<p>Just wondering how everyone else is faring after the first day of school. My D survived her first day of college with a lot of frustration which she turned into moments for learning. First class was at 8:30 am and her last ended at 10 pm. Lots of rushing around then finding out in the middle of the day that her adviser wants her drop two classes and replace them with two other classes. She’s happier today when she received the care package I sent. What lucky timing!</p>
<p>Wow, Aloha, your D had a tough first day. I guess the silver lining is that at least her advisor was paying attention to her. Maybe the new classes will ease up her schedule a bit.</p>
<p>I agree with boysx3 - your daughter appears to have a good advisor. Her first day schedule seemed brutal and I hope that the change of class did make things better for her. College is an adjustment. My daughter seems to be adjusting well. She has made some close friends and she thought her classes were good. Lots of reading. I think that will be the big adjustment.</p>
<p>You’re doing better than me! I’m taking that as a good sign, though!</p>
<p>I would have to say that most of the communication is through text messaging and facebook. I also get lots of info through Twitter!</p>
<p>Text messaging and facebook for us. S seems fine psychologically. Currently has two excess courses in his mind since he wants to take two others that he didn’t get. We haven’t heard from him again on that but hope it works itself out.</p>
<p>If it helps…my son is a junior at AU, and it has been my experience that most students there quickly learn to advocate for themselves and to work with their advisors to mold they experience they want.</p>
<p>Maybe it’s the kind of students who choose AU?</p>
<p>I spoke to my son today…he truly didn’t like one of his classes/professors, asked around today, tomorrow is switching to a different class reflecting an interest he developed over the summer that will also fulfill a requirement, albeit a different requirement than the class he is dropping. He will just fulfill that other requirement with a different class next semester…he has developed a plan and is moving forward on all cylinders (mom, I can’t decide between two majors and two minors, or maybe a triple major…but then I really want all these free electives so maybe just a major and a minor…?)</p>
<p>Please tell your students that they best resource they have, in addition to their advisor, is all the older students on campus. They should ask around for advice/anecdotes. Ask students in their classes, in their clubs or other activities. AU is really a village…if the person you ask for advice doesn’t have any, they will certainly know someone who does. And who will be glad to help.</p>
<p>I like the “advocate for themselves”. I am hoping that D will become more assertive during her time at AU.</p>
<p>Thanks boysx3 and NewJerseyMom. I agree that the advisor did make her schedule much more manageable. And I’m happy that D is quickly learning what it’s like to be independent. In one week she’s: survived an earthquake, a hurricane, a negotiation with her roommate who brought a boy to sleep in their room on the second night, and the untangling of her schedule. Not bad at all.</p>
<p>Mattj, that was funny! I have to admit that I did initiate most of the communication (mostly text messages) except for the call of frustration initiated by her regarding her advisor. To which I just advised her to “go with the flow” and provided her with this quote: "“Frustration is the compost from which the mushrooms of creativity grow.” :)</p>
<p>I guess I should have been more prepared with some calming words. Hmmm… I bet there is a CC thread for that!</p>
<p>Just found out through twitter that my D was up very late swimming in work - and it’s just the first week! College is a big adjustment and they really do have to figure it out on their own. I don’t remember having that much work the first week all those years ago! Aloha - regarding your D having her roommate bring a boy up to the room to sleep - we figure that if there is an upside to having a triple it is that there is no extra room for another person and you cannot kick two roommates out of the room! Congrats to your D for navigating so much in one week.</p>
<p>Thanks NewJerseyMom. I’m pretty proud of her. She is actually in a triple but the third roommate did not materialize. So what initially felt like a blessing became a curse as the roommate started inviting others to crash on the extra bed. With regard to your D-- Wow! Sounds like she has some pretty hardcore professors. Hope she’s getting a break this weekend.</p>
<p>AlohaTM, eventually Housing will remove the extra bed from your D’s room and make this a non-issue. It wouldn’t hurt for her to move the process along by submitting a request.</p>
<p>Good to know MommaJ. D actually resolved the issue with the roommate by insisting on no overnight guests as part of their roommate agreement and it seems to have worked… so far. She’s normally not a very assertive person so this was a good learning experience for her.</p>
<p>AlohaTM - great that your daughter made the roommate agreement as her roommate could have had an overnight guest even with the bed removed. Important to set up those expectations in the beginning. </p>
<p>Worried about my D’s work. She has not gone to bed before 2 this entire week.</p>
<p>NJM,
it sure does seem like kids burn the candle at the both ends, doesn’t it! College has a lot of work…and it’s different work than students have done before, so it takes a while until they get the hang of it.</p>
<p>If your daughter is not going to bed til 2, ask her what time she is getting up? She may have just somewhat switched her schedule around…or she may have activities in the evening after dinner and not settle down to study until late…or maybe she studies after dinner and then comes back to the dorm and wants to chill out for a while before going to bed…or is she a bit overwhelmed?</p>
<p>And one possibly helpful suggestion–</p>
<p>my son will often look at the next week or two of his schedule–what is due and when, what quizzes and exams, what other obligations/fun things are on the schedule,etc. For example, fraternity meetings/club sports/intramural sports/community service project, etc.</p>
<p>He then pulls out his day planner and plots what he wants to get done and when-- it gives him a dose of reality, and also removes the sense that he is overwhelmed. For example, last semester he did his econ reading on Mondays between 12-3 and on Friday afternoons; he did his accounting homework on Wednesdays when he could get to the tutoring sessions later in the day if he had a problem, since the problem sets were due on Fridays, etc. He left big chunks of time for projects and papers, and also scheduled his study groups. And he left big chunks of unscheduled time as well.</p>
<p>His plan isn’t set in concrete…when something comes along that he wants to do, he can check his planner to see if he can fit it in, by finding another slot to get whatever done. And if he can’t, then he knows it.</p>
<p>His planning isn’t at all rigid…it just makes him feel more in control and less anxious.</p>
<p>ymmv
This system worked for my son because it made him feel more in control and less overwhelmed.</p>
<p>One other thing…my son really likes to get his work done during the day or on Sundays. He likes Saturday to be a complete break from work. </p>
<p>And he really doesn’t like to do a lot of work in the evenings…he likes to do reading then, but not so much problem sets or papers. In addition, he finds most study groups/project groups prefer to meet in the evening, so he finds it better for him to leave the evening slot more open.</p>
<p>One other quirk–he prefers to do his work on campus, and not so much at his apartment. He likes there to be more of a division between where he works and where he relaxes. Plus, he feels more distracted at home. Instead of just focusing on his work, he thinks that maybe he should do laundry/change sheets/clean kitchen and bathroom/take out trash/empty dishwasher/…anything but schoolwork!</p>
<p>Have your daughter consider her own work habits/preferences so she can find a system that works for her.</p>
<p>Thank you, boysx3. I appreciate your helpful posts!</p>
<p>I have to chime in. My D is a soph this year and she reported that during freshman year she finally realized the benefits of a planner, even though HS had made them use one for 4 years! Freshman year is the time for them to find an organization plan that works for them. And most of them will figure it out soon!</p>
<p>megpmom… funny, I was thinking about that planner I suggested my D get but which she declined to get during move-in week. Yesterday, D reported that she went back to the bookstore to get a planner. :)</p>
<p>Ever since high school, my daughter has been hooked on planners. When our school district stopped giving them out due to budget cuts, my D was on a mission last year to find the best one for her. She did buy one this year on move in day.</p>