<p>We are a family of six. H and I have been together for 30 years (young love) …married for 22 years. S1 is a rising Senior trying to find the right college fit, which is what brought me here. D1 is a year behind her older brother…so we’ll be at it again for her, this time next year - with an entirely different set of wants and needs. We also have identical twin boys…who are 10. Ooops. They will keep us young or kill us. Our newest babies are 4 yo Boston Terrier brothers. Busy, busy home.</p>
<p>Good Morning all! I logged in this morning to see if there was any news about Batman…I really hope he is ok! Welcome to the new peeps! This thread is soooo great! It is now a big part of my daily routine…it’s so funny how quickly you become emotionally invested in your new cyber friends!! I also hope the lost dog is home safely today…updates??</p>
<p>Welcome to the new members! t-bone, I live in Mass but most of of my relatives live in SC (Columbia area), so nice to see some SC folks here. My D will be at Elon, about 4 hours from most of the family but only 1/2 hour from my cousin in Greensboro. </p>
<p>MaryOC: “They will keep us young or kill us.” lol, that is certainly how kids are!</p>
<p>so - this is my first time doing this. </p>
<p>when i take a private loan for the amount not covered by financial aid - do i ask for a loan in the amount needed for 2010-2011 or for the amount i’ll need for all four years?</p>
<p>Good Morning Everyone!
</p>
<p>almar4 and t-bond Parent…a big welcome to both of you! </p>
<p>AL34…welcome back; your initials ended up working out nicely; they make me think “Alabama.” </p>
<p>BUandBC and DB, Hoping for good news about the furry ones. </p>
<p>PAO, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}} </p>
<p>Best of luck to all the kids getting housing assignments, roommates, etc. Taking notes from jc40 on how to best handle the inevitable disappointments. Thanking PAO for sharing her story and giving us perspective.</p>
<p>Yesterday, D went into NYC (about an hour’s trip by train) with another girl from our HS for a freshman get-together in Central Park. She said about 30 kids showed up, and they sat in a circle and played ice-breaking games. She had to be pushed by her friend to go, but was happy she did it (and so am I). About half went for Chinese food afterwards, and they want to do something again prior to school starting. </p>
<p>archiemom, ahhhh siblings, LOL!</p>
<p>Hope BT is thoroughly enjoying her time with D, that Bubbe had a nice Toy Story 3 outing, and that the beach-goers are getting in some much needed relaxation.</p>
<p>Have a nice day, one and all!</p>
<p>what a journey you will have MaryOC… if we can help with your college questions…ask away. so glad that part is over for me for now</p>
<p>Good morning all! Just made some tea if you’d like to join me ;)</p>
<p>PAO & ACM: I’m so sorry for your losses. Prayers for you & your loved ones.</p>
<p>So I wake up to find out that now I’m worried about two puppies! Please let us know how things work out.</p>
<p>Shopping suggestion: for those of you wondering about curtains (mothers of boys may leave now) when you can’t put nails in the wall, a suggestion on another thread led me to the Twist & Fit curtain rod. See: [Amazon.com:</a> Levolor 7004244450 Decorative Twist And Fit Curtain Rod: Kitchen & Dining](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Levolor-7004244450-Decorative-Twist-Curtain/dp/B000VBDRM6]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Levolor-7004244450-Decorative-Twist-Curtain/dp/B000VBDRM6) I found one in WalMart yesterday for around $10.</p>
<p>Last night was one of the 1st times that D1s going away really made an impact. We are partial season ticket holders for the Predators & DH had picked the 10 games. Tradition is that the 3 of us girls pick 3 games each. I had to pull up the school calendar to see when she could possibly be home. She is totally bummed that the Pittsburgh Penguins will be in town on a Thursday as she is a big Malkin fan (I was thinking of you R6L!) But now I have that game; I let her have the Rangers game as a consolation.</p>
<p>D2 got home yesterday am & will be gone again by this time tomorrow. The conversations I had with her and her instructor and TA yesterday reinforced what I’ve always known: her college process is going to be much different than D1s. Harvard, MIT, Steven Pinker & Noam Chomsky all came up…BTW, which one of our girls on this thread was interested in linguistics of some type?</p>
<p>1sttimemom - I haven’t done this before either, so this may not be the right answer, but I would think you should just borrow what you need for this year. Otherwise you’d be paying interest on the full amount for those extra years. Also, there’s the possibility that your D might qualify for additional scholarships in the future, meaning you’d have borrowed that extra money for no reason. Hopefully other posters will be able to share their experiences.</p>
<p>Thanks, Parent56. This whole process is very overwhelming…and stressful; for DH and me, and S1. I have been reading diligently and bookmarking lots of threads. There is so much valuable information here. I am very grateful for all that is shared.</p>
<p>Hi all -</p>
<p>Not currently on the list but would like to join in. Son will be attending the University of South Carolina next month. </p>
<p>I’ve been around CC for 1 1/2 years. It’s been a real blessing as we went through the college application process. It was a grueling process for us and I am so happy to have gotten to the other side. It’s like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders and we are excited for our son.</p>
<p>S. Carolina is my husband and my Alma mater. We never expected son to attend there but it just worked out that way. Wasn’t the highest rank college he got into but he got into the Honors College there (they take 300 freshman out of 5,000 each year) and he couldn’t be more pleased. Added bonus - one of his best friend’s is also attending and they will be roommates. We also lucked out on the dorm issue because SC just built new honors dorms last year and they are super-nice and among the most coveted dorms on campus. Throw in a large scholarship and, well, it couldn’t have worked out better for us. </p>
<p>He is our only child - so looking at an empty-nest come next month. That should be interesting - we were only married around 2 years when son was born, so hubby and I haven’t lived alone in 19 years! Have really enjoyed hanging out on CC and have recently been spending more time in the parent’s cafe (now that we’ve made it through the ‘process’.)</p>
<p>So…is anyone else having to resist the urge to buy tons of stuff for their child’s dorm? I don’t want to over do it but keeping thinking of things that would be nice for son to have. I mentioned this to a good friend who’s oldest is already at college and she looked puzzled and said, “What kind of stuff? My son packed up his shaving kit and a few clothes and that’s all he took.” I also know that son’s roommate’s parents aren’t likely to send their son with much stuff - so I don’t want to overdo it. OTOH, I like to shop :)</p>
<p>Welcome MomLive!</p>
<p>I am taking Tuesday off so D1 & I can shop for her dorm 
I think generally girls give more thought to it than boys at least in terms of bedding etc. I think girls have more “stuff” than boys too. I’ve got a running list of things we have to pick up since I won’t be near “just in case:” first aid kit, nyquil, dayquil, etc. Bed, Bath & Beyond has a premade list (which really are over the top) to give you an idea of what your son might need…why don’t you share one with him and see what he thinks he’ll need? See: [College</a> Checklist - Bed Bath & Beyond](<a href=“Bed Bath & Beyond | The Best Deals Online: Furniture, Bedding, Rugs, Kitchen Essentials & Moree”>Bed Bath & Beyond | The Best Deals Online: Furniture, Bedding, Rugs, Kitchen Essentials & Moree)</p>
<p>So the new dorms: are they suite style with a kitchenette or traditional? That will also make a difference in what you send with your son.</p>
<p>Hi to all the new people!
TBone - we live in a suburb of Chicago and DS’s very good friend is also a new freshman doing Music Performance at Northwestern (Percussion). A really great kid, hopefully the two of them will meet up. We are not that close in but I’d be happy to send my info if you need us in an emergency. DS#2 is also a trombonist and we can’t say enough about what a great reputation NU has for that! Congrats :)</p>
<p>Hello Mom Live!
I am also a USC alum (grad school), live in SC and new empty-nester of an only S! Good luck to your son - I teach in the upstate as well. Did your son go to HS in SC as well? </p>
<p>Also - Any advice from experienced college parents on what kids need to take to the dorm with them that might be initially overlooked (“after thought” items they found out they really needed/wanted after getting settled) would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Hi Everyone. Good news on my dog. We got a call a little while ago from someone who found him this morning. My son went and got him. Other than being covered in briars, he’s okay. He was in a neighborhood that he had to cross a busy road to get to and he was very close to the highway. I am very grateful that he is okay. Thanks for all your kind wishes. What a relief. He must have been scared last night all alone.</p>
<p>Welcome to all our new posters! almar4 it’s good to see another Carolina mom.</p>
<p>I hope Batman is okay.</p>
<p>AL34 - thanks! PM me the info on percussionist, and feel free to have that parent PM me as well or I can send you my email. We are SO excited to have him at NU - two visits there were just heavenly. We love the holistic approach to musicianship that seems to permeate the Bienen School philosophy. S just spent a full week with the trombone prof in a seminar on West Coast and is literally mesmerized by him. Since NU involves some COA for us, it was a big decision when the other school choices were free. Your praise for the school is great to hear and helps reinforce our impressions. Thanks! So glad to be a part of this flourishing forum.</p>
<p>Great News BUandBC!!! One doggy home and one to go! </p>
<p>I am also the parent of an only child so any suggestions on what to take to the dorm would be great…I have a girl so that probably makes a difference :)</p>
<p>Off to run errands! I will check back in for a hopefully good report on Batman!</p>
<p>BUandBC, I am so glad your pup is okay! Thank goodness.</p>
<p>Welcome, welcome to all our new members! You have come to the right place. :)</p>
<p>Good morning (?) all!</p>
<p>WOW…This thread is flying! I’m not sure I can capture it all, though I have read all the news since yesterday.</p>
<p>BT: I didn’t get lost in the outlet mall! (Though that’s always a possibility. 
). We’ll be doing that tomorrow! I’m also thinking of you and your D and know you are enjoying your time with her today. :)</p>
<p>Welcome to almar4, t-bone, MomLive and MaryOC! Nice to have you join this wonderful community.</p>
<p>BUandBC: So glad your dog is safe! I’m sure you had a rough night not knowing his whereabouts. {{{HUGS}}}</p>
<p>PAO: just want to add my HUGS for your loss. Thank you for sharing your story. I agree that she is probably smiling down and is very proud of her younger D and S. May her spirit continue to give you comfort and strength.</p>
<p>DB: I’m also hoping for some news…good news about Batman…I know you’ll let us know when you can.</p>
<p>Nice to hear about all the dorm assignments being received…for those happy and those not as pleased, I truly believe it all works out in the end.</p>
<p>jc40: I agree that you did “the right thing” in encouraging your D to call if she wants to make a change, despite the wish to swoosh in and take care of it for her.</p>
<p>MomLive: I definitely identify with the desire to shop! When my older S went to school, I remember going to BB&B and picking out way too much stuff, that he ended up not wanting. On move in day we noticed that the girls took a VERY long time setting up their rooms, while the boys were done in no time! I’ve got a D going off in the fall and I know the shopping with her will be a whole different story! And I’ll also be an “empty nester”…and know I’ll get support here when needed.</p>
<p>Most schools provide lists of what is needed (and also what is not permitted), so I would check out the school website as a start. I agree with RobD that BB&B’s list is way over the top.</p>
<p>psychmom: Sounds like your D had a nice day!</p>
<p>mdemvizi: Echoing good wishes for your brother and his new bride!</p>
<p>Wishing all a wonderful day!</p>
<p>:cool: 
</p>
<p>BUandBC so glad puppy is safe!!!</p>
<p>as a mother of a boarding school boy, they wont use half the stuff you send LOL!! (ie iron came back unused, extra sheets never out of package, organizers never even put together)</p>
<p>here is what we ended up with that he actually used by the end</p>
<p>bedding, pillows and towels (including egg crate mattress…those dorm beds arent comfortable)</p>
<p>clothes with lots of extra underwear and socks (if they dont do their laundry at least those are clean)</p>
<p>desk chair and lamp</p>
<p>flip flops for shower</p>
<p>computer, printer and outlet strip and screwdrivers</p>
<p>mini medicine chest…with tylenol, benadryl, bandaids, neosporin etc</p>
<p>toiletries</p>
<p>paper supplies/pens etc</p>
<p>a mini fridge and initial supply of soft drinks and snacks</p>
<p>quarters for laundry (but some schools use their cards now) and some kind of laundry bag to haul it to laundry. </p>
<p>a supply of stick on hooks, coat hangers, (any memo type board)</p>
<p>other than that whatever personal items they need, ie son took his saxophones.</p>
<p>I’m so glad someone found your dog BUandBC and that he’s safe!! :)</p>
<p>Fingers crossed for Batman!</p>