You’d think that if a college were concerned about security at the dorm building, they would have the doors sound an alarm if they are open for more than a short amount of time (or always alarm if opened if they are intended only to be used as emergency exits).
But then it may be that at some colleges with mostly upper SES students (e.g. private colleges with 50% no-FA and only 15% Pell) may have many students who grew up in low crime environments, are relatively careless about security, and bring those habits to the dorm.
Some rules are more important than others, just like some laws are more important than others. If any of you think never exceeding the speed limit is really important, you don’t realize that doing so quite often creates more of a danger than just following the flow. Yes, you can be pulled over and fined or worse, but the penalty is meant to be commensurate with the importance of the law. Drunk driving has appropriately more severe consequences, as do weapons violations and a slew of crimes against those we live among.
I expect my children to use their own good judgement in deciding which rules are important and which are less so. If something doesn’t make sense, and they want to push the boundaries and are prepared to deal with the consequences or fight the system, I would feel proud of their development into adulthood. I expect that jeopardizing the safety of themselves or anyone else is not an area they would push, although the intent behind some rules may be subtle.
I do agree with the OP that parents should have no role in that process, short of offering their experience based perspective if asked. IMHO asking others how to manipulate the system on behalf of their kids has no place on a forum such as CC.
My kids’ college has doors that sounded an alarm if they weren’t fully closed in some time frame. This was about security and proactive steps, not SES.
Blossom, I did mention teaching my kids to consider the larger purpose(s) behind rules. You don’t pull a fire alarm, disrespect safety concerns, steal or cheat, and more. You show up to work on time because the operation counts on that. And I did take this teaching role very seriously, as a parent. But this not as simple as “rules are rules” and the assumption that, IF something is a rule, it is always right.
The example of backing out of ED: there is a process. I find fault with kids and parents who misuse or misunderstand ED, but that’s different than, say, fire risk. And there are priorities.
Re. breaking the rules: S18’s college is going through a heatwave. The students moved in last weekend and usually in the area (Northeast) it’s cool enough this time of year without air conditioning. According to the Parent Facebook page many of the kids are coping with the heat but some of the ones in non-airconditioned dorms are suffering. One parent tried asking if they could bring in a free-standing air conditioner and was told that the rule was only if medically necessary and approved by a doctor. Another parent just smuggled one in.
Kids having to live without air-conditioning through a five day heat wave? Oh the horror! I can hear the screams of the snowflakes melting. (My wife came up with that line!)
I really wish some smart person could invent a device with blades that spins and maybe even oscillates. I’d be a fan of that!
There was a great thread on cc many moons ago about the stupid stuff we did in college. Even if our parents didn’t encourage us to try to bend rules, we got creative anyway. A friend (now a retired physician) had a small dorm fridge hidden in his closet, back before they were legal. He was a popular guy.
The heat index in Boston yesterday was 110, in the danger zone. It’s supposed to be as bad today. For those who don’t understand the heat index, with low humidity the heat index is below the air temp, with high humidity it (and the danger of serious overheating) rises. 90 degrees+24% humidity= 84 heat index. 90 degrees=75% humidity =108 heat index. People die when it gets that hot. While I wouldn’t expect any fatalities among the college crowd it can be seriously miserable.
Since it cools off early in the school year colleges in the Northeast are built around colder weather. The materials used tend to be for keeping heat in, not dispersing it.
Just remember back in the day school didn’t start before Labor Day. So many old buildings didn’t have AC as it was cool when the kids arrived. Now, starting mid august, things are different.
Probably more to do with climate change than the start date of school. Growing up in NE, we always seemed to have a short spell of a heatwave sometime in September anyway. Temps are just trending hotter as evidenced by this summer.
Barring some chronic health condition, college students will survive, though. Plenty of folks live without A/C in New England and live through worse temps and humidity this summer. It’s only 85 today and will be cool the next few days.
@doschicos this year they are trending hotter – anyway, some fans work, no young person (unless they have a chronic condition or something) is going to perish from some temporary hot weather
@crepes I consider being a little uncomfortable temporarily character building – and I for one would never help my kid smuggle in a portable AC – I am sure the dorms cannot handle the wattage and it is a fire hazard
@brianboiler - some of these parents would probably be the first to file suit if their kid was injured because of a safety issue too – and btw at first I ready your handle as Brain Boiler and I thought OMG who would boil a brain? :))
I do agree that smuggling in an air conditioner is over the top, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be walking outside the building as a couple of kids tried to install one in the window 3 stories up!
As @lookingforward said, there are portable A/C units that are not window units https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Air-Conditioners/b?ie=UTF8&node=1193678. I wouldn’t minimize the impact of the unusually hot weather on the residents of the north in uncooked buildings just as I wouldn’t chastise the southerners who have minimal snow/ice clearing equipment so often cant navigate the uncleared roads. Many, especially older buildings, don’t have a/c because it’s not often needed. Ditto for the snow/ice clearing equipment. OK, rant over.
