<p>Our son will be attending my alma mater, University of Missouri, and I am excited about sharing the traditions of the school with him. Since we have been to campus many times together, he already knows some of them, but I am eager to hear about his experiences as a student on a campus that I dearly love.</p>
<p>I'm amazed at the differences/advancements in the registration, residence hall selection and orientation process since 1973. I have yet to find a question that didn't have an answer on the website or in literature sent to us. I remember feeling pretty in the dark in 1973. It's all making me pretty proud--except for the online room selection crashing for four hours on the first day!</p>
<p>When I graduated, the Honors College had a tiny office that was hard to find and about five classes a semester. Now it has its own building and wide range of offerings. The old musty fieldhouse and gym are now one of the country's best collegiate recreation centers. The floor where I lived in an all-women's dorm now houses a men's engineering freshman interest group. And the bar where I purchased my first illegal/underage beer is now "reborn" as a restaurant in the new student center, complete with the only wall salvaged after fire destroyed the original building.</p>
<p>I think I'll find at Summer Welcome that life as a Mizzou parent will be just as great as life as a Mizzou student.</p>
<p>Just curious how many other parents have children attending or soon to attend their alma mater and your thoughts.</p>
<p>My son will be attending H’s and my alma mater (Northwestern) this fall. He is already quite familiar with the campus, as we live 45 minutes away and he has attended various summer residential programs there (not because it was our alma mater – it just so happened that’s where they were offered).</p>
<p>We actually steered him away from NU, because we felt it was a big world, he’d grown up only in Chicago, he was fortunate enough to be able to go anywhere – he should explore a bit. We schlepped that kid all around the country :-). But, in August, he came to us and said that NU really was where his heart was and he wanted to go ED there. MY heart was in my mouth over it, as I felt a rejection from there would have a different sting than a rejection from any other school, but I had to let him do it – and turns out he was right.</p>
<p>My daughter is a senior at Cornell, which is also my alma mater.</p>
<p>It has been very interesting seeing the similarities and differences between her experience and mine. Some of them reflect changes over time, but others reflect differences in our academic interests. </p>
<p>Our first visit to the campus was a bit bizarre for me. In my first years at Cornell, the university president was Dale Corson. Later, Frank H.T. Rhodes took over the presidency. When we toured the campus, I was startled to learn that Corson and Rhodes are now the names of buildings!</p>
<p>One caution: If your child attends your alma mater, prepare to be absolutely deluged with e-mails from the school. I get all the alumni mailings from Cornell AND all the parent mailings. Often, I hear from the university several times a week.</p>
<p>I had a great time at my alma mater (UC Santa Barbara) and would recommend it to a friend in a heartbeat, but for some reason I don’t want my kids to go there. Maybe I had too much fun? Anyway, S2 goes to my grandfather(undergrad), mother(undergrad), father(law) and sister (undergrad and grad)'s alma mater (UCLA). My mother is still very involved (has season tickets to football and basketball). So she often sees S2 at games etc… I couldn’t get out of work for Parent Weekend so I sent my mom and she had an incredible time. I am now deluged with mailings/phone calls from D1’s school, S2’s school AND my school.</p>
<p>My daughter goes to my alma mater. I’ve enjoyed seeing what’s stayed the same and what’s changed. But what’s been fun is that her friends also like discussing what’s the same and what has changed. Honestly, we’ve gone out to dinner with them, or just sat around the dorm rooms, discussing this stuff with them.</p>
<p>OWM, as you are aware, we share the same University! Our daughter will also be starting at Mizzou in the Fall. </p>
<p>She has Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins in Columbia. That, coupled with going to football games there since she was a baby, made Mizzou an easy choice for her. She was very excited to get her dorm assignment this week. It is right next to the building that her Mom lived in her freshman year.</p>
<p>I too purchased my first illegal beer at The Shack. Plus the first date that my wife and I went on was at Harpo’s. Obviously Columbia has meant a lot to our family.</p>
<p>I have enjoyed watching the campus change over the years. I discovered one interesting fact when she took her college visit last year. That big building in the middle of campus is actually full of books, who knew? Luckily both daughters take after their mother :)</p>
<p>Summer Welcome will be here before we know it. Then comes Rush ( I guess they call it Recruitment now). Hard to believe it is almost time.</p>
<p>“My daughter is a senior at Cornell, which is also my alma mater.”</p>
<p>Ditto.</p>
<p>"In my first years at Cornell, the university president was Dale Corson. Later, Frank H.T. Rhodes took over the presidency. "</p>
<p>Ditto.</p>
<p>“…your thoughts.”</p>
<p>It’s great to get a chance to visit the ol’ stomping grounds again. And to be able to share some relevant tidbits that may have helped her out a bit. She came in there much more well informed than the typical new student would be, and is having a great experience there, for which I am of course thrilled.</p>
<p>My nieces attended my alma maters, UOr & UCDavis. No one has attended anyone else’s to date. Didn’t have any particular traditions and didn’t share them with nieces; surprised and pleased they chose to attend the schools I graduated from; they enjoyed their experiences at the campuses!</p>