<p>Congrats, packmom, and so so sorry, consolation. Is there someone we can whack over the head on your behalf?</p>
<p>PackMom, That is terrific news. Congrats. We are also commencing on the 4th. DS got a job offer this week. I was hoping (sort of expecting) a little higher offer and he has nothing to compare it to. (He has been so wrapped up finishing his thesis that he put his job search on the back burner.) He does really like the company, so it’s hard to know what to advise.</p>
<p>Thanks all for all the good thoughts. I’m sure the CC karma must have helped 
He talked to someone who told him they only hire one intern per summer so he really lucked out. He’s not a high flyer CC kind of kid. He’s the “3.0-3.3 thread” kind of kid so we’re pretty darn happy here at the PackHouse. </p>
<p>For those still waiting for good things to happen…try to stay positive. S2 applied for so many internships and only got one interview. Turned out one was all he needed.</p>
<p>Great news, PackMom, and congratulations to your son.</p>
<p>Congrats, PackMom. Sure everyone in the Packhousehold is breathing a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>And congrats to your S on the job offer, 1more… like I said to D1 last year when she was holding her breath waiting on med schools. It only takes one yes.</p>
<p>What a relief that must be for you, Packmom! Congrats to your son.</p>
<p>DD was home for the weekend with great news: she was just informed that she’s up for an award given to a student in the top 2% of her graduating class. She knew her grades were good, but had no idea they were THAT good.</p>
<p>Thanks scout. It is a big relief. It’s been weighing heavily on our minds since Winter break when he told us he had to do an internship this summer to graduate. Also put our house up for sale this spring…more stress. Then S1 (military officer) told us he deploys to the Middle East this coming Fall!<br>
The house sold last month. We move to a rental this week, close on our home of 23 years next week, go to graduation the next week (youngest kid,last graduation). Whew!</p>
<p>What an honor for your DD. Top 2% is amazing. Hope she gets the award. You should be very proud regardless.</p>
<p>That’s great news, PackMom. Hang in there Consolation. Your good news is coming. </p>
<p>
My son is complaining that his university didn’t teach him enough. He starts his medical rotations in June and is afraid some “gaps” in his education might be exposed.</p>
<p>Mine is, as of a few hrs ago, on crutches form a pick up sporting game. Ugh. Hope he can walk by graduation time. The facility they use for graduation (and there are 3 separate events he has to participate in) is HUGE.</p>
<p>S1 badly sprained his ankle a couple of weeks after his HS graduation, also from a pick up game. He was on crutches, but only for less than 2 weeks. Hopefully your son heals as quickly (and that graduation isn’t in the next 2 weeks).</p>
<p>Thanks shelfell. Its a bad sprain too. Its splinted, and he has a follow-up appointment in 2 weeks with the Dr. Graduation is a month away, so hopefully all will be well.</p>
<p>As graduation nears, any parents want to weigh on what you will miss after your student leaves their college? While our daughter is likely to be an engaged alum, I am realizing that commencement will probably be our last time on campus. </p>
<p>I will miss hearing about the connections with professors, being on a stunning campus, and knowing that there will be the occasional opportunities to talk with some wonderful members of the community during visits.</p>
<p>I will miss Parents weekend - seeing S, meeting profs, the entertainment, the receptions, meeting other parents.</p>
<p>I honestly won’t miss much else. Even at this point, we’re having trouble getting commencement tickets and it took 2 phone calls and an email to get a response 6 days later as to why. We still have to wait til the end of next week, according to the email response I got. S’ email said tickets would be here 2 days earlier than the email I got. This is just a small example of the problems both S and I have had getting answers to issues that have come up during his time there. Older S went to a different school and we never had these problems there.</p>
<p>Sorry to rant, but it’s been a frustrating week dealing with his school.</p>
<p>I’ll miss visiting the campus, which is beautiful. My H is an alum, so these four years have been fun for him. My son has always been a storyteller, so while I’ll miss his tales of friends and classes, I know that a whole new chapter is about to begin.</p>
<p>D2 defended her senior thesis this morning and will received a “highest distinction for research” notation on her diploma. One of only 4 students in her major. She also found out she’s been nominated for Phi Beta Kappa.</p>
<p>Says only 1 lab report and 2 finals left to go and she’s done. </p>
<p>D2’s big disappointment is the her older sis won’t be able to attend graduation since D1’s med school won’t /can’t release her from (or allow her to postpone or take early) a standardized, computerized 6 hour final exam which is scheduled for 8 am the morning after D2’s graduation and over 2000 miles away.</p>
<p>I won’t miss D2’s campus–although it is lovely. It’s over 2000 miles away and I’ve been there a total of 3 times in 3 years. While D2 has had lots of stories about classes, research lab and her sorority, I’m sure 'll be getting phone calls (or knowing D2–lots of texts) once she starts her job so I’ll hear all about that instead.</p>
<p>Tickets finally arrived in today’s mail. Now I just have to figure out what to wear.</p>
<p>Congrats on your D’s accomplishments, WOWM.</p>
<p>Congrats WOWM!</p>
<p>D1’s campus is about 90 minutes away. I won’t miss moving her in and out. A few times a year I will go down and visit her for lunch and I will miss that. A couple times we have brought our dog and the area is very dog friendly with a lot of neat dog parks and places to walk the dog. The campus is quite nice, we have enjoyed a few baseball and basketball games. They will soon have a brand new university center. We only went to one Parent Weekend, and a couple sorority parent functions. I think the Parent Weekends at S2’s school are a lot more fun. He has two more years and I think I will miss his campus more. You never know where S3 will end up, so maybe we are not done with the campus after all!</p>
<p>Plans are shaping up. Both sons will not attend the graduation because of other commitments. We are having a party at our house the following weekend and they both will be there. All 6 grandparents will be there (my parents are divorced which makes life more complicated). We were alloted 6 tickets, but were able to score 2 more. We decided a late lunch prior to the ceremony will be better than a very late dinner. Which reminds me I need to make reservations. I am going down Friday to spend the weekend. DH does not want to leave 16 year-old S3 alone, so he will come Saturday.</p>
<p>Graduation traditions are beginning! At Mizzou, freshmen walk as a group onto campus through The Columns, which are the remains of one of the original, ca. 1840s university buildings on a beautiful quadrangle. As seniors, they back walk out through the columns, as faculty and students line the quad and cheer. Freshman are served ice cream, and seniors get beer. I just realized that this mirrors a graduation tradition at his small elementary/middle school, where students and teachers line the front walk on the last day of school to cheer on the eighth-graders. Time marches on. We’re making plans for a fun long weekend for graduation May 12. How is everyone else doing during the countdown to commencement?</p>
<p>I am getting excited!!! I just booked a “babysitter” for the dog and S3 (16) so that DH can come for the whole weekend. Graduation is Saturday night, we are going down Friday and our local baseball team will be playing in town so we might go to the game Friday night. We booked our hotel months ago. Two sets of grandparents are just coming for the day, but one set had planned on spending the night, but our hotel is now booked. They found another one close by.</p>
<p>Hurrah! S just heard that he has been awarded an honor through his department–I don’t know exactly what to call it, perhaps “fellowship” comes closest–that places him as an “exchange student” at a European university for a post-grad year. He will apparently be housed by the university, and have the opportunity to teach English in a secondary school in addition to taking classes at the university.</p>
<p>He is unclear on some of the details–notably the financial ones! I’m devoutly hoping that this comes with some kind of stipend in addition to housing and–presumably–tuition.</p>
<p>He is actually still interested in pursuing some of the other internships he has applied for, if they come through. But <em>I</em> am breathing much easier now. An academic year in Europe is a great thing.</p>