. I don't think I want to read any of her fan fiction for "Shades of Grey" though!

 

[IDoDis]

Not this year, and I would actually prefer she wait until Junior year, so we have more time to get finances in order, and give me some time to possibly save up enough money to go visit here there!

I hope the chem class gets straightened out!!!

Yes, do try to plan a visit. The program I was in was not expensive. Of course that was a long time ago! I still got to pay my regular university's tuition and saved a ton by booking my own RT ticket and not flying on one of the program's flights.

What a pain for her to be in limbo with the class. It seems like they would include important information like getting prior approval on the class schedule page. I hope things work out for her and she gets in the class. How long will she have to wait?

Your cousin must have a fascinating life. That would be an amazing experience.

Yes he does! He was also able to take his family to other wonderful places aroundtge globe when school wasn't in session. His kids missed some things about living in the U.S. though. One of his kids asked Santa for a box of a favorite cereal for Christmas every year! The kids grew to love it there though, and are now freezing their booties off in the midwest after being used to the heat in Oman.

 

[elgerber]

My dd said she was done being onstage after high school graduation, she wants to create and make films instead (since that's her major). Well last night she texts me to tell me she is auditioning for Romeo and Juliet LOL! So much for being done on stage. Although while she was queen in high school, she might not get a part in college, who knows. And auditions at 9pm, that sure is different than high school. She texts me after to say it went well, and to send me a picture of the shoes she is wearing, because it's now 10pm and she's bowling LOL. What a different world she is living!
I get to see her tomorrow afternoon and Sunday morning, I'm driving her good friend and his mom up there so they can see the campus and her!!! Maybe this time I can say goodbye without crying, since she'll be coming home 2 days later for Thanksgiving break

From what I can tell studying abroad is not even close to cheap!!!

 

[Mom21]

I haven't posted much, but I try to read often here. You know we worry when we send our babies off into the world. I know with my daughter I worry about her driving and walking late on campus by herself. I moved so she is only 4 hours away as opposed to 8 so she could come home for weekends. If she has to walk at night by herself she will often call and talk to me until she gets back to her dorm.

Nothing can prepare you though when it happens. Early Thursday morning at 1:20am I was browsing on the computer before bed, when a breaking announcement came in about a shooting at FSU. Seriously, my heart stopped yet at the same time felt as if it was jumping out of my chest. I grabbed my phone to call her. She had texted me at 12:50 that I hadn't heard come in. "I know you'll hear, so just letting you know I am ok." I talked to her, but nothing can get over the mommy guilt of what if she had been involved and was texting me for 30 minutes and I didn't answer.

Over last few days, I've gotten a few crying jags just thinking about it. Hug them tight when they come home for Thanksgiving. I know I will. I will send her off with a hug and a kiss. Sometimes when she has been home for the weekend, I find myself a bit peeved and ready for her to go back to school. She can be very judgmental of me, and a long weekend pushes my buttons. I promise myself I won't let this happen. There are 2 kids still in the hospital. I am thanking God this Thanksgiving and holiday season that mine isn't one of them.

 

[Pembo]

I haven't posted much, but I try to read often here. You know we worry when we send our babies off into the world. I know with my daughter I worry about her driving and walking late on campus by herself. I moved so she is only 4 hours away as opposed to 8 so she could come home for weekends. If she has to walk at night by herself she will often call and talk to me until she gets back to her dorm.

Nothing can prepare you though when it happens. Early Thursday morning at 1:20am I was browsing on the computer before bed, when a breaking announcement came in about a shooting at FSU. Seriously, my heart stopped yet at the same time felt as if it was jumping out of my chest. I grabbed my phone to call her. She had texted me at 12:50 that I hadn't heard come in. "I know you'll hear, so just letting you know I am ok." I talked to her, but nothing can get over the mommy guilt of what if she had been involved and was texting me for 30 minutes and I didn't answer.

Over last few days, I've gotten a few crying jags just thinking about it. Hug them tight when they come home for Thanksgiving. I know I will. I will send her off with a hug and a kiss. Sometimes when she has been home for the weekend, I find myself a bit peeved and ready for her to go back to school. She can be very judgmental of me, and a long weekend pushes my buttons. I promise myself I won't let this happen. There are 2 kids still in the hospital. I am thanking God this Thanksgiving and holiday season that mine isn't one of them.

Oh My! How scary for you and for your dd!!! Glad everything is ok for your dd and my thoughts go out to the families of those kids.

 

[Bluestars]

My dd said she was done being onstage after high school graduation, she wants to create and make films instead (since that's her major). Well last night she texts me to tell me she is auditioning for Romeo and Juliet LOL! So much for being done on stage. Although while she was queen in high school, she might not get a part in college, who knows. And auditions at 9pm, that sure is different than high school. She texts me after to say it went well, and to send me a picture of the shoes she is wearing, because it's now 10pm and she's bowling LOL. What a different world she is living!
I get to see her tomorrow afternoon and Sunday morning, I'm driving her good friend and his mom up there so they can see the campus and her!!! Maybe this time I can say goodbye without crying, since she'll be coming home 2 days later for Thanksgiving break

From what I can tell studying abroad is not even close to cheap!!!

It looks like she really does have a love for theater. I hope she gets a part. Good luck to her.

 

[Bluestars]

I haven't posted much, but I try to read often here. You know we worry when we send our babies off into the world. I know with my daughter I worry about her driving and walking late on campus by herself. I moved so she is only 4 hours away as opposed to 8 so she could come home for weekends. If she has to walk at night by herself she will often call and talk to me until she gets back to her dorm.

Nothing can prepare you though when it happens. Early Thursday morning at 1:20am I was browsing on the computer before bed, when a breaking announcement came in about a shooting at FSU. Seriously, my heart stopped yet at the same time felt as if it was jumping out of my chest. I grabbed my phone to call her. She had texted me at 12:50 that I hadn't heard come in. "I know you'll hear, so just letting you know I am ok." I talked to her, but nothing can get over the mommy guilt of what if she had been involved and was texting me for 30 minutes and I didn't answer.

Over last few days, I've gotten a few crying jags just thinking about it. Hug them tight when they come home for Thanksgiving. I know I will. I will send her off with a hug and a kiss. Sometimes when she has been home for the weekend, I find myself a bit peeved and ready for her to go back to school. She can be very judgmental of me, and a long weekend pushes my buttons. I promise myself I won't let this happen. There are 2 kids still in the hospital. I am thanking God this Thanksgiving and holiday season that mine isn't one of them.

That is very scary. I can't imagine how you must have felt before you heard from her. That sure puts things in perspective when something like that happens.

 

[njmom47]

Mom21, sending .
That is so scary...I'm glad your dd is ok.
I too tend to not pay attention to my cellphone.
Maybe I should change that.

On a bit of a happier note, ds came home today, and when dd#2 walked in the door, she was surprised to see him and ran up to him and they hugged (he's 6'5 and she's 5'6 ). The 3 of us ate dinner together. It was nice to see them as young adults and siblings as I feel like dd#2 is so self-involved sometimes.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My son is home! And he brought his dirty laundry with him. I told him he will be doing that.

He gave a friend a ride home too so his friends parents didn't have to make the 4 hour drive to the college. Those boys have been friends since elementary school so I wasn't surprised.
His friends Mom said she is so thankful that my DS has a car and could do that because their car broke down and they currently only have one running. She brought over a gas gift card to thank him.

He even thought ahead and brought some stuff home he no longer needs since he has to go back and move everything out of the dorm after finals in 3 weeks. Another sign he is growing up. Aaack.

 

[sk!mom]

My son is home! And he brought his dirty laundry with him. I told him he will be doing that.

He gave a friend a ride home too so his friends parents didn't have to make the 4 hour drive to the college. Those boys have been friends since elementary school so I wasn't surprised.
His friends Mom said she is so thankful that my DS has a car and could do that because their car broke down and they currently only have one running. She brought over a gas gift card to thank him.

He even thought ahead and brought some stuff home he no longer needs since he has to go back and move everything out of the dorm after finals in 3 weeks. Another sign he is growing up. Aaack.

He has to move everything out at the Semester break? Is this common? Is he making a housing change?

I thought that most housing choices were for the whole first year.

 

[sk!mom]

Did anyone see SNL last night? The had the best skit ever for parents at our stage of life. Be warned it's typical SNL language and I recently got a warning for language on the DIS so I won't post a link but search "SNL Back Home Baller" on You Tube to see it.

DH and I have watched it twice already. We cannot quit laughing. Can't wait to see my little "Back Home Baller."