<p>Happy Friday to everyone! This was a short but very busy week for me at work.</p>
<p>AP scores have not arrived here in SoCal for either of my DD’s. D2 saw a facebook posting from someone (really smart kid - her words!) in her class that got a 4 on AP Euro. This of course upset D2 as she thinks she did not do well on the exam. D2 babysat for the 6 year old girl next door for two half days this week and made $80. Now she says she needs to shop this weekend!</p>
<p>D1 spent the week up at my Mom’s house (about an hour and a half away) and had great bonding time with Grammy! Yesterday the two of them had a lunch and shopping date. D1 also went to Magic Mountain (amusement park) with my brother’s girlfriend this week and rode the big rollercoasters. She is back home this afternoon and has a babysitting job this weekend as well as a birthday party princess job next week. Today in 50 days until she moves into the dorms in NYC!</p>
<p>Hope everyone has a great weekend and those of you in the hot part of the country please be safe and keep cool!</p>
<p>Villanova provides a laptop to each student as well (and then replaces it at the beginning of Jr year), for the bargain COA of $53k+. So when it arrived and S2 posted a Thank you on FB, I replied, “you’re welcome”.</p>
<p>At S1’s school each room came with a refrigerator. Wish more schools did that. Are there really many kids who don’t have one in their room?</p>
<p>Also at S1’s school, all doubles shared a bathroom/shower with the adjacent room (so, 4 guys to a bathroom) and the residents were responsible for cleaning it as well as their rooms. Vacuum cleaners were positioned on each floor and were signed out by the RAs. The RAs also inspected rooms and bathrooms periodically. I liked that system. For S2…I expect, as someone up-thread pointed out, that a rug won’t be necessary cause they’ll never see the tile floor through the piles of clothes on the floor. I know I’ve forgotten the carpet color in S2’s room at home, and I picked it out when we built 15 years ago.</p>
<p>I remember now why I don’t drink Jack Daniels and Coke at night. The caffeine keeps me awake. Note to self: Pilfer Coke Zero from next neighborhood picnic.</p>
<p>Glad y’all enjoyed my story. I can’t believe how young and impressionable I was. Before meeting this man I’d also never had Chinese food. Can you believe it? My kids laughed their heads off when I tell them I didn’t have Chinese until I was 19. Of course, I didn’t let the guy know I’d never had Chinese and confidently ordered moo goo gai pan because – get this – that’s the one dish I’d heard of, from an old “Dick Van Dyke” episode. It’s what Rob brought Laura to make up to her after they had a fight. And who says TV isn’t educational? ;)</p>
<p>Ds thinks he doesn’t want his own fridge and will use the hall one. I think he’s nuts and will talk him out of that. I hope.</p>
<p>He called FA today to find out what’s up with his final award. Assured he’d have it by end of day today or Monday.</p>
<p>Ds1 and I leave today for the Dallas road trip. This might be the last time he sees my MIL and two SILs and his two cousins up there before he leaves. :(</p>
<p>ETA: I meant to give zm a (((hug))) and love the idea of a microfridge pet. Just look how thos zhuzhus have taken off!</p>
<p>Our school offers a pile rug for son’s dorm (it’s all tile and not very appealing looking tile at that) a 6 x 9 for $65 - it will be delivered to room. I’m counting on it being one of those items that will be thrown away at the end of year. The boys say they don’t care about the color and are letting me pick it out. Trying to decide between a grey and a black. Black won’t show as much dirt (I’m not even going to try and persuade them to vacuum it) but will show a lot of linty type stuff. The grey will be more prone to stains I suspect. OTOH, it’s probably going to look cruddy by year end either way.</p>
<p>Son finally got through all his thank you notes except for his friends. His theory is they said their thanks in person, so a note is not necessary. Fortunately, about 1/2 the boys have sent us thank you notes so far, so that argument is quickly losing its teeth.</p>
<p>No AP scores yet - we’re on the east coast. Someone said they don’t get released here until next week. Has anyone on this side of the country received theirs?</p>
<p>Son is in a ‘4 people to a bath’ configuration ( 2 double rooms share a bath). The school has someone clean them every 2 weeks but the kids are expected to clean them in between. I’m sending some cleaner so at least I know I provided son with the supplies, the cleaning is up to him (not holding my breathe). I guess I should throw in a sponge also. :)</p>
<p>This thread is quite humorous this morning. Thanks for starting me off with a smile.</p>
<p>DB …and those microfridges are well used by summer campers at Wake Forest. My son went to a camp at Wake in middle school and I’m not going to tell you what they were putting in the microwave to “see what would happen”. I don’t miss middle school.</p>
<p>My son has to vacuum at home, it’s one of his weekly chores. I don’t think it will happen in his dorm room though. He’s lucky with the microwave and fridge. His roommate’s sister just graduated from college, so they’re inheriting hers.</p>
<p>MomLive, we haven’t received scores in the mail yet, but a couple of teachers have emailed scores to my son. So far, so good. 5 in Gov and 4 in Psych. He’s waiting on three more.</p>
<p>I hope everyone leaving for vacation has fun!</p>
<p>I just drove home from the beach this morning. I get to redeem my birthday present tomorrow. My H is taking me to see Michael Buble. I’m not really a fan.The women he works with convinced him that this is what he should give me. There is a funny story to go with these tickets. I told it on a Michael Buble thread that was around earlier in the year. Back in March we were sitting at an outdoor place at the beach and there was a MB song playing in the background. My H asked if I liked him and I said “no, he’s a little to gooey for me”. He sat there quietly for a minute and then started laughing. That’s when he told me he bought me the tickets for my birthday (which is in May). I felt bad, but it was funny. I think it will be good. I always enjoy live music and the man can sing.</p>
<p>I have heard from many parents that the rental fridges are not new. They hum and buzz and the students that rented wished that they had bought. My son has a fridge in his room now- at home. But he has the whole upstairs which is sort of like an apartment. It is really convenient. But he can’t take that one to school because it is a few inches too big and not an “energy star”. Wes is very green. </p>
<p>I always have a drink in my hand while making Thanksgiving dinner. I thought that was normal!</p>
<p>LOL - my son has tried to convince for years to get him a fridge for his room (it’s very large - it was the old master and is larger than ours - he has 2 couches in there). I would have done it but husband didn’t like the idea. Son’s been waiting for the day he could have his own fridge! It’s actually a big deal to him to get one to take to college.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I understand the combo microwave/fridge requirement at some schools. Is it safer or more energy efficient than having separate units. I wouldn’t think it’s a space issue since they usually stack the microwave on top of the fridge anyway.</p>
<p>hi app- I knew you were a girl, I think the only boy we’ve had visit has been Obstinate. Correct? Did I miss something of someone thinking you were a boy?</p>
<p>and also waving to Keil on her fabulous vacation</p>
<p>edit- I read somewhere (maybe this thread?) that the combo units shut off the fridge compressor while the micro is microwaving, so I guess it would draw less peak energy. But the real reason is racket for the companies of course. I would prefer separate units so if one breaks you have to only replace that.</p>
<p>I’m torn on getting a fridge. I decided against a microwave since I can use the microwave in the kitchenette on the occasions that I’ll need it… and of course they are not particularly expensive so I will be able to purchase one easily into the year if I decide I need one.</p>
<p>I’m torn on the fridge though. If I get a fridge it would have to have a freezer, since that’s really what I’d use it for anyway. I could buy one after I got there but it is kind of easier just to buy it online and have it shipped there in time for move-in. </p>
<p>PROS:
ice cold water in my room (I drink a LOT of water)
orange juice
ice
frozen breakfast
dining hall pick-me-ups (is it theft if technically I’ve paid for it?)
cold snacks (I plan to do three small meals / three small snacks for my blood sugar)
ability to store food reduces my weekly costs (the dining plans are a bit mediocre)</p>
<p>CONS
cheapest one (including shipping) seems to be $200
takes up a lot of space - and I have a lot of stuff</p>
<p>So far the pros seem to outweigh the cons, and honestly I could just order one once I get there.</p>
<p>Great information shared in this thread. Although this is second D going to college, there is a 14 year difference in ages and it feels like starting all over again. Older D is very social and needed to be reminded that socializing (partying) was not the ONLY reason to be in college. Younger D is self-motivated and does work before play without prompting or prodding. They are two totally different children. I try not to compare them but note their differences. </p>
<p>Task for today: gather first aid items such as cold remedies, pain relievers, first aid kit. Also a small tool kit.</p>
<p>Speaking of a small tool kit, what would you include? I am thinking a multi-headed screwdriver, a tiny hammer (I have one for scrapbooking), zip ties, duct tape, and super glue.</p>
<p>D registered for classes online yesteday.
wow. what a flurry of action and decision making!</p>
<p>she’s a bit disappointed…
although she was ready with everything - course numbers, lists of backups, etc. and she started on time, she didn’t get the schedule she had hoped for.
she’ll try again when registration opens up again on july 13th. </p>
<p>her arts scholarship requries her to take 2 classes (intor to acting and intro to production/design) which created time conflicts with so many other courses! but, it can’t be helped.</p>
<p>unfortunately, the schedule she wound up with puts all of her classes back to back on tuesdays and thursdays - with a lab on monday, a discussion section on wednesday, and a two discussion sections on friday.
not ideal for a kid who doesn’t test well to have multiple tests on the same days!
oh well - we’ll see what the open registration brings!</p>
<p>Applicannot: I’ve always known you were a girl ;)</p>
<p>YDS: Double check that Coke Zero doesn’t have caffeine; I just thought it was a zero calorie product.</p>
<p>JC40: It was me with the tire…I now know about locking lug nuts & have a wheel in the back of my car; tire to be mounted this evening. Life is Good cover needs to be picked up. I ended up bringing in donuts for my office this morning to make up for my flaming bad attitude yesterday…</p>
<p>BU&BC82: My D would be very jealous of you; she loves Michael Buble. I told her she needs to hang out with much older women.</p>
<p>ZM: Hugs to you (and it sounds like your DH too!) I’m finding that having a new pet on the horizon is really perking me up…it’s not a bad, or novel idea. </p>
<p>Re: drinking. 4th of July DH was making me these fabulous rum drinks. They were creamy, yummy & didn’t taste very strong. but then I stood up. He says that I drank “an awful lot of rum” to which I replied that I didn’t know that & he was making them for me. Won’t do that again for quite a while. I think it was the 3rd drink that did it, ACM ;)</p>
<p>No fridge worries here as D’s suite has a full sized fridge, and her bedroom is private so no worries about decorating conflict. </p>
<p>D2 comes home tomorrow after 3 weeks away (well, with 2 nights home in the middle.) The house has been very quiet for D1 so I think she’s really happy to have a partner in crime till she leaves for school.</p>
<p>When S’07 was touring Union, the tour guide told us that next year the laundry was going to be “free” (and he used air quotes for the free) - they were adding something like $80 to the dorm fee and eliminating the need for quarters. S’s college (Lafayette) did the same thing. Much easier to do laundry, and the school doesn’t have to pay someone to go around collecting quarters. </p>
<p>I have noticed this with other things as well, besides the laundry, Lafayette gave all incoming freshmen “free” t-shirts at orientation, a “free” t-shirt at the first football game, and a “free” freshman directory. Lafayette costs around $49k. D’s college, Elon, on the other hand, costs about $35k. At Elon, if you want to get a directory or an orientation t-shirt you have to pay for it (in our house, $28 directory = no, $6 t-shirt = yes). I think a lot of the little stuff like that adds up, and I prefer having the choice of whether to pay for it or not.</p>
<p>Applicannot: I’d add a pair of pliers, flashlight, and a retractable tape measure. The super glue & zip ties are a great idea; I’ll add those to D’s.</p>
<p>I am very surprised at the prices you guys are paying for fridges! I guess adding the microwave and freezer makes a big difference, because son just got a small basic one like this [Walmart.com:</a> Black & Decker 2.7 cu.ft. Fridge, White: Appliances](<a href=“http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Decker-2.7-cu.ft.-Thermo-Electric-Fridge-LI-White/11016397]Walmart.com:”>http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Decker-2.7-cu.ft.-Thermo-Electric-Fridge-LI-White/11016397) for under $100,that has been fine for him. I don’t think his even has the freezer section in it, but I think if you want real freezing you need the kind with the separate freezer anyway. He just uses his for water, juice, gatorade, string cheese etc so he doesn’t need that much space, he just keeps his drinks out of the fridge and puts a few in at a time to cool down. He and his roommate just brought their own small fridges, and used other peoples microwaves on the rare occasion they were needed.</p>
<p>I am not sure what we will be doing for D yet, she will have to discuss with her roommate and see what they want to do. She is too busy on the pbteen site planning the room, hopefully she and her roommate can come to some kind of decorating consensus. FYI, the pbteen site does have a cool tool where you can plan your bedding and it will show you two beds so you can coordinate. Such a different experience from son, with him I handed him the catolog and made him pick. He and roommate did not discuss bedding or anything of the like at all.</p>
<p>app- is renting a fridge an option? Do you know if you’ll have a roommate and you could work it out with her or split a rental. Do most kids stay in the dorms after freshman year, if so buying one might be a better choice than renting.</p>
<p>Be aware a lot of the small fridges don’t have a real freezer that would work for things other than ice.</p>