<p>Sounds like we're all in the same boat. I sat for an hour this afternoon reading the fat college handbook while my D was sprawled on the other sofa reading Harry Potter. I was forbidden to speak to her so I just underlined everything I thought she might find interesting. And she also refuses to get involved in the dorm room shopping, except to veto items I bring home. It's interesting to read between the lines when she argues that it's way too early to be thinking about extra-long sheets (she leaves in exactly a month).</p>
<p>Mine's been busy recovering from mono and whining about all the fun with his friends he's missed in the past few weeks. Luckily his college laptop arrived and he's been spending his time "pimping" his computer. (I'm not really sure what this involves, but it's not the agressive memorization of Student Orientation schedules...)</p>
<p>He's reading Harry Potter at the moment as well. Things could be a lot worse.</p>
<p>Going back to the "pre-planning" for registration...
Son spent a couple hours one afternoon looking over options for the one class he had a choice on- social studies. He came up with several alternatives. That's really all you need to do, because most classes will be specified.</p>
<p>Sounds perfectly normal. She is holding on to her childhood this one last summer. D did this last year before entering freshman year. Just focus on the medical exams/forms and other must-haves that need to be ready. She'll come around once she steps foot on campus. Be ready for some goodbye tears, though!</p>
<p>I made my kid go to the class registration event that was held on campus, precisely because I couldn't bear to bug him about doing it at home online.</p>
<p>That was pretty much the only thing that mattered. Everything else CAN be put off until they get there, even if it drives mom crazy. LOL</p>
<p>The necessity to preplan for registration depends on how difficult it is to get into desireable classes and how complicated the process is. At sons preview/registration, he was told by his advisor that the only available Chem lab was on a Friday night from 7:00-10:00. :eek: He manipulated his other classes to open up his schedule a little more, by putting himself into an alternative humanities and honors botany class. He stood his ground and stayed in that room, checking availability every 2 minutes, much to his advisors chagrin (she wanted him in and out I guess). He finally got what he wanted. He told me she was starting to get annoyed with him. She actually said to him, "Hey, Friday night is a great time- you can go straight from your lab to partying!"</p>
<p>Both of mine did more "behind the scenes" than they let me know about. It was THEIR deal, and I wasn't supposed to be a big part of that last summer before college. S got really into facebook that summer- he actually was living just off campus and taking some summer courses before freshman year.</p>
<p>My son is a camp counselor. He won't be home until the week before move in date. Even if he was home for the summer, he wouldn't be anal about stuff. </p>
<p>I have been collecting things I know he needs (sheets, school supplies, new laptop.....)</p>
<p>He has his class schedule, I mapped the locations / times of his classes on a map (he's going to NYU so he won't be on a traditional campus). </p>
<p>So in the time he is home before class, he can get back on facebook with people he's been talking to already, contact future roommates about stuff....</p>
<p>My D is just like yours.
Here's what I am doing: Keeping a folder of EVERTHING about the school, classes, orientation, etc that I know she will need and be scrambling for once she is on campus. I will say good-bye, hand her the folder, and know that she will survive.</p>
<p>I think it's different for moms of daughters vs. moms of sons. Probably moms of D's have a lifetime of shopping excursions, bedroom decorating, etc. Me- I don't have a daughter, and I can tell you my sons NEVER want to go shopping. Pick out sheets, comforters, decorations- GETOUTAHERE. No way. Same with H. </p>
<p>With my sons, I just got their stuff together (dorm room stuff) the couple days before they left. It wasn't much, because the rooms are so small. As far as clothes- we drove so all the hanging stuff was just taken directly from his closet and laid across the trunk.</p>
<p>PS, ALL that stuff that is in the literature- they're going to figure it out as soon as they get on campus whether they read it beforehand or not. The best teachers are other students!</p>
<p>We've already missed several deadlines because we weren't paying attention. They wanted a photo by WHEN? I'm not really too worried about it though. I'm pretty sure they have plenty of time for the ID and it's no big deal if he doesn't make it into the mug book.</p>
<p>Mathson has been getting lots of e-mails from his advisor - he had to do a math and a comp. sci placement test. Then he had to straighten out his AP situation so he could register for courses which they do on-line. I actually heard about most of this stuff for a wonder. </p>
<p>His latest project is to make the new lap top (arrived 2 days ago) pimped to his specs. Needs Linux etc. It seems to be keeping him busy minus the six hours or so to read Harry Potter.</p>
<p>He's got a doctor's appt. when they were available. I have no idea whether it's before or after their deadline. </p>
<p>I went and got sheets and comforters today. I called to ask if he wanted cobalt or navy blue. Husband who was with me groused, but Linens and Things is right across the way from the Y.</p>
<p>Wow, I'm the opposite of all of these kids and I'm going to like, my dead last choice school. Haha. I'm so into everything, from courses to straightening out my AP scores to (of course) shopping for dorm stuff. In fact, it's my parents that are being grumbly and unexcited about the whole thing ("Mom, I need sheets and towels" "Meh. Next week...perpetually"). </p>
<p>That said, I understand some kids aren't like that. I could go on and on about college but the topic bores many of my friends :p.</p>
<p>My mom was the same way when I was pre-frosh last summer. I started dorm shopping in late June, and did it all alone, with my own money from my job. I took my time and wasn't constantly being told, "I'm not buying that, it's too expensive". That's what I recommend; do it alone so you have no one to burst your bubble with their lack of excitement. I had orientation in mid June, so I had maybe 3 weeks between graduation and registering for classes, and it was recommneded that we look at GEP and major requirements before arriving. And yes, your kids will be told all the really important things at orientation. Don't stress too much, and it's a good idea to hand them a pile of reading material while in the car/on the plane going to move-in. You won't hear much about them being bored, but maybe something that sounds like, "why didn't I look at any of this earlier?".</p>
<p>^ Good for you frostburg! You will go far! :)</p>
<p>This is coming from a student attending college in Fall. Most of us prefer to go with the flow rather than plan out every single thing to the last detail. My mom is also pretty bent on finding out ALL the information she can (we understand because after all, you guys are letting us go off on our own AND we're spendnig your money) and trying to feed it to me. Instead of trying to go by the book, we'd rather go for the experience and learn while making our own mistakes.</p>
<p>
[quote]
ALL that stuff that is in the literature- they're going to figure it out as soon as they get on campus whether they read it beforehand or not. The best teachers are other students!
[/quote]
The truth in two sentences.</p>