<p>Thumb nail summary of the year not yet completed. The academics were, in a word, intense. Our DS worked like he never had imagined..numerous lost weekends..exams testing his limits and more. But then we warned that was to be expected at "The Tute". Those courses which exhibited extraordinary challenges we asked only, "did you learn what was expected?" "Yes" was enough!</p>
<p>Socially first year was a big plus! Many friend's to manage a 12 br rowhouse lease, populated by techno-nerds out to have a good time. Yeah the house is to be known as R(aven) A(sp) Q(uail), a takeoff on the Greeks.</p>
<p>Let's talk about roadtrips.. Montreal, Keuka Lake, Ithaca, NYC, Boston, Stowe, Killington, Philidelphia, Killington, Amherst, Providence, Montreal, and Worchester.</p>
<p>Needless to say, my son and his friends feel a need to begin breaking away, striking out on their own.There will be $'s savings to be sure. But they will be learning some life lessons as well..budgets, dinner prep, chores, expense payments. They have worked the $'s issues out. The remaining is to be seen</p>
<p>I'm going to wait reporting on mine until I see her in person! Unfortunately (for me, though not for her), it is delayed, as her orchestra is playing their hundredth anniversary concert in Carnegie Hall on the 11th, and we won't see her for long, as she leaves for Cambodia/India on the night of May 26th (with financial support from the college, I might add).</p>
<p>Oh shoot, I would really really love to get specific about son's freshman year experience but he is just too easy to identify and I think if anyone talks about it, it should be him so I have to bite my cyber-tongue and not say much except....I think that I can say that he is really, really happy with his choice (a month away from being over, however!), has done really well and seems genuinely excited about what he is learning, both in his humanities as well as his science and math courses. He has formed good relationships with TAs and profs. Loves his sport, still. Just kind of seems to be in his element. </p>
<p>I am not yet an empty nester as I still have two at home, so I can't comment on that part. I am enjoying having "only" two children to keep track of and am enjoying getting to know them better. I am making mental plans to travel to several countries studying languages once they are settled in college a few years from now--maybe I'll be sad but honestly, I don't think so. I have always had the mindset that I am going to enjoy every day they are with me, and every day that they are not with me.</p>
<p>I will join in with the "absolutely incredible first year" camp. S is finishing up first year at Juilliard, and couldn't be happier. I am in the states for a family emergency, and was able to drive to NYC and hear him perform last weekend, and was amazed to see him so comfortable and confident in NYC -- hailing cabs like a pro, knowing just where to go to eat or shop, almost too busy to even see us. It's hard to believe I ever had reservations about sending him there. He has learned a lot, grown a lot. I have been amazed at the maturity with which he has handled some challenging situations along the way. Academically (which means mostly music in his case) he has also done very well. He is living out his dream, and it is fun to watch.</p>
<p>As far as the "empty next syndrome" -- I still have a daughter at home, so it's not quite empty, but a lot quieter. My "family emergency" is that my dad died last week. I got home just in time to see him one last time. I'm not sharing to get sympathy, but because it has affected my "almost empty nest" syndrome. I hate having my boys so far away, as well as the rest of the family. My dad was diagnosed with cancer about the same time my boys were leaving for school last summer (oldest is graduating next week) and my mom told me I was at "that difficult age" - where both my children and my parents are growing old and leaving me. I am so incredibly proud of my kids, but I have always enjoyed being with them, and I do wish I could turn back the clock and have them for a little while longer. </p>
<p>Husband and D were not able to be here for the funeral, but are coming home in a couple weeks. Our family of 5 will be together for almost 6 days before we must all go our separate ways again. I will savor every moment, even while I am aware that my children are itching to go.</p>
<p>Wow it seems everyone on this board is having a blast. I had troubles but it seems everyone on this board is peachy keen. Funny how 2 boards with the same subject offer such different points of view or at the very least attitudes. Congrats to a great first year to your sons & daughters.</p>
<p>You are correct Illini, things do not always go according to plan. Two of DS's friends had less than good experiences, one withdrawing after first semester and the second transferring next year. Neither were for academic reasons. </p>
<p>Friend one worked this semester after withdrawing from a large out-of -state public university and has been accepted into one of our state's smaller universities. The second will be transferring from an out-of-state LAC to our state flagship university.</p>
<p>Another friend is at ranked LAC and loves it there but has found the academic work hard which is reflected on the transcript. He was admitted ED with quite average(for his college) stats. He is not anywhere near academic probation status, he just went from a B+ HS gpa to a C+ gpa.</p>
<p>My son repeatedly--repeatedly--informed his very interested parents that his college career was going to be about him, not us. Ignored our offers of help with choices, spurned the invaluable suggestions we longed to offer on his application essays, and somehow managed to end up at Stanford, 3000 miles from home, disregarding his father's suggestion that he accept Williams' offer, and his mother's that he accept Dartmouth's.</p>
<p>Once there, he set about turning himself into a scientist, despite brilliant high school success in English, romance languages, and Latin. These subjects he has avoided to the extent possible, filling his schedule with courses like linear and organic, whatever they are, taking large (200+) freshman lecture courses, full of highly motivated and intelligent kids, submitting himself to being graded on a pretty strict curve, spending more time in the library than I would have thought possible for him.</p>
<p>He loves it. He feels his scientific mind is growing by leaps and bounds. He has wonderful friends, and infinite possibilities for a rich social life. But he says he passes on a lot of the parties and outings, and in fact refused an opportunity to play on a major sports team, because his first commitment, he says, is to his studies.</p>
<p>Frankly, we have mixed feelings. We wished a broad liberal education for him. We wish that he was putting his superb athletic talents to better use. We wish he was taking better advantage of the social opportunities. But he's feeling confident, happy, and challenged, and as he said, it's about him, not us.</p>
<p>Great post, idler. It is about them. I seem to forget that. And your son will do what he will do...regardless of what you want for him. Besides, the country needs, desperately needs, scientists now.</p>
<p>Tonight she said "Mom, I just love my life here" She would change only one thing: to put WashU in Washington State. She did a varsity sport, started on the pre-med track - and didn't wash out. "Several Deans know my name, I love the profs. the discussion classes are great!" Academics have been challenging and rewarding. Has a great group of friends. It's just such a wonderful feeling to know the risk she took to go across the country is making her so happy. The only 'bumps' were when she felt homesick, but she was so busy, that she didn't have time to dwell on it. I just can't wait for Thursday and the start of her short summer.</p>
<p>soozievt: Thanks for the info about skiing at Brown--that's definitely something I'd be interested in. Brown seems to be moving up my (very short, very preliminary) list! :)</p>
<p>S loved his first year at Pomona, definitely a perfect fit for him. He never studied more in his life but did a varsity sport 1st semester, intramurals, socialized and made multiple trips to the beach. He just gave up sleeping and managed to get mono. Through it all he has never been happier. He is excited about his classes, feels most of his professors were brilliant and intellectually stimulating, made tons of great friends. He did not get all A's however and was surprised at the amount of B+'s on his last report card for the amount of work he did. He has a good attitude about it however and refuses to not take an interesting class because the professor has a reputation as a hard marker.</p>
<p>D just finished her first year at Harvard and it was very successful. She worked very hard but seems exhilarated by it all. Lots of adventures --> things like sneaking into some building at 3:00 AM to turn in an assignment so it wouldn't be late (was is due at 3:30 AM I ask?).</p>
<p>She's no longer a straight A kid but is now half As and half Bs kid, which is fine with me. Her year of introductory Latin moved incredibly fast - I don't think she knew what hit her, but she still managed to pull herself together and get on board with it. I (and presumably she) was relieved to find that she could keep up academically with all the amazing Intel finalists and USAToday Academic All Americans that were her roommates and classmates.</p>
<p>She changed her "concentration" (Harvardspeak for "major") after the first semester from Chemistry to Physics, which will make good use of her math talents, but she has no idea what sort of a career she wants with that.</p>
<p>She (and we) found out that most of the bad stuff you always hear about Harvard either simply wasn't true or didn't apply to her. I personally thought the advising was a little haphazard. And she didn't have many side conversations with profs, but that seemed to suit her just fine. The profs were available, but she didn't particularly want to go see them.</p>
<p>She had a great time with ECs - played on just about every IM team for her dorm. Played in two different musical ensembles. Made many great friends from her dorm and the orchestras but not much from her classes. She loved the many passionate and witty conversations with all the other students. Plus, when she is on or near campus she likes that she is not singled out as The Harvard Girl, or as she put it: "Everybody there got into to Harvard, which leaves us free to talk about other things."</p>
<p>She got assigned to a good "river house" residence college for her next three years, the same one that JFK had lived in (unofficial motto: "JFK Had Casual Sex Here").</p>
<p>Overall, it has worked out great. She is very happy. I can't ask for any more than that.</p>
<p>Hi all, I'm just posting for the first time here to say how proud I am of my Q. I found out that U isn't really my R, because I've only known her mother for 3 weeks. My Q decided to drop out of Stanford (I know, we've been through this) in favor of the Greater Toronto Area Technical School for Speaker Repair. He's always been fascinated with speakers, because I kept his cradle on an amp when i was a roadie for Van Halen. It's a shame he lost his hearing, he could've been a great translator, if he could read. He found out what most of us parents did freshman year: booze is amazing. Unfortunately, he also enlisted in the Navy, so he won't even finish his Speaker Repair studies at the 'tech. Well, if I ever see him again, I'll let you know how the rest of his life goes. I still have 5 more L's at home (yup, catholic ;) that I hope to use their telekinetic abilities to a greater extent than their K.</p>
<p>Fredo, I laughed at out loud at this quote from you:
[quote]
I also REALLY don't miss her crap all over the house. She's not the neatest thing and tends to come in the house and drop her stuff everywhere - kitchen counter be damned....
[/quote]
My daughter is home for the summer, and while it's wonderful to see her, I find myself slightly shocked by the kind of mess I used to take for granted. (I'm not the neatest person on the planet myself, but my child has a special gift for turning an ordinary room into a shambles. I also managed to forget all the drama of the misplaced keys/glasses/cell phone, etc.)</p>
<p>She loved her first year at Yale--mostly, I think, because there were exciting people to talk to and things to do every minute. (A good night's sleep was definitely not a priority.) Academically, she found the work much more interesting--and also much harder--than at her mediocre high school; she did fine, but didn't get A's in everything all the time. (Coureur--my daughter took first-year Latin too, and I know what you meant about the pace of the course; they seemed to cover the first year of high-school Latin in about a month. And that wasn't even the intensive intro class.) She loved her ECs: two dance troupes and a student-directed play, plus lots of guest speakers, a cappella concerts, etc.; she was even thrilled to get a (barely) paying job at her college's late-night snack bar, where she could stay on top of the gossip. It's hard to keep her down on the farm now that she's seen New Haven ;).</p>
<p>Freshman S finally got done and arrived home last night. Anyone else have kids just arriving home now? I guess the year went well--he's planning to go back (he's not the most communicative guy. . .) He wasn't crazy about a couple of his math teachers (awkward teachers with heavy foreign accents), but will continue on taking math and physics again next year. He ended up liking the German teacher he had for one quarter the most, it sounds like. But the German teacher decided to quit his job and move to Hollywood to write scripts, he says. The German teacher's brother is acting in a soap opera (but he didn't find out which one.) --That's all I've managed to get out of him so far. Neither of my college boys have summer jobs so far . . . :(</p>
<p>And I'm relieved. He made it through his first year at UChicago in pretty good shape!</p>
<p>Mstee: My son is coming home Thursday (cross-country from UCLA) and immediately going to a beach house to join his friends for the weekend! He still has one final and one paper to go, though. On the other hand, he seems to have had a great year, knock on wood, both in terms of grades and developing maturity--and he does have a summer job (which starts Monday.) We do get kind of antsy when all our friends ask if he's home yet, because all the college kids they know are already home. Even though he gets home later, I do like his school's quarter system because when he came home for both winter and spring breaks he had just finished his term and we didn't have any homework, term paper or studying issues to deal with.</p>