<p>Did your kids come home as happy as my DS did last week? DS is having a major honeymoon with the school, many new friends and 1 Dartmouth girl. He seemed to have grown 5 years and was bursting at the seams with having made a great college choice.</p>
<p>Yeah. I'm absolutely loving it. I was afraid that I could be let down because I spent so much time on CC before I was admitted. I always thought that my expectations were unreachable. It has honestly exceeded my expectations.</p>
<p>I happen to have many friends at nearly all the top schools, and none of them have had nearly as easy of a time adjusting as I have had. All they could talk about for the month before Thanksgiving was 'only x more days' until they we're home. I was, of course, happy to see them too, but a lot of things made me really miss my Dartmouth friends. The DOC trips definitely contributed to my smooth transition. It is such a great memory and experience.</p>
<p>While talking to a HS classmate, one of my Dartmouth friends accidentally said that he was 'going home' Sunday (referring to Dartmouth) in front of his parents. They weren't too happy.</p>
<p>I think Dartmouth did an outstanding job of first year orientation which I include the DOC trips in. A whole lot of bonding went on. Props to Dartmouth, my alma mater is a great school and a party school (Penn), but Dartmouth has kids just giddy!</p>
<p>Dartmoose, ditto DS's friends at other great schools, fine but not quiet as happy as DS who spent Thanksgiving texting a Dartmouth girl and planning Spring break with new friends while his old haunts seemed less of a draw.</p>
<p>I remember this reaction - was equally happily astounded.</p>
<p>I think the DOC trips help with the transition. I remember some people showing up with sort-of Ivy-League show-offish pretensions, but it’s hard for those attitudes to survive sweating together for days in the woods or on those rivers.</p>
<p>5 year old thread.</p>