<p>There are always a lot of thread about how college freshman are doing, but I'm more interested in how the non-freshmen are doing after the adjustment period and/or honeymoon period has worn off. Has the GPA dived, rebounded, always been a 4.0? Does the campus still "fit"? </p>
<p>So, for those parents and students who've stuck around, how are you or your kid(s) doing? In hindsight, did you make the right choice? Anything you wish you would have thought about when the decisions were coming in senior year of HS? Anything that you're glad you did think about?</p>
<p>Sophomore S is doing great! Transferring after first semester freshman year, he now has 2 semesters done at his new school. Spring semester at new school was somewhat tough in that 1. he had to adjust to a new environment with already established people, 2. he had 17 credits of much more rigorous courses and 3. he was still getting over his gf dumping him. But he was so much happier there. This fall semester was even better and grades were even better, too. He has made great friends, has gotten out and about, is involved in a couple of activities, and has matured so much.</p>
<p>As for us - when the kid is happy, it is much easier for us to be happy. It was a LONG first semester freshman year!</p>
<p>Sophmore D is doing awesome. She still LOVES it, believe it or not. Her social life there has remained the same (busy), her GPA 3.6 is still great considering she is in her 2nd year of engineering. She is tired a lot of the time, but on that same note she is always on the go. I used to complain because this was the only school she applied to and received no scholarships from them (#1 out of 438 in high school) but she is happy, close to home and has tons of friends. If they are happy we tend to be happy :)</p>
<p>Daughter is a Junior @ Brown & having the time of her life. She’s very involved on campus, has the same major (math & economics) she had originally chosen the school for, and is doing well in her courses. She also studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain following the Spring semester of freshman year. The only potential downside is the effect the economy is having on upcoming summer internships.</p>
<p>There’s no doubt she made a good choice. I just hating getting those bills…</p>
<p>Senior S1 is doing well and on track to graduate in May. His gpa is good and has remained pretty steady from start to finish. Had a certain gpa to maintain for scholarships.</p>
<p>He goes to a big state u.( 3 hrs. from home) on a full ride. Lots of friends there, has been happy with his school from the start....don't think he would have done anything differently.</p>
<p>Glad he applied early
Glad he chose a big u with wide variety of majors
Glad we thought to search departmental webpage for scholarship opportunities
Glad he didnt believe "don't room with your best friend" (they are still roomates and best friends).
We are happy that he's happy and will graduate with no debt.</p>
<p>DD is a sophomore at Rice and after a little struggle last year (a c+) has grades into Dean's list territory again this semester. She carries 19-20 credits per semester because of music and that took some adjustments. </p>
<p>She is happier than even last year. Lives off campus now and has her own room so can be part of the college when she wants to, which is often, and out of it when she needs to for sleep and health. Best of all worlds as far as she is concerned. We would have liked to see scholarships increase with tuition increase, but all told we're still managing. Fortunately we had her tuition for the next 2 years in cash, not stocks. She's happy so we are happy.</p>
<p>Sophomore daughter is still pleased with her college -- but not as pleased as last year.</p>
<p>Part of this pertains to housing. At her university, all the freshmen live together in one dorm neighborhood and, although it is not required, they generally eat in the dining halls in that area. But as sophomores, they split up. Some move off-campus, some join Greek houses, and the rest live in either of two dorm neighborhoods. My daughter ended up in a dorm quite far from most of her friends, and she does not get to eat with them routinely. Also, thanks to a really bad lottery time slot, she ended up in a double with a random roommate with whom she has nothing in common, after having had a single as a freshman. Fortunately, things will pick up in terms of housing junior year; she is moving into an off-campus apartment with friends, and she will have her own bedroom in the apartment.</p>
<p>The other part is academic. My daughter came from a very rigorous high school, so adapting to freshman college courses was no problem. Her freshman year GPA was very high, and during her freshman year, she frequently said that college was easier than high school. But there has been more challenge in getting used to upper-level courses in her major. That involves another leap in difficulty, and it takes time to adapt. She's not doing badly (in fact, she even got invited to TA a course next semester after having taken the course and earned an A+.) But the work isn't as easy, overall, as it was last year. Again, I think junior year will be better -- but by then, it will be time to start thinking about life after college, which involves still another type of adaptation.</p>
<p>D1 as a sophmore at Cornell is having a better year than last year. Her workload has definitely gone up exponentially. She said she's spend more time studying, but not getting the result she's wanted. That being said, she just finished her finals today. It looks like it may be her best semester yet, so I guess it does pay off.</p>
<p>Socially she is very happy at her sorority. She seems to be striking a balance between her involvement with the Greek life and ECs outside of it. She is in her first real relationship (about time, right?), brought the young man home last weekend, and got thumbs up from her younger sister.</p>
<p>Our relationship took a nose dive beginning of school year. We were always so close, but I guess it was time for her to break off, it was very painful for me. Freshman year she was still very dependend on me, but this year she has really come into her own. It just took me a while to get used to. I am very proud of the woman she has become. She is leaving us to go to Australia on her own to study abroad. We are going to miss her.</p>
<p>I think my son who is a junior is happier now than the first two years, but the year is flying by. He's more comfortable and relaxed and knows what he wants, etc. The angst is having to think of grad school and the tests, recs, etc. all over again, but at least it's not new to him and I'm proud how much he is doing on his own. I think he will miss college very much when he graduates.</p>
<p>My son is still happy and liking his school. He just got home for the holidays and tells me he can't imagine ever having gone elsewhere. He likes living off campus (sophomore) and his grades are even higher this semseter than freshman year, so we are happy and he's settled on a major after much indecision freshman year (which I'm guessing is normal) and will have to declare this spring. Hard to believe that in 5 short months he will be half way through!</p>
<p>My 2nd year D at Chicago LOVES her school. She has found challenging, and more importantly, interesting courses, great friends and terrific extracurriculars. She arrived home a week ago, happy to be done with finals and have time to sleep, but already missing her life at school. Senior S at Wash U is just trying to figure out a way for these 4 years to never end! He has found a major he is passionate about, fabulous friends and wonderful professors. He's not so excited about having to focus, yet again, on the next step.</p>
<p>DD is a junior engineering major at Santa Clara University. She loves the place and continues to be active as a student ambassador there. Her grades are fine a little above a 3.0...it's a tough major. She is finally finishing the physics sequence and will be taking mostly engineering courses next term. She has done VERY well in those course so far. And she tells us she is on track to graduate in four years...May 2010.</p>
<p>DD is in her second year at USD and is finishing her best academic semester thus far. She just declared a major and two minors and even with a plan to study abroad Fall 2009, she still expects to get out on time. Moved off campus this year and has made some sure to be lifelong friends.</p>
<p>Junior WildChild at mid-Atlantic Ivy is doing well. Freshman year was awful- good grades but he hated the place and wanted to transfer. Soph year was good and this year is even better. He works at a paid internship/job in center city, loves his brand new apt building and takes advantage of all the city and the school have to offer. I still feel that it is a very expensive school and city and I'm counting the semesters until he is off the payroll! (3 to go)<br>
DivSchool daughter (Vandy) thinks Rice was excellent preparation for grad school and notes that there are Vandy grad students from other schools who have flunked out after one semester.</p>
<p>D is a sophmore, next semester in Junior standing, still loves her (state) school. Zoology major pre-med. Always been a 4.0, however, mentioned that B might happen sometime and it is OK. Very busy with sororority, job, volunteering, loves her Chemistry classes and Music Composition minor. Added minor in neouroscience. Could talk forever about Bio and I have no idea what she is saying and how they even can remember all of that. Classes are much more challenging than she ever imagined in HS. Looking forward to go to New Zealand for a month after spring semester. Signed up to live in apartment (College Suits) next year with 3 other girls. Still loves to visit home and hang out with tons of HS friends. Made lots of friends at college, but home buddies are still closer.</p>
<p>Son is a sophomore though has the credits for junior standing. Freshman year was a lot harder for him though he had something like a 3.96 GPA for the year. This year he's working a part-time job and working far fewer hours on schoolwork - he still has three finals to go (bad weather has postponed most of his finals to next week - if we get more snow next week I don't know what they'll do).</p>
<p>Conclusion: first-year helps kids get far more efficient at school, and, hopefully, life.</p>
<p>D sophomore at Tulane is having a MUCH better year. Academically the classes are smaller and more interesting, but most of the improvement is social -- a less-than-ideal roommate situation freshman year. She's also been able to explore more of New Orleans -- she loves the city. No more talk of transferring.</p>
<p>First son is in his third year at Georgia Tech. The first year and a half were quite challenging academically. Last spring he finally got on track and this semester actually made the Dean's List. He enjoys school, but especially his girlfriend of 2 1/2 years who he met down there before classes began his freshman year. He should be able to graduate in 4.5 years - quick for GT.</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore at Harvard and is overall doing well with his second year - better than his first. I knew he was going to have freshman transition challenges wherever he went and going to Harvard with all the intense freshmen living together was "interesting".</p>
<p>Now that he is living with sophomores, juniors and seniors there is more balance. He doesn't have much fun as the academics are so difficult so he speaks enviously of his friends at what he calls "normal" schools. I tell him (half jokingly) that when he graduates he should apply for freshmen admission to a school like UC-San Diego or U Miami under false pretenses, tell them that he is 18 years old or has been in the Army for the last 4 years and, if he gets in, go for a couple of years and have a more normal college experience - take interesting courses, do lots of EC's, party a little, meet girls, etc.</p>
<p>Regarding college fit, we didn't pay enough attention to the size of the schools he applied to but it turns out that going to a big university with lots of graduate schools has been good for him. He encounters many Harvard Law, Business and Kennedy School of Government graduate students and he's gotten a better idea of what he might eventually like to do from knowing them and attending their events. His younger sister will be applying to college next year and we'll definitely pay attention to whether a similar setting will (or won't) work for her.</p>