Parents of the HS Class of 2010 and college years beyond (Part 1)

Parents Forum Class of 20xx Community
2401

<p>Robinsuesanders:</p>

<p>Really good point on the issue of not keeping up on the homework… DS started to fall into that trap and got religion real fast when he took a quiz and scraped by with a C. The student needs to be disciplined enough to do the work, even when it feels like “just a review”.</p>

<p>On the other hand, he found that there was quite a bit of Calc 1 he had not learned - and when he took Calc 2, much to his surprise, there was quite a bit there he had learned. He also found that portions of MV Calc had been covered by his HS Calc class…</p>

2402

<p>Thanks for the input! DS got a 5 on the Calculus AB exam without studying much, if any. He IS the kind to get bored easily, too. I looked up some more info on the subject, and I think he will do fine in the second semester class. He’s the kind of student who likes to learn on his own, so if there are some gaps in his knowledge, he should be able to figure things out OK. I hope!</p>

2403

<p>scualum,</p>

<p>Glad to hear your S saw the light and reformed his ways before it became too late.</p>

<p>I can’t count how many students with credit for Calc AB have earned C’s, D’s, and F’s in my Calculus I classes over the years because they wouldn’t do the homework and wouldn’t properly study for the exams. Sometimes the problem is that they thought they knew more than they really did, but more often than not they simply dug a hole by “assuming” the course would just like their high school course, only “easier” because they’d had it before.</p>

<p>Pacing in college calculus courses always throws students (both AP and otherwise) for a real big loop. Freshman math students just have a hard time understanding that we’re covering as much material in a scant 45 hours of class room time that a Calc AB course might take all year to cover.</p>

2404

<p>I’ve actually been going back and forth about what math class to take as well. I’m planning on taking a stats class second semester because it looks like I’ll be majoring in something where stats will be useful (psych, sociology, something like that). There are basically two intro levels - one for people who have had calc and one for those who haven’t. I took AB Calc last year but had an awful teacher, didn’t find the material interesting, and failed the AP. So I’m not sure whether to take the more useful and more challenging class…knowing me, I’ll go for the higher level one, especially since I’m going to be taking a couple of intro-level courses in the spring if I have my way.</p>

<p>Cleaning has been a giant success today! I started using PMK’s system of four boxes for ‘take to college’, ‘leave at home’, ‘give away’ and ‘throw away’ and I’m finding that it really works for me. I’m almost done with my desk drawers and maybe tomorrow I’ll start on my bookshelves.</p>

2405

<p> :sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny:
Raising the white flag one more time. I am catching up on the last 72+ hours and you have filled so many pages! :eek:</p>

<p>sewemma - You are an amazing woman! Sending you love and {{HUGS}} each day. Hoping and praying for your mom to get some help from the doctor.</p>

<p>austinmtmom - Sending you love and {{HUGS}} too, and hoping and praying for the best possible news for your dear mom today.</p>

<p>Lafalum84 - For what it’s worth, our son says NO to the photo cube. My husband and I are also practicing the empty-nester gig this week. Our son is doing his final week as a volunteer camp counselor. He is there with his two best friends (also volunteering) and I’m sure they will have a great week. Just ten years ago I was sending him off as a camper…</p>

<p>Kajon - So sorry to hear about the laundry. Yikes! Bittersweet for your son’s team to qualify for the state tourney. Good luck! I hope he is healing as quickly as possible. We loved the VFW and Legion years… I’m hoping a trip to Spokane is in your future!</p>

<p>zoosermom - LOL re: the ringtones. My phone is so old that they all disappeared one day. So everyone’s is the same… Our daughter is Speed Dial 1. My husband is Speed Dial 2. He is amused by this.</p>

<p>kindredspirit - Waving back! ~~~ Thanks for the doughnut! I needed it on Saturday, as I was hosting a summer get-together for our son and his chow-hound friends. I spent quite a bit of time buying supplies, cooking, chopping, etc. The day/night was a great success, but my legs and feet still hurt. :slight_smile: I’m hoping your daughter continues to enjoy her time with her new UPenn friends. </p>

<p>Pengo and MomLive - {{HUGS}}</p>

<p>Welcome to you, 12rmh18, and congratulations to you and both sons. </p>

<p>teenage_cliche - I’m glad you and your lucky roommate are finding a few things in common. And yes, you do have our support. :slight_smile: I will keep your grandparents, and you, in my prayers. You’re a wonderful young woman and I know your grandparents (and your parents) are very proud of you. </p>

<p>Welcome back, boiledegg. I’m glad you and your family had a good vacation. :).</p>

<p>GSharpM7 - Thanks, as always, for the :)s.</p>

<p>PAO2008 - Good job on the comforter find! </p>

<p>parent56 and MaineLonghorn - I’m in the camp with scualum. Our daughter walked away from several credits, took classes ‘over’ and learned more and earned As (she still had to work hard) which helped boost her GPA which didn’t hurt at all when she applied for med school. If I remember correctly (ha!) it was Calc, Physics, and Chem. I can also see robinsuesanders’ point about putting in enough time to do well. I will pass your post on to our son, robinsuesanders, as he might be thinking along the ‘easy A’ line… </p>

<p>Hey, LIMOMOF2! Glad you are recovering. Were you wild? Or was it the kids?</p>

<p>RobD - A trip with your sweet daughters… PRICELESS!
psychmom - :heart: </p>

<p>Youdon’tsay - Two thumbs up! I like that set. Wishing your friend all the best as she goes through the surgery and related treatments. {{HUGS}}</p>

<p>Mablab54 - {{HUGS}} and I agree with the advice of others. Our daughter was three hours away by plane… I’m not going to say there were no teary phone calls, but she found friends pretty quickly and things improved steadily. Hang in there!</p>

<p>mdemvizi - I’m glad you had a good visit with your brother and his new bride. :)</p>

<p>CaliforniaDancer - Computer and sheets - yes, important. I feel like I’ve said this before on this thread (?) but The Last Lecture is amazing!</p>

<p>Sending another big THANK YOU to you, MaineLonghorn, and to you, GSharpM7. The lists are great!</p>

<p>DougBetsy - Sending my sincere sympathy to your family, and especially to her mom. How very sad! Hugs and prayers.</p>

<p>And more hugs and prayers to your friend’s family, anothercrazymom. How very sad.</p>

<p>momof3sons - Waving back! ~~~ Wow, time flies when you’re having fun (or not!) and your dear sons will be back together again. :slight_smile: I’m glad your son is enjoying his rehearsals. :cool:!</p>

<p>MaineLonghorn - Our son’s ‘perfect schedule’ was also too good to be true. He will have to go back to the drawing board when he returns from camp…</p>

<p>Staying :cool: :cool:!</p>

2406

<p>BT: I am feeling very lucky to have posted after you!!! I can’t say “Ditto,” because no one does a recap/post quite as amazingly as you! Thanks for the sunshine, thoughtfulness and smiles…</p>

<p>Your son’s get-together sounds great! I’m sure all your work and loving care made it a success and was appreciated by all, especially your S. :slight_smile: I hope he enjoys his week at camp with his buddies. How wonderful that he is volunteering. What lucky campers! :)</p>

<p>Glad you enjoyed the doughnuts! If you need any more of a sugar/energy fix…I can always whip up another batch. :wink: Hope you will get some deserved rest and relaxation and enjoy the time with your H this week.</p>

<p>D is continuing to enjoy her new friends…a trip to the city is even in the works for tonight. And tomorrow we will be attending an alumna event for those UPenn students in our county…By then, it seems like D will have some new/old friends.</p>

<p>Momof3: I agree, that time sure does fly by! May the last two weeks with “the little darlings” go as smoothly as possible for DS#3. They will appreciate him when the summer is over! His Tempest rehearsals and experience sound awesome! Also wishing your DS#2 continued enjoyment with his internship, and success with his projects. I’m sure the team at Mass General will continue to appreciate him when he is gone. :)</p>

<p>YDS: So sorry to hear about your friend. Hoping for the best and healing thoughts for her recovery…Also glad to hear about the brighter side and your success in organizing your S’s room.</p>

<p>Teenage: Also sounds like you’ve done quite well in getting started with your organizing. And I’m also glad that you got to enjoy some of the nicer weather today and have the cherished walk with your pups.</p>

<p>PAVenturer: YAY for your D in getting all the classes she wanted! :)</p>

<p>ML: Wishing the best to your S in reworking his schedule. I’m sure his advisor will guide him well.</p>

<p>Austinmt: Thinking of you and your mom {{{HUGS}}}</p>

<p>Also staying :cool: :cool:</p>

2407

<p>Regarding the calculus issue - I received a 5 on the AP Calculus AB test, As both semesters, and I had a truly excellent teacher. The class was pretty easy for me, math is generally one of my strong suits, and I had very solid preparation. So, I decided to skip ahead because I felt that I would be bored/feel like I was wasting my time. Also, it frees up my schedule later on, which is really nice. I’m hoping it’ll work out! I’m retaking some things (like physics), though - there are definitely some subjects where I’d feel more adamant about retaking. </p>

<p>Waiting for approval from my advisor regarding my schedule…hopefully it comes soon!</p>

2408

<p>At my urging, D ordered her textbooks from Half.com. S has been doing this for 2 years with zero problems. Well, D’s first textbook arrived today, and there’s a problem. :mad: It’s her Psych textbook, and she’s planning to be a Psych major. The seller listed it as brand new with the correct ISBN number. What arrived here was brand new, but it says “Instructor’s Evaluation Edition” on it. On the back, in red, it reads: “NOT FOR SALE: This textbook copy has been licensed to you, as an instructor, to consider for classroom use and is not to be sold. Under no circumstances may this book or any portion be sold… etc.” The seller included a note that said he only had the instructor copy in inventory, it’s exactly the same as the student edition plus answers at the end of each chapter “which helps your learning and to get the best grade.” </p>

<p>Well neither D nor I are happy with her having an illegal copy of a textbook, especially not as a freshman and especially not in her major. She wants the same version of the book that everyone else will have, and that’s what she was lead to believe she was ordering. We used the Half.com “contact seller” button and sent the guy an email requesting an exchange or refund. We’ll see what happens. In our note we wrote exactly what it says on the back of the book - the emails go thru Half.com’s system, so we just “outed” this person for selling illegal copies of books. :eek:</p>

<p>(Half.com is a division of eBay and works the same way).</p>

2409

<p>

</p>

<p>My phone is so old that I don’t even know if it can have different ringtones for different people. Am I the only one who rarely (like once a month) uses a cell phone? I work from home, so everyone knows they can get me here. I’m not a Luddite in the rest of my life - I love computers, and have been using the internet since 1994 - but I almost never need to use my phone.</p>

2410

<p>Thanks for the heads up on stuents retaking classes. Since S is in the honors Integrated Science Program, that’s the mode he’ll be in with a few of his classes so I’ll make sure he understands the concern. From what H said, I think the retake of Linear Algebra will be needed.</p>

<p>When S received the list of the 31 entering ISP students, I also noted two columns of information on advisers. Each student has two peer (upperclassmen) advisers and one faculty advisor. So, the ratio of advisors to students is 2:1 for peers and 1:1 for faculty. He’s already been in contact with one of his peer advisors when he was making his admittance decision in April. Those ratios are good, but it’s what I’d expect for such a challenging curriculum. </p>

<p>Summer school in the district here surprisingly ends this week, so the issue of his background clearance so he could work with kids is now a moot point. The Superintendent found him some work he can do at the HS library to help them get all the textbooks sorted for the class registrations next month (except for AP classes, as the students will already have textbooks for those classes.) The Super said the librarian remembered S and will be glad to have his help.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the marine layer continues to hang over the SoCal area until early afternoon. It’s forecast that August will be hotter than normal. We shall see, </p>

<p>:cool: :cool:</p>

2411

<p>Lafalum, that’s weirdo about the Psych textbook. I wouldn’t be pleased, either. </p>

<p>FAP, interesting info on the advisors. Must be an instense program. </p>

<p>Son finally mapped out the schedule he wants. He won’t know until registration if he gets it, but at least he’s got a mental picture of it. Get this: 17.5 credits. GULP. </p>

<p>The extra 2.5 credits are ROTC. (1.5 for military science class and 1.0 for fulfilling his gym requirement with PT.) Three of the remaining four courses are AP do-overs. So, thankfully, I’m not panicking about the load.</p>

2412

<p>DB, how is the gf doing? I don’t remember seeing an update recently …</p>

2413

<p>DougBetsy,</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>That’s exactly the kind of schedule I worry about with my freshman advisees: They think that if they retake a bunch of AP’s that somehow their course load will be “easier” than if they take the courses the AP’s ought to be placing them into. [After all, all the do-overs will be nothing but “review” of material they already know.] And then they think that since they’ve already taken the course(s), they won’t need to worry too much about studying too hard (since they already “know” the material), and then they dig themselves a big, deep, dark hole by NOT doing the homework and reading assignments, sometimes skipping class ('cause there won’t be anything new in the lecture), and not studying for the tests.</p>

<p>If a student does not understand that he/she will need to work just as hard (or harder) on the “AP do-over”, then a whole lot of the time, that student does not succeed in earning the “easy A” that they thought they had coming to them …</p>

<p>Now, there are exceptions to this: Particularly challenging and selective colleges and programs where the all (or almost all) the students come in with multiple APs will often teach the “AP do-over” classes as if the AP class was a pre-requisite and cover both new material and the old material at a much deeper level. Students in this type of environment will usually very quickly figure out that the course is NOT simply a review (aka “do-over”) of the AP course in high school and do the work.</p>

<p>So please warn your kid about being complacent right at the start of the semester: If a kid hasn’t started blocking out the time to devote to a course by the end of the first week, they often never schedule the proper study time needed for the course.</p>

2414

<p>DB, so sorry to hear about your cousin. Sympathy to your family. What a sad story with a tragic ending.</p>

<p>S did a “re-take” of AP Econ. He had a 5 on the AP Macro test, but didn’t take the Micro test (hs didn’t suggest it) and he’d have had to pass both to get out of Intro Economics. He’s an Economics major, so a re-take seemed like a good idea, and it was. He bought the book - it was the same book he had used in hs - went to class, did the reading & homework, but didn’t have to do too much studying or agonizing over learning new and difficult material. It was mostly review for him, and he ended up with an A by simply doing the basic work that was asked of him for the class.</p>

2415

<p>Ah, took the weekend off and had to just spend an hour catching up - you all are worth it!</p>

<p>Thanks for the discussion on retakes - D is worried about any gaps since she’s majoring in engineering and went with the advisor’s recommendation so she’s “retaking” but she has strong study habits and doesn’t expect they’ll be easy. The one she could skip because she already has a college credit is MV but she’s not sure she’ll do that either.</p>

<p>D is off with her best friend at the beach for 2 weeks and it feels like a prequel to her being gone for school and I can already tell I don’t like it and she’s only been gone 4 days. Yes she can drive me crazy but I’d still rather her be here!</p>

<p>Your Cleveland trip sounds fun RobD - I may try and plan a long weekend over my birthday for all of us to do something similar.</p>

<p>Next week I am going to surprise S3 with a trip up to Boston for a Red Sox game - I won’t tell him until I wake him up :slight_smile: I’m looking forward to spending the day with him doing something like that since I feel like I haven’t been able to spend as much time with him. D2 and I have been able to have more time this summer but S3 is often at the pool or with friends and just finished his travel baseball season - I can’t wait!</p>

<p>I love your stalker dog stories ACM - I can relate! Both of mine will follow me around but especially my male dog, Cedar. Millennium, or Millie as we call her, is DH’s #1 fan so she only moves me to the #1 spot if he’s gone :slight_smile: And Cedar never likes if I shut the bathroom door - I think he is convinced I will someday fail to come out!</p>

2416

<p>My wonderful stalker dog really prefers H, but since H is in NJ and I am in NC as is stalker dog, I must be carefully watched at all times. I have taken to singing Lady Gaga’s song “Papparazzi” to him, I have changed it to “Pupparazzi”. Oh and I sing off key, not because it’s ironic, just cause I can’t carry a tune in a bucket! Stalker dog has the oh so manly name of Cotton! He is a 67lb mostly white lab.</p>

2417

<p>So DS got home and I asked him why he signed up for Calculus II (MV) without having Calculus I as a prerequisite. He said, “Because of my AP score.” When I pointed out that he didn’t KNOW his score when he signed up, he just said, “Well, I assumed…” Yikes. I also asked if he knew he was supposed to get permission from his advisor, and he didn’t. I must stop hovering, I must stop hovering…</p>

2418

<p>ML,</p>

<p>don’t worry that much. Your DS reminded me when I went to college. In the first summer of my college years, I went to Willim and Mary for summer school to take some math courses for fulfilling my “electives”. Well, the only class I could fit was the Calculus II(MV). Stupid me thinking that is ok, all Calculus are the same. At that point, I did not even know what Calculus is. The first class came and I left with a blank face, after the class, I told the prof. I did not take C I and I was at total lost. He encuraged me to stay on and asked me to see him at 2PM every day in his office. Each day, I was in his office for 2 hours and 3 hours afterwards to catch up. I got an A at the end. There were only 8 students in the class, that is how I got away with it.</p>

<p>Just for laughs. :)</p>

2419

<p>

</p>

<p>Thank you again. I believe the Integrated Science Program at Northwestern is one of these challenging programs. Perhaps the whole idea of having three advisors (one faculty, two peer) per freshman is to ensure, as much as possible, that they don’t go down the wrong path. My H (a math prof who vetted this program for S) says that, indeed, the profs can go deeper into the material, particularly from the math standpoint, because they know the students come well equipped to do so, and will be taken even farther. In fact, he was talking to a collegaue the other day who said he knew an ISP graduate from NU who went on to grad school, in mathematics.</p>

<p>We have heard that with this program is is especially important to “hit the ground running.” And yes, students are only selected for the program if they have multiple APs in the math and science arena, and most if not all have gone beyond that. This all makes me wonder … if it’s super competitive, maybe the advisors are there to keep things at bay. Conversely, if it’s a cooperative environment, these students will be very close once they graduate.</p>

<p>:cool: :cool:</p>

2420

<p>hi all! i’m cheating and doing a ditto to BT and KS.</p>

<p>nothing going on here… son will be back in a week, so the last minute stuff will need doing…and in the meantime…just twiddling thumbs.</p>