<p>My freshman son is happy where he’s at. I definitely think it was the right choice for him, and so does he. Hardest part has been trying to deal with medical issues from across the country. Also, trying to get him home over Christmas break, when our airport was closed due to snow for a few days, was a hassle.</p>
<p>Anyone find it’s easier to get a “text” than a actual phone call? </p>
<p>My wife never texted, now she’s the text queen, it’s a easy way for her to stay in contact with her DS while he’s gone.</p>
<p>Another “oh wow” moment…</p>
<p>Took him to buy 2 business suits this weekend. They are being tailored as we speak, he needed to have them for some corporate world interviews he has in two weeks. That was another reminder he’s moving into a new phase of his life.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, D is miserable at her current school. I don’t think she has anything against the school, but she is miserable in that town being away from her boyfriend. She’s coming home to visit him way too often. As a result, her grades are slipping, and they were never great to begin with.</p>
<p>Toughest part is right now, when she is talking about transferring to a local U for all the wrong reasons.</p>
<p>AvdMom,</p>
<p>I’m really sorry to hear about your DD. It’s almost like the school doesn’t stand a chance in that situation.</p>
<p>AdvMom… </p>
<p>While it won’t matter a wit. My daughter (24) has said her biggest regret was ever altering her plans just to accommodate another’s, especially if it was a boy. Resentments build. If they cant handle the independence of finding themselves now, they don’t stand a chance regardless. Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>Modadunn, I’m sure you’re right, but how do you get a D to see the light? I think the answer is that most of the time, you can’t, and they have to learn from their own mistakes. </p>
<p>My D had similar issues, but realized at some point that clinging to a boyfriend from back home was just cheating herself. (I was secretly very relieved.)</p>
<p>DTDad–Yes, lots easier to text!!! My s doesn’t like to talk on the phone. In fact, when I commented that it’s really hard to have a conversation with him he said his friends actually argue over who has to call him to arrange plans because they don’t like talking to him either!</p>
<p>I also feel like a text is less intrusive. If I text and he’s in the middle of lunch or something then he can answer it later.</p>
<p>modadunn, mousegray: funny, we had similar issues but with a twist: my daughter had to make her decision knowing that the best school for her was also the best school for her boyfriend; they broke up over the decision so that they could have the full “college experience” (not because they wanted to be “apart”) and it is still not resolved…and they’re still at the same school…</p>
<p>My daughter is a junior in college, and I was sure that she picked the wrong school, but she proved me wrong. We live in Raleigh, where NC State is located. I wanted her to experience life outside the city where she grew up, so I was totally disappointed that she turned down Villanova in PA. Three years later, she is doing fantastically well, is a TA for engineering 101, and loves her school and sorority. I thought we see her all the time, but she only comes home for Thanksgiving, Christmas and summer vacation. And think of the money we saved by going to a state school!</p>
<p>I think D picked school that was best fit for her, but she says she doesn’t think anybody is as happy with it as they were at first. Living in close proximity to others with different world views (e.g., roommate parties heavily, she doesn’t), stresses of papers/projects to be completed by the end of the semester, discovering classes can be dull or hard or both seem to be getting to her. She has good friends, good-enough grades, and significant involvement in a major campus activity, but not the best attitude right now and is counting the days until the semester is over. The hardest thing for us this year was that she established her independence in the fall by communicating as little as possible and we really missed knowing what was going on in her life; she’s past that stage now and calls/texts more than once almost every week.</p>
<p>I’d add that I have a feeling that even the freshmen who are ecstatic with their choices are getting pretty ready to come home now that the end is in sight. As much fun as they’ve had with this Grand Adventure, I really think at least some small part of my DS is looking to have some rules again. A Sunday or two ago (after what I gathered was a Too Fun Saturday night), he texted me “Ground me as soon as I get home.”) I think all this freedom to make choices has been really wonderful for them but also something of a burden.</p>
<p>S loves his school, is having fun, and has made lots of good friends. But what struck me most was when I asked him a couple months ago if a particular class was his favorite this semester. “Actually I really like all my classes,” he said. Wow. I don’t think I ever could/would have said that while I was in college.</p>
<p>Hardest part for us has been having him so far away from home – and us so far away from a major airport, which makes travel more complicated and time-intensive.</p>
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</p>
<p>(rofl) Let us know in August how that worked for you!</p>
<p>Hey! I did qualify it with a “some small part”. So maybe I should have added “. . . for a day or two”? (“Hour or two”?)</p>
<p>Our D loves her school and told us that she is so glad she picked it. She would have been happy at any of her choices, though. She’s made tons of friends, is studying her brains out, and just having fun. We paid for her to ride (horses) her second semester, and though the time management has been challenging, having a non-graded, not-for-credit extracurricular that she loves has given her an outlet from the study routine. </p>
<p>She has decided to stay for the summer doing research in her field an a grant that she wrote herself. We are very happy for her.</p>