<p>Sheesh, northeastmom. Freshmen are supposed to have lined up next year's roomies in October of their first term?!? That's cold.</p>
<p>Cheers: S announced early in the term that workload was "manageable." When transferring to a "more competitive" school, this is always a worry. But, with DS having been at 3 schools now, I think the workload differences are de minimus.
Jeers: Like katliamom, I'm in the "last to know" category. His prior school had freshmen mid-term grade reports; don't think that's the case here. At his Katrina visiting school, he shared over Thanksgiving that he was carrying mostly A's and a B; so maybe we'll hear more at Turkey time.
Cheers: He told DH, who visited a couple weekends ago, that he was making friends through roommate. Seems to be enjoying hiimself and balancing work and play.
Fears: Is he <em>really</em> making friends? Really, really?? Did DH really probe this issue sufficiently?
Jeers: ^^ A mother should really get a life and let go on such worries.
Cheers and fears: He has spent hardly a penny of his allowance???? Had no comment when I mentioned it.
Coping strategy: I have anointed myself President and Chief Operating Officer of the No-News-Is-Good-News-Club.</p>
<p>Cheers: Grades are good, though she was sad about a B....but the kids is finding out she LOVES CHEMISTRY....a very, very strange development for my kid.</p>
<p>Tears: She actually experienced some homesickness a couple of weeks ago, so she is comming home for her fall break!!! :)</p>
<p>Cheers: enjoying her dance experience with this new choreographer. DD did observe that this choreographer, as a true multi-national who speaks 5 languages, tends to be less aware of which is actually comming out of her mouth by the time evening rolls around and they are rehearsing. Makes for some confusion at rehearsals, I gather! ;)</p>
<p>jeers- the school does not have mid-term reports. (maybe a good thing?)
cheers- s says he's making A's, made a 100 (!) on his last midterm. Joined a frat, a pre-professional club, an intramural sport, and is considering trying as a walk on for spring sport, is working out with some of the players.
tears- my youngest is graduating this spring and we'll be all alone this time next year.
jeers- some mix up with the food plan and we double payed for 2 months. Oh well, hope he ate good.</p>
<p>jmmom, I don't know if he should know who is to room with yet, but I do know that he has a housing contract to sign by 11/1. I no longer see the forms, so I don't know exactly what needs to be done.</p>
<p>Cheers: He's been working hard, and first round of exams have gone fine. He finishes up with World History Thursday.</p>
<p>Cheers: Girlfriend due in to visit for the weekend Thursday night.</p>
<p>Cheers: Gets along well with roommies and has made lots of "friends" so the social life is great. He says he has a group of about 10 guys that often go out on weekends. Mom is grateful that he has someone to eat with in dining hall.</p>
<p>Fears: Serious illness at home has raised ugly head. Uncertain times ahead.</p>
<p>amdgmom - fingers crossed for you on that last fear.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Joined a frat, a pre-professional club, an intramural sport, and is considering trying as a walk on for spring sport, is working out with some of the players.
[/quote]
Yep. LOL. That's the sure schedule for success. You can join me in a chorus of "Slow the He(ck) Down, Why Don'tcha?" in a couple months.</p>
<p>Curm,
"You can join me in a chorus of Slow the He(ck) Down, Why Don'tcha?" in a couple months.'
-- that advice will probably work as well for doubleplay's S as it does/will for your D. :)</p>
<p>-- And I mean that as a complete 100% compliment.</p>
<p>DD's school doesn't do midterm grade reports, but she reports very good grades. It's her scholarship to keep or lose, and she's always been harder on herself than we could ever be, so I foresee no problems. She knows what the consequences are if she loses her scholarship, and the thought of leaving a school that she loves so much is enough to keep her on her toes.</p>
<p>Cheers: No mid-term reports yet, but the grades are trickling in and are mostly As and A-s...even in the much-dreaded-in-advance music theory class.</p>
<p>Cheers: Daughter is working hard; "My professors weren't informed that this is a safety school."</p>
<p>Cheers: Has started singing with a praise band at a local church, is one of 15 freshman selected to participate in the school's Emerging Leader Institute, and is heading to Juniata this weekend for a one-day workshop on Western/Muslim Relations. She's also started working with her advisor on creating an individualized BA in "Global Cultural Studies" to complement her music BA.</p>
<p>Tears/fears: Her health continues to be shaky, and the health center doctors are working aggressively to get to the bottom of things. After three months of ongoing problems with no clear diagnosis (at home and at school), she's feeling a bit frustrated but mostly taking things in stride; Mom is the one with all the tears and fears.</p>
<p>not to get sidetracked, but mezzomom, have you considered food allergies? they can be very sneaky and present symptoms that "mimic" other things...I had a friends who's S was sick alot, and they finally figured out it was wheat...just a thought...</p>
<p>back to topic:</p>
<p>we too are waiting for midterm (HS) for a scholarship, which has pretty darn high standards....D says she is doing well, should be good to go</p>
<p>hope everything is great for everyone, and remember, whatever gets reported, so long as they are safe, fed, sheltered and healthy, we should be grateful</p>
<p>Curm: Our son's story from Rhodes is very similar. He is loving life! Lots of friends, enjoys the basketball team and his classes. He was very concerned about 2 midterms but had good results so a very happy Fall Break. Had some plane problems today and just called to let us know that he is finally on the ground in Memphis, cutting things close for their first official basketball practice tonight!</p>
<p>Cheers: in an email from S today, "I signed up for intramural basketball last night. I'm a little nervous because I haven't played basketball since my freshman year in high school but remember it being extremely fun to play. I'm going to definitely play once this weekend at the gym and get good again." </p>
<p>Only an 18-year old would have the confidence that playing once over the week-end would be sufficient to "get good again". I will be expecting a sad email after the tryouts, but this S bounces back from such set-backs in minutes. I wish I could maintain such optimism.</p>
<p>Fears: not enough sleep. Reportedly stays up until 1:00 on an ordinary night, 3:30 a.m. on heavy homework nights, and 6:00 a.m. on week-ends.</p>
<p>Jeers: S1 is jealous of S2, whose mediocre high school grades will lead to a less selective college. Says he sometimes wishes he had gone to an easier school, preferably near a beach. Grades are fine so far, so hasn't turned fantasy into action.</p>
<p>Does anybody else here have a kid who is freaked out over the first exam grades and a harder-than-anticipated course (or courses)? I had to do a lot of reassuring last week over the first-in-a-lifetime "C" on a test where d. felt she had a good command of the subject. (It was the essay that fell short of the prof's expectations).</p>
<p>Okay, a bit more of an update: S reports that he will run out of dining dollars a little too soon - we guessed wrong on the meal plan. Since this kid could have benefitted from the freshman 15, which he never did put on, meals are not an area we want to scrimp. So, mom will be plumping up the j-card account soon.</p>
<p>He also reports that he's carrying mostly B's and one A at this point. For Engineering at JHU taking 17.5 credits, I can live with that. Cheers.</p>
<p>cross-posted with calmom: S did have a first-ever C, also on a writing assignment. Was not freaked out, though. "It's only one grade." He's a great creative writer but not so great technical writer, which of course he needs to be. So he "gets" that it's a learning curve. And it helps that the prof gave specific feedback on what would improve things.</p>
<p>Son just got an email from his advisor stating that some students will have midyear grades sent to their home address. He was warning them. I thought that schools did not let mommy and daddy know how their kiddies were doing until it is time to pack one's bags and leave a school for poor academic standing. I am surprised, that I would be notified about poor midyear grades. I think that it is a good thing, but I had better never receive that notification.</p>
<p>calmom, D did allow that she had worked very hard in her composition class and expressed concern that she might not presently be capable of better work. </p>
<p>She did say that she disliked the topic and felt the second (third?) paper would be better because it gave her a chance to "think" on paper. I am assuming that means the other paper didn't let her show her ability to think? :eek: LOL. We may have found the problem. </p>
<p>I explained to her that she shouldn't be able to do A work in this writing course at the start- and if she could, she didn't need the course at all. </p>
<p>I'm still pleased she chose to take the course she knew would be the biggest challenge when she could have avoided it and in fact had to fight to get in it. </p>
<p>She also had an 80% on a lab test that is dragging her grade down in that lab. These are not familiar grades but I would rather her reaction been a little more toned down. A notch or three. Heck, a whole octave. LOL.</p>
<p>Some teachers start out by grading hard. Then by the end of the semester the grades are up to the grade inflated levels we have all come to love. Last year as a freshman, my D did encounter a couple of courses where the profs did not believe in grade inflation. A "C" each semester caught her attention and were more valuable than any other grades she received. It is too bad that financial assistance and especially merit aid is often tied to a gpa. That makes it difficult to set high standards and move away from grade inflation.</p>