<p>D sent thank-you email for care package today. I was right on the brink of writing her to tell her to check her snail mail…assuming she wouldn’t check her box…but I’m so glad I didn’t nag. She’s a big capable college girl now! Oy.</p>
<p>Also, she reports that she’s “having a blast” but already has a ton of work. As it should be.</p>
<p>Launched! (Shout-out to giterdone: We slipped in a few days ahead of you because my D has Ambassador training.) </p>
<p>D’s roommate and family seem like very nice people. Even though they had been on campus a good six hours before us, they did not unpack anything, choosing to wait for D so that the girls could arrange things together. Better yet, during the long wait for us to arrive, they had completely oldforted the room. 
</p>
<p>It was a lovely evening, so after unpacking, we wandered through the pretty campus and strolled down to the Mississippi River. There is much greenery and the flowers are still in full bloom. It’s hard to believe that in a few short months, the place will likely be buried under snow. In the meantime, tomorrow is supposed to be 98 degrees (and no air conditioning in the dorm)!</p>
<p>Good-byes were hard. I won’t even go into details, lest my computer screen begin to shed tears with the telling of it.</p>
<p>Good luck to all the rest of you still preparing for departure!</p>
<p>“Yes, agree … wacka-bylaws clearly state that for first-timers, only-children and wacka-helicopter-loons there is an exemption from losing point for helicoptering.”</p>
<p>Thank goodness because I am a first-timer with an only child (obviously),etc…</p>
<p>Do we get any letters for devloping cyberstalking skills in record time?? I think I should become a private investigator.</p>
<p>Everything went great, I love it here. </p>
<p>I am in a suite with 2 other girls and I am definitely feeling the “third wheel” experience. I’m glad that I have friends that I knew before coming here. </p>
<p>One roommate has already asked if her BF (attends a different institution) can sleep over one weekend. It was a very awkward situation but I don’t feel bad about saying I’m uncomfortable with that.</p>
<p>I posted previously about my son’s issues at the beginning of college, and just wanted to update you’ll on it. Pretty much he talked to the RA, and then had a long meeting with the resident director of his dorm. In the end, both he and his roommate agreed that it wasn’t going to work out, and he was able to switch out to another room (in the same dorm). He likes his new roommate, and they seem pretty similar, so all seems well. He is also enjoying the academics, which is good news, so I would say things have improved dramatically. My only concern is the the new roommate smokes (my so does not), but according to S, the roommate is being considerate and is very understanding. </p>
<p>S is coming back to visit over the 3-day weekend, and we are all looking forward to that! I’m just glad everything is seemingly better.</p>
<p>NevousNellie, you get points for cyberstalking if you don’t mention it to S or D.</p>
<p>CPU, you get a BINGO letter for stating your opinion clearly to your new roomie even if you aren’t officially a wackaloon parent. They will probably break up in the next 2 months anyway if statistics play out. Very few freshman who start college with a BF or GF end freshman year 1st semester with the same GF or BF. </p>
<p>Mamaof1 … you get BINGO points just for surviving sending your only child off to college. At least I got to spread the emptiness over 2 kids. Oh ya, and a BINGO point for buying books with your S under the disguise of buying books when really it was another way to spend another moment together. I wish I had thought of that!</p>
<p>Oldfort, you are a negotiator! And an “N” for you!</p>
<p>jaylynn - the weather here in San Diego has gotten warmer again this week. It may be in the mid 80’s for your D’s move in so dress in cool clothes. Two of my D’s friends will also be moving into USD. If you have any questions once you get here feel free to send a pm and I can try to help. Good luck with the launch!</p>
<p>Thanks, showmom!! I’m trying to figure out what to pack. I don’t have much space in my carry-on since I’ll be carrying D’s overflow and her (secret) bday present too. Move-in’s not til Sat am so we have all of Friday to shop and hopefully explore SD.</p>
<p>D2 sucessfully launched, went without a hitch. her roomate seems nice, and the girls who share the bathroom are nice as well. The dorm is spotless, new with AC. Everything fit, and she seems happy. fingers crossed.
CPU good for you!</p>
<p>Do I get a point for watching YouTube videos of my D’s favorite new teacher?</p>
<p>CPUscientist3000: Thanks for checking in. We wackaloons are wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>Posting from my phone, so I will wait on the launch post (but it went well.). </p>
<p>I wanted to comment on mom2jl’s post. DS is kind of shy and not great at initial small talk. Before launching he read a Larry King book, “How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere”. It gave him some good ideas on how to handle all of that initial contact with so many new people. </p>
<p>I am really proud of his efforts in meeting new people. At every opportunity he was talking to new people. Sitting in an auditorium waiting for a presentation he was introducing himself to kids around him, asking questions and talking. This is not at all natural to him! He’s got a great sense of humor, but is rather reserved around new people! At the end of the second day he told me it was exhausting, but he was feeling good about it. I think he’ll be very glad when everyone isn’t new! Anyway, mom2jl, it may be hard for your son too, but I think it’s been a real growing experience for my ds and the lessons will serve him well in the future. </p>
<p>And a quick “Way to go!” to CPU!</p>
<p>Today was the transition from special pre-orientation to regular freshman orientation. got a response to my “how’s it going?” text: “good.” He has a 3 hour mandatory floor meeting tonight, so that is all the communication for today!</p>
<p>I see him tomorrow because RIT has lots of on campus activities that include parents and his special support program has an open house in the morning. So I will see him once in the morning, at the new student convocation, and for dinner – and then it is our final good bye for now. I think that is nice… we said good bye monday night for two days, gave him space, visit a bit, see how things are and then say a real good bye. We will actually be in the area for a while more in case of crisis!</p>
<p>Where are you folks seeing videos and pics of things? I haven’t seen anything on the school website!</p>
<p>Yay! Mary13. 98 degrees tomorrow - ouch!! summers last gasp. However, the 10 day forecast runs pretty quick back down into the lower 80’s for highs early next week, and the lower 70’s for highs by the end of next week. And lower 50’s! :eek: at night. What we call “good sleepin weather”</p>
<p>CPU, booooo!!! to roommates who make you feel like a third wheel–not nice!</p>
<p>And, having lived the experience of a roomie always wanting her BF to sleep over in our room (a series of them over the course of the year)–it’s good you expressed yourself in the very beginning. I can remember my roomie telling me they could not sleep over in his room because it would inconvenience his roommate…</p>
<p>I am getting less than dribbles of information from S! Tell me this is good and that I raised him to launch and be independent!!
All I know is that he and his roomie get along fine, he loves his performance class, and that he felt an earthquake today (that last information I got via little brother).</p>
<p>mihcal…I’m sorry about your D and the orchestra.</p>
<p>D was successfully launched last weekend. The pre-launch went well - was able to purchase everything she needed locally and get her moved into her room on a very hot, humid day. Things have been a little rocky as she has struggled to meet people and make friends. I had 15 panic emails from her the first day we were back home. It was because of an error the school had made in a placement test and had her all upset.</p>
<p>It looks like she has now made a couple of friends (saw that she “liked” new people on her facebook page - do I earn a letter or lose a BINGO letter for stalking her facebook page?)</p>
<p>Anyways - she has started a blog about her college experience - with pictures. So I have been able to stay up on what is happening. I think this earns me a letter and I don’t have to sneak on her facebook page as much now.</p>
<p>I will never be able to read the word “iclicker” the same way again!</p>
<p>I don’t know if I get or lose points for having the kid who has destroyed two of her three possible communication devices within 12 days of being at school. First, she lost the battery to her phone in the dark walking home from who-knows-where with friends. Now, she dropped her iPod and shattered the screen. She promises she will not touch her camera for a month to prevent its untimely demise.</p>
<p>I keep getting the “I don’t know what to write this paper about” texts. Ugh. I went to school for 21 years, thank you very much, do your own homework! Well, I haven’t told her that yet, but I’m getting close…</p>
<p>Thanks to my Wackaloon friends who sent condolences for D and Orchestra.
Did I mention that kids are resilient? She has posted some new events in her google calendar – meetings of SWE and the Origami Club. :)</p>