<p>1 from NY, 1 from Las Vegas, 1 from CA, 1 from TX. Across the hall, I noted someone from HI; downstairs, someone from India.</p>
<p>Elizabeth. The Harvard guys have not moved in yet and the MIT guys are still getting settled. When I was in college, it used to be said that Harvard guys dated Wellesley girls because Cliffies were too uptight. There are no longer any Cliffies, but I'm sure there's still dating. And there are all those great guys over at BU, BC, Tufts, etc... Hang in there.</p>
<p>Elizabeth--</p>
<p>Hang in there; opportunities will come! My son is a junior at MIT, and his girlfriend a junior at Wellesley. He met her at a social hosted by his fraternity to which Wellesley girls were invited. A bus runs often from Wellesley to Harvard to MIT. </p>
<p>We are so impressed by his Wellesley gf--she has a lot of confidence and strength--perhaps because she's going to an all-girls school! </p>
<p>Don't be too put off by the MIT frats--they're pretty mild in comparison to other colleges.</p>
<p>Hi everyone..so jealous, Mom of Incas that your boy is within view of Michael Chabon. Adore him. Go to his personal website where he has a few of his own essays posted and read the one about Berkeley. priceless. For any Maryland residents, Chabon also posted an incredible essay on growing up in Columbia, MD, a planned community where I have friends, an attempt at Utopia now a DC bedroom commute. Founded by actor Edward Norton's grandfather, trivia, but interesting..I liked those essays so much I printed them out when my son was writing his to inspire him to describe his own place and reveal himself in the description and I believe Chabon showed him how to attempt it in a way that had great outcomes.
Beururah, thanks for all the memories during your son's incredible decision making season...you were a daily bright spot of humour and release in a tense month for many of us...My S has "never been happier" now that he lives at Duke..far cry from the angst he went through making that decision. We felt it might be too impersonal, overstimulating, not the coherent undergraduate experience he sought...in a town too similar to the one he already grew up in. My son wanted a change of location but 85% of the students are brave travelers from afar like from Kansas! or other states or countries and he is getting the ride of his life just meeting his diverse set of classmates! So to quote Ondaatje since Chabon is in this thread, one learns in life that "...we are the countries." Duke's classical music scene is lively, the school spirit is great, the weather is great, the food and lodging and community feel is great, FOCUS is incredibly delivering on its promise to give a rather large research university a small intimate liberal arts experience for freshmen, and he is finding his dorm mates to be more personable than even hoped for..got a fabulous roommate...calm, mature, independent, smart without any ego on display, outdoorsman with no TV and video games brought to their private space (my personal unspoken hope in a world where the internet already robs several hours a day from us all). The roommate alone made me realize the admissions people at Duke really do look at intangibles like character.<br>
The night before we left Durham, I got sick and missed the convocation..which was a loss, but the move-in went smoothly. I cant' feel sorry for myself as a parent for missing the convocation because I was there for all the steps that led to that hour, and had loads of time with my son in the year he searched for his college. So many wonderful memories of watching him define himself more and more accurately as the months of the college search lurched forward. I got to watch the speech on webcast later and it gave me joy...Brodhead being one of the most humane things about Duke. My S's absence is still unreal, and his being within three hours of us adds to the sense that he is not far away, but it does sink in at times that he is on a new path with great momentum and meaning. He is terrible on the phone, and thus I am deprived of his wit and descriptive powers, how I envy you parents of Chatty people, but I hear the excitement and happiness in his voice that tells me he is where he needs to be now, defining himself within his own contemporaries and his times.<br>
Elizabeth, you go ahead and be a bit restless, just make sure you grow to love and appreciate and embrace all that Wellesley teachers and classmates offer you regardless. Your restlessness may be just the ticket to that great outing plan or that wonderful internship and you may be one of those kids that "makes things happen" socially. Then your classmates will "call you blessed" one day and remember how you created more social options around you. Throw yourself into your school for now and keep looking ahead at what is around the corner. I know you will be having a blast somewhere.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone :). I did notice today that the arrival of the Harvard boys made a pretty marked difference in the numbers of guys around the area. </p>
<p>The only problem with the whole socializing at Babson/Olin thing is that I basically don't know how to do it. I don't have friends at either school, and it seems like I'd need to know someone there in order to have something to do if I went to visit. I'm sure it'll all work out- I just wanted to give you all a totally honest answer to the question, and maybe let other kids who just went to school know that they're not totally weird if it's not going perfectly for them.</p>
<p>I'm so glad that your kids are all thriving at school- and I hope I meet some of the ones in the Boston area :-P.</p>
<p>Elizabeth I think it really will all work out. It just takes time. I think that you will some memorable and fun times.</p>
<p>momof2inca,</p>
<p>I started a thread after dropping my S off, but not much more...you didn't miss anything.</p>
<p>What to tell? Well, like yours my S does not communicate much but we have had a few brief conversations. He has some great mentors at school who are trying to guide him. For eg..The head of the Japanese Dept (who taught him at OSU the last 2 summers in the immersion programs) is encouraging him to double major and got involved with his scheduling. As he wants to go to Japan to study abroad at least 1 semester, he needs to be careful to get all his reqs in. His classes are great except Intro to Psych which is driving him mad. The stats work they did last week, he did in hs in FST. The level of students in the classes has been a joy and already taken for granted. He took something like 50 books to school because he couldn't bear to be parted from them. (I of course shared how this was a bad idea). It ends up that 2 of them are required books for a class. (Only HE would have required books as "pleasure reading" material! :-) ) He has met many nice people who are similar to him and is very busy. His roommate is a HUGE partier (moved in with a case of beer and 2 bottles of booze) which is the opposite of my S. He is a nice kid, though and they are getting along well I guess. The prof who wants my S to work in his lab has contacted him and they will meet next week to get started..that's VERY exciting for my S.</p>
<p>The atmosphere at WASHU is very nurturing and that was a bit of a surprise in a good way of course, but it makes me feel relax about him being there. The size of the school is good. Didn't get the feeling it was all rich kids or anything like that. VERY friendly campus! All in all, so far a good experience.</p>
<p>Glad your S called. WOW! Sounds like he is very involved and well on his way. How cool is that that he might know the new governor! LOL! That is too cute. I'm glad your fears have been somewhat alievated. It's hard as we both so thought that UChicago was the perfect school for them both. I guess it's a good lesson, that there are many good matches for these kids. They just have to find them and give them a chance!</p>
<p>Also..thanks for the heads up on Chabon. I have never read him at all, but I will now.</p>
<p>As an aside. My S has a good friend attending a school known for being a BIG party school. We are very close to this boy and he wants to stay in touch with us. He has called us twice (in 9 days), once drunk, telling us school is all about drinking and women! Sigh...</p>
<p>elizabeth: </p>
<p>I know that Olin is making an effort to enhance friendship with Wellesley. Last year, when we had our 3x a year talent show with food type things, Wellesley students were invited and treated to dinner at Olin. That will probably happen again this year a little before Thanksgiving. There might be other stuff going on too, but it's early in the year and I haven't heard.</p>
<p>Also check out <a href="http://wellesley.olin.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://wellesley.olin.edu/</a>.</p>
<p>Elizabeth, did you attend the concert yesterday at City Hall? I got a text message from my BU freshman S: "Boston kicks ass! I'm at a free concert with Cake." He said it was called Disorientation, sponsored by a radio station, for all the new college students.</p>
<p>Our first phone call was Friday night. It was 1 a.m. EDT. He had gone to a play on campus and then dinner with someone. Some classes were boring...specifically the required poli sci intro course. His high school did an incredible job preparing him. I think he'll be challenged by the statistics and microeconomics classes.</p>
<p>Hey, my son went to that concert, too! (Although what he told me was that it was a free Cake concert, not that it featured other groups, too. ;) ) He called to tell me he'd be going, along with most everyone else -- although this is only the 4th phonecall I've gotten in 2 weeks. Come to think of it, that might not be such a bad ratio...!</p>
<p>Thank you Elizabeth, for your candor. I remember 4 years ago hearing all the "it's so wonderful" stories when my D, not quite in Andi's son's situation, but nevertheless, due to instance on reaching way too high (unrealistically so) was at a safety school and felt she was settling. The down side was that it is rather a commuter school, only freshman live on campus and it simply doesn't have that "real" school feel. So, with friends at the biggies, she was feeling badly about herself and her accomplishments- too many lottery schools, not enough matches, she looked great on paper, but no hook. I did spend the senior year telling her she'd end up where she ended up, but did not, perhaps, have the confident authority on the process I do now. Her other option, a good and well-known, school did not offer enough $, so the financial safety aspect is also important to consider. It was tough to hear all the postings here about excited and happy kids when I knew she was settling (in her mind) and she tends to be more emotional so I did not know how she would adapt.</p>
<p>She has discovered many positives about her school and her area- it is still a greatly commuter school and she is one of the commuters, living at the beach...not too shabby. She joined an organisation to make more friends and has a job with people she likes. So, I would say it had been about a "B" as experiences go, but it was definitely one of those cases where she would not listen to us and has had to live the consequences of her actions.</p>
<p>D2 is at a flagship UC, she did listen to us and got into 6 excellent match/reach schools and chose that UC because she did not want to go east and she wanted the real sports teams to cheer on. She is enjoying football and classes and new friends and having a blast. I think there is something to the "you're about as happy as you make up your mind to be" saying</p>
<p>D1 would have been happier sooner if that was the place she had dreamed to attend, but she came around and has had a positive experience...she had to decide to do that ;)</p>
<p>It's okay to question the fit of the school and you can always transfer, but if you suspect the fit is there, then your attitude in approaching live is going to have a significant impact on your enjoyment.</p>
<p>Well, Wellesley is not exactly a safety school and is not in the least shabby. It's just that the social scene around Boston has not really started yet.</p>
<p>No, I did not mean that Wells was a safety, just that there are many people who may read how thrilled most posters kids are and wonder about their choices...most of which will work out well. Heck, there is an entire post about kids bored and disappointed on my D2's school thread and most kids who apply are turned down and there is tons to do there, so any one can be disappointed when things don't seem teh way they hoped.</p>
<p>Just trying to encourage not-so-great-start stories, too. It is reassuring to know that the journey is not always smooth sailing for every one. As a matter of fact, D2 at flagship public U has run into almost every problem and issue we warned her could happen, roommate assignments, $$ being credited properly, not getting classes, etc., but she doesn't care, cuz she is where she wants to be and the rest will work out fine, she's sure!</p>
<p>My D1's "safety" is still top 40, tier 1, just a safety in her mind...a reach for many :)</p>
<p>So, basically, some kids start out living the dream from day 1, others have to work harder to find it, but the attitude with which they approach the experience is a large factor in determining how soon things are feeling good.</p>
<p>Here's one for y'all! Son is on his way to a medical clinic with fever, sore throat and 8000 miles away from my help. He will be leaving for school tomorrow by plane....he has to pack up alone, get his gear together and fly across the country...sick!</p>
<p>kdos, I got such a warm feeling from your description of your S! It sounds like he is fitting in and loving it! So happy for you!! </p>
<p>Somemom -- I, too, was really surprised to read those comments you mentioned about the bored students at our kids' uni. I cannot fathom being bored at a place like that. There is such a diversity of experiences available and sooo many different types of people and classes. Very strange. Even Welcome Weeks seemed to offer a plethora of opportunities, from serious and low-key to crazy fun.</p>
<p>Faline, thanks for the tip about Chabon's website. I found the Berkeley essay... good stuff. My H and I want to move there when we retire! I'll have to look for the other essay that the wrote about MD. I have all of his books, first editions, including the kids' book "Summerland." My favorite is his first novel, "Mysteries of Pittsburgh," which is remniscent of "The Great Gatsby" in the richness of language and story structure. Someday I will meet him and get him to sign "Mysteries."</p>
<p>Oh, Overseas! I'm so sorry. I hope it's nothing serious. :(</p>
<p>Thanks, probably some sort of flu.....he has no resistance to North American strains of anything....but I feel so bad for him. But then, come to think of it, I went to school with my arm in a sling for the first few weeks.....back in the day.</p>
<p>Overseas,</p>
<p>Hope your son is feeling better really soon! How awful to have to pack and move while sick. :-(</p>
<p>At least he should have some nice people to take care of him when he gets there--it seems like a very caring college.</p>
<p>Susan, thanks. Actually, I will feel a whole lot better once he gets there.</p>
<p>Overseas:</p>
<p>My best wishes for your S's prompt recovery. I tend to get some bug every September myself. I don't know why.</p>
<p>elizabeth22 - I was at Cold Stones (ice cream) in Boston last night - and the place was buzzing, no ultra buzzing with college students.......Boston is just getting going as kids move in and figure out where to go for fun. My husband and I were really sorry that our son chose to go to school in VA........Boston is a great college town - you might have to find where to go but I thnk you will have no trouble meeting other students. There's a Cold Stones in Cambridge as well. If you don't meet any guys there you will at least have GREAT ice cream!!!</p>