<p>I thought it might be helpful to current (and future) parents of freshman students to share some info regarding how their children made out their first week of classes. Are classes being perceived as being too easy or too tough? Any positve or negative experiences regarding anything adapting to UD would be at least informational. I know it is very early in the semester but sometimes the first week can often set the tone for the rest of the semester. Anyone got any feedback?</p>
<p>Loves classes and professors. Loves seeing kids from her Long Island high school around campus so that it has a nice feel to it. Went to football game last night and had fun. Joined gym and taking classes. Ate only 3 meals on card but ASSURED ME she is eating and not paying for it. Little nervous about Math 221 (calc) because they don’t go over homework and teacher hard to understand (Georgia Pyrros) and TA (Chinese) is even harder to understand! I told her just stay with it, do the work and there is always the help center. She had pre-calc and half year in high schooll but she knows this will move. Good! I don’t want her to take it easy…</p>
<p>Hey, going to be hot at UD this weekend. Outdoor pool near Dickinson open tomorrow, Sunday and Monday 11-7 and only $3 for UD students. Closed today.</p>
<p>bill… good to know about the pool! I was just cleaning my pool and sweating out there… my son turned 17 and got his license so it’s been a draining week around here! </p>
<p>d seems to like classes but not hearing a lot from her. said calc would be challenge but has back up help already in line. we all made it through the first week folks! :)</p>
<p>Bill124 and lefty1 bring up an extremely important issue. Most students accepted to UD have had little to no experience with having to ask for help in completing coursework. Many may feel self-conscious about accepting the need for, and then asking, for help. Courses at UD are tough, especially having 5 of them at one time. If a student begins to feel or finds they are struggling with a course, they need to seek out assistance ASAP, before they reach a point where they begin to feel overwhelmed (which really just worsens things). The Help/Writing Centers are available to all students, with group and indivdual tutoring available. UD really wants all of its students to succeed and provides the resourses to help students do so (students just need to avail themselves of these resourses). My D was a Dean’s List student thruout her 4 years at UD and utilized these resourses for at least several courses(most of them in her freshman year). Parents need to be aware that these services are available and encourage their children to get involved with them if needed (but don’t wait until it is too late). Sometimes we parents can also be a little self-conscious about suggesting to our children to seek out help, but believe me it is in our children’s best interest to do so if needed. The first semester freshman year is a critical time frame for a student’s future success in college.</p>
<p>Good thread idea!</p>
<p>Daughter said she’s enjoying college life. She likes the kids on her floor and they have bonded pretty well, going to dinner together and playing volleyball. They went to the game last night and had a blast. Before the game, the group explored the area around the stadium and found Mad-Macs - a big hit with my daughter.</p>
<p>As far as classes go, she hasn’t complained. Her Python computer class was a pleasant surprise. Bottom line: she’s happy with her decision to attend UD.</p>
<p>My D’s sophomore year is off to a pretty good start, nothing unexpected. Physics and Anatomy are going to be rough. She told me her physics teacher started at UDel 10 years before she was born. I asked her if he is using a walker (lol).</p>
<p>I second the response about encouraging your child to ask for help. My daughter didn’t need my encouragement but spent a lot of time at her Bio teacher’s office hours first semester and her English teacher the second semester. She got A- in both classes so it was definitely worth it.</p>
<p>I guess this is as good a place as any to ask this, and I realize that every situation is different and very personal, but any thoughts on “spending money” for whatever kid decides to buy would be appreciated. Don’t want to be too confining but want to keep her realistic. I am the sole source of funding (no work).</p>
<p>Bill, 300 a month is our goal…</p>
<p>Thanks. All other responses welcome. I was thinking 200 but maybe needs to be more. I assume that’s all in for out of pocket (debit card withdrawals and credit card) and includes any clothes they decide to buy (UD shirts, etc.) or eating on Main but not something like cell phone.</p>
<p>I’m giving mine $30 a week. she has money in accounts if need be but she doesn’t like to spend her own! She’s also not really buying much because she was well stocked leaving and will be coming home or her boyfriend will be going down every few weeks so she will stock up on incidentals when she’s back. She also has a credit card for emergencies if she needs it. She’s had it since she’s driving and luckily does not abuse it in any way.</p>
<p>We put $500 in our D’s checking account for “incidentals” at the beginning of each semester. We told her this was it and if she ran out she would have to use her own money from her account. We wanted her to start to get some experience with being financially responsible. We did pay any course related expenses. She was on our cell phone plan so we continued to pay for this. Being concerned (allright doting) parents we did ask her several times during the semester if she was OK with money and she always said yes until almost before the end of the first year when she asked if we would pay half for a new dress she needed to buy for a sorority formal she needed to go to. We did agree to this (but I suspect she still had some money from the money we had given her). She bought a nice dress that was not excessively expensive. One additional expense we did agree to pay. That was her sorority dues and fees, which can run $300-$500 per semester (varies by sorority/fraternity) thruout all school years. So be forewarned if you child is planning on going Greek. It is not cheap to be in a sorority/frat at UD.</p>
<p>We gave about $200 a month while living on campus, most months it was more than enough. Boys will spend less I would assume, (trips to Happy Harry’s for females can be $$ hair makeup etc).
Living off campus, different story, of course initially it was less, but the incidentals and timing of rent bills/tuition sometimes were $$$, the predictability of campus housing/meal plans is easier to plan for.</p>
<p>On that note, BE AWARE, some of the house rental landlords are opportunists. When the time comes, if anyone wants a heads up, pm me and I will give the lowdown on one of them. </p>
<p>Hint: Do a Video walk thru prior to signing the lease on the place is suggested. ;)</p>
<p>speaking of off campus housing… I’ve seen web sites for the university courtyard. ideally I’d love for D to live in something like this when the time is right… prob Jr year but ya never know. </p>
<p>Are there any other locations around campus like this courtyard place? where do you begin to search for off campus housing? </p>
<p>thanks! :)</p>
<p>Well my D made out ok - she already dropped one class for another though, had a flat tire on Academy Street, and kept complaining about how hot it is on the third floor in Russell (no A/C) so I dropped off another high powered fan. Loves her roomate and has made a bunch of friends already… I barely hear from her… only when she needs something !</p>
<p>The majority of freshman students end up moving to apartment settings after their first year. UD’s Housing System operates the Christiana Towers Apartments (two towers on North Campus). The other option is in off- campus apartments. If you drive around campus you will see multiple advertisement signs for apartments. There are pros and cons to living in UD housing verses off-campus apartments (although a number of them are in almost the middle of the campus or on its fringes so the term off-campus housing is somewhat a misnomer). Our D lived in a sorority house (another option) a block from Trabant her sophomore year and then in an apartment on Main Street almost right across the street from the UD bookstore (you couldn’t ask for a better location) her last two years. Many students obtain apartment housing thru connections they establish with other students at UD. If you do some of your own cooking while living in an apartment I believe you can save some money on food costs. Unfortunately many students don’t do this and eat out for most all their meals, which can really drive up food costs. Our D was the designated bill payer (rent/utilities/internet,etc.) for the apartment. While this was somwhat of a hassle she gained some very valuable life experience by doing so. This experience served her very well when she moved into her first apartment on Manhatten’s upper East Side after starting her first job as a Nurse at Cornell-Presbyterian Medical Center. If you can manage living in an apartment in NYC you can manage an apartment anywhere. Best of luck wherever you decide to live.</p>
<p>I want to second what Mwallenmd said about apartment hunting through connections. And your D/S should know that this is done very early in the school year. My DD called this morning to tell me she is currently working on that right now for next school year.</p>
<p>My DD is a junior and is living in a residence hall with a group of friends again this year (for various reasons). It’s all working out fine, so on-campus is available and ok for upperclassmen too.</p>
<p>thanks Mallenwand and linymom for the great tips and advice. D came home this weekend due to scheduling that worked out for a home visit earlier than I expected but she seems to be liking it all. </p>
<p>I had basically given her the advice that although it’s early, start think about who you would like to live with next year so you can make choices sooner rather than later for housing next year. She already says she’d like to live in the towers which surprised me since she doesn’t like living so remotely away in Dickinson. Good news is she likes her room mate prob more than anyone else she has met so far at school. It’s only two weeks in so hopefully this will continue!</p>
<p>I can’t believe the kids kids have only been gone 2 weeks, it feels like months. My son seems to ge doing great in his prison at Rodney. I encouraged him to try moving Dorms, but he saus he’s happy in Rodney and doesn’t mind his small room. He is coming home this saturday on Amtrak, does anyone know how he can get from Rodney to Amtrak-it’s less than 2 miles away-but he can’t walk with a suitcase. Are their buses or cabs ?</p>
<p>The UD Campus Loop bus stops at Rodney and has a Train Station stop on South College Ave. I don’t know the specific schedule of times on Saturdays. Your son should check into the times.</p>
<p>When should you be thinking or planning for housing for the second year? Thanks for any info. D would like a kitchen/living room setup with friends.</p>