<p>Haha. Momofthree you are definitely not alone.</p>
<p>momofrower: Congratulations on the rowing.</p>
<p>I joined after S1 was well into his freshman year…can’t really recall what brought me to the site, but it has made all the difference in S2’s journey (college class of 2014).</p>
<p>S1 will graduate in May with an aerospace engineering degree. He went into college knowing exactly what he wanted to study and exactly where he wanted to study it. His choice has proved to be a good one, as he is very happy at his school. He has achieved a math minor and is still working toward a CS minor and has taken his AE degree work into the computer programming arena. Last summer he had an internship in San Francisco as a programmer and hopes to find something similar after this coming May (he is secretly hoping that the same company will offer full-time employment and I would LOVE to visit San Francisco!).</p>
<p>His college years have been a blast! He is very active in his fraternity and was elected one of two undergrad rep to their Board of Trustees. He has served as a student government rep and this year is student government vice president. He competed for and won the role of “sweetheart” for a sorority. He organized and ran the campus-wide Human vs Zombies event last spring. And just last weekend had his head shaved for a campus-wide charity event: four guys were nominated and whoever had the most donations in their name had his head shaved in front of the student body, prior to a Friday night guest entertainer. Boy, he’s gonna miss college…;)</p>
<p>And he is also not intending to return to the nest after graduation, no matter what…</p>
<p>dd is still at Cornell, set to graduate in May with 2 majors and a minor. writing an honors thesis, got the advisor she wanted who had 10 request him and only took on two advisees. she has applied for the job she has wanted since she was in 4th grade - probably won’t hear anything until next spring. she spent her semester abroad in the middle east and stayed to work there over the summer. she was reflecting on her time and noted that she has been able to do most of what she wanted to do at Cornell. AND she learned to play beer pong.</p>
<p>My daughter has loved the University of Pittsburgh. She went in as a Japanese language major, but she soon fell in love with cognitive psychology and switched to that. She did make it up to Japanese Level 4, though, and will graduate with an Asian Studies certificate. She’s also fascinated by the brain and neuroscience and has taken a couple of very challenging courses in that. She did a directed-research project in junior year that she enjoyed, and based on that she found a summer job at a local university doing similar work. She is on track for Phi Beta Kappa and psych departmental honors. She graduates in May!</p>
<p>I’m glad to read about all the good outcomes for the college Class of 2011! Where have four years gone?</p>
<p>Great idea for a thread! I also want to credit CC with being such an incomparable source of information.</p>
<p>Hello Old Friends,
Thank you so much for starting this thread. I am overjoyed with all our kids successes and trials, as the trials are where the growth occurs.</p>
<p>DS1 is finishing up at Univeristy of Miami with a dual majopr in History and Philosophy with a minor in the Classics. Like Crazed son, he could have graduated long ago, but was waiting his whole life for the perfect college experience and he definatley got it at the U. He matured into imaturity and has come full circle. He has interned with the local congressman’s campain, interned at the state prosecuters office and last summer in DC as a congressional intern. He is applying to law schools with the desire to become a prosecuterer. He is thinking about the JAG program ( sigh). He is very happy, very involved with campus life. UM was by far the best choice for him, although it was not his first choice. ( Crazed, how do we not know each other, will PM you).</p>
<p>Wishing all the kids much success in this economy and the parents much comfort in next phase of our darling childrens lives.</p>
<p>I appreciate all I gained from this site. Better than Valium, a trip to the shrink ( but not my Oreos)</p>
<p>oreos used to be my drug of choice, switched to M&Ms…now, at 56, on skinny cows!</p>
<p>and wine - don’t forget the wine!!!</p>
<p>^Nothing beats Lindt 85% cocoa, it is not my drug, it is my every day breakfast. Makes me happy for the rest of the day. I also like something much stronger than wine. But I also like beer. Both are good in a evening instead of sleeping pills, taste much better too.</p>
<p>I would love to see this same thread but with kids whose academic success was perhaps less “guaranteed.” Like my S, for example, who might end up at a Jr college after high school. :)</p>
<p>When I first discovered CC, knowing nothing about American education, I was flabbergasted at the stats posted here. As, straight As, 4.0+ GPAs, 2400 SATs. A long-time poster explained to me that CC was not representative of the average American population, but rather of over-achieving parents and kids. I agree with you, Bflogal, that most posts are pretty daunting for people with “normal” children. (:</p>
<p>I was posting under a different name back then…shared account with kid…but I guess I didn’t post where son went (thought I did…oh well)</p>
<p>Son #1…University of Alabama…Applied Math major, Computer-based Honors minor, Philosophy minor. Will graduate in May. Super happy with his GRE scores. 4.0 GPA. Currently applying to PhD programs. Wants to be a Math professor.</p>
<p>D#1, senior at smallish private Ohio school, went in majoring in Public Relations, graduating in May '11 - DEFINITELY a Public Relations major with concentrations in marketing and organizational communication - has had a couple solid major related internships, is president of her PR national organization on campus and recently won 2 major awards for comm students in Ohio - so I guess she knew what she wanted right from the start!</p>
<p>Now if only a job is around the bend…:)</p>
<p>Maybe time to revive this thread :)</p>
<p>S1 recently posted a pic on his Twitter account, of his “application for graduation”. Along with all the check marks for completed requirements (major and degree coursework, all payments current, no outstanding parking fines, etc.) was the highlighted note, “CONGRATULATIONS”.</p>
<p>Guess it’s real now…he will be finishing in May. Thanking all the gods 
!!</p>
<p>When did four years become shorter? Between 1972-76, they seemed to last forever! :)</p>
<p>I just did D1’s college yearbook congratulatory page. It was like yesterday when I did the high school one.</p>
<p>S is graduating in May from Whitman - his original school - and has loved every minute of it. Lots of campus activities, varsity athlete, and writer. He will have a degree in English and is applying for fellowships overseas, following a wonderful internship experience in Africa.</p>
<p>Graduation accommodation tip (not that any of us experienced parents likely need it ):</p>
<p>I booked our hotel rooms for this coming May graduation last June. This week when I looked at the Marriott website, I saw that rooms had dropped in price by $100 per night. Now I’m sure that when we actually paid upon departure, they would have charged us the lower price :), but I ended up canceling the earlier reservation and rebooking the rooms at the current, lower price. And for three rooms for 5 nights, it really added up. I recommend checking/confirming those graduation travel plans.</p>
<p>Now onto flight reservations…</p>
<p>Wish I could be so lucky! I booked a room for May exactly a year before I needed it. When I tried to book another a week or so later, everything close to the school was sold out. I have checked periodically thoughout the past year, and a few rooms have become available in the most expensive hotels … at an exorbitant price. As it is, I am paying about $100 more per night than I would pay on any other date. Of course, I could get a room a bit farther away for less, but I am willing to pay for the convenience just this once (thus, the hotels can get the high prices they charge :)).</p>
<p>I am with D1 (2011) this weekend to watch her perform last time in school. I caught myself saying a few times, “Next time we should do this…” I realized this probably will be the last time we do some of those things together. We went to her school store to pick out the diploma frame.</p>
<p>D1´s school has a great thing in offering dorm/apartment rooms to families. D1 got a very good number to choose a room, but we won´t be needing it. We rented a place a year ago.</p>
<p>DD is at the same school (USD) and is set to graduate with a major and two minors.
She applied ‘undecided’.
She might have ended up with 3 majors but neither of her minors is available as a major.</p>
<p>We just finished arrangements for the opposite coast graduation trip.
Found a great condo in San Diego on VRBO $200/night; it will accommodate parents, grandparents and a sib or two! Glad I held off on booking hotel rooms!</p>