<p>Son just sent off his application for on campus work (with work-study)! We might be getting his laptop this afternoon as well, everything seems to be coming together.</p>
<p>I didn’t discover CC until recently, so I am late to this party. However, I thought I’d chime in on the start of a new thread… So excited and so emotional as this month means a big change. D goes off on Aug 27 to Penn. Mountain is building on the living room floor. I love staring at that pile, but it makes me sad to think it will all be gone in 3 weeks. One little tidbit of interest, i just ordered a student advantage card which gives students 15% discount on Amtrak, Target, Topshop and Rugby… Since it came with the Penn stuff, I figured it was legit…anyone hear of that?</p>
<p>I know a lot of businesses give a discount with any student id but have not heard of student advantage. </p>
<p>[College</a> Discounts | Student ID Discount Cheatsheet | College Packing List](<a href=“http://www.collegepackinglist.com/college-discounts-cheatsheet.html]College”>College Discounts | Student ID Discount Cheatsheet | College Packing List) - a few discounts available.</p>
<p>I was thinking that was going to be the case, but the Amtrak discount of 15% will be used often so I think it will be worth it. I probably will find out when she creates an account on Amtrak that it wasn’t necessary. Thanks for the link.</p>
<p>I’ve heard of student advantage card. I think if my kids were using Amtrak regularly, I’d sign up for it.</p>
<p>However, if you have AAA you can also get a 10% discount on amtrak if you buy your ticket 3 days in advance. If you cancel a train trip 1 hr before they give you aback your money except for 10%. If you forget to cancel and cancel after the trip happened, you get your credit back as a voucher.</p>
<p>Just did this research the other day so it is fresh on my mind 
Wish airlines worked like that.</p>
<p>I was talking to a friend yesterday who is also sending off her son, first one but for obvious reasons, she’s micro-managed and now he’s leaving. He was born with no eye balls but has some visual of colors, deaf but now has cochlear implants and other various surgeries along the way. He’s gone away to camp- 8 weeks! and they have traveled extensively. (he has two younger sibs) He is heading to RIT, halfway across the country. She’s worried about his laundry and whether he’ll know if he has food on his shirt. I told her most college kids don’t worry how they look. I totally understand her fears but reminded her, he chose to go halfway across the country (to be a software engineer)
So when you have angst for your kid, think if she can do it…so can we!</p>
<p>I am awarding the wackaloon posters on this threat a Gold Medal for Chattiness !!!</p>
<p>also, bubmom…my S3 is a rising senior at American, if either of us can be of any help to you or your student.</p>
<p>kleibo- so did he get up? How’d shopping go?</p>
<p>We had lunch together and chatted about the lack of sleeping. I assured him there were untold thousands and thousands of college freshmen feeling totally out of sorts about starting school. We talked through again why he picked the school we all had a hand in choosing. And we reminisced about cty - how college would be kind of like that - only no chaperones. It’s why we don’t want him taking the hardest classes he can first semester, it’s a legitimate thing to need time to transition being responsible for himself. And you know what - this 30 minute chat over everything really calmed him down. A little while ago he came in and told me what he is looking forward to at school. He’s claimed his entire life that he’s been raised in the south, but he isn’t a southerner at heart. He can’t wait for the colder weather and he’s excited about the snow. Hey, it’s a start. He’s starting to see things to look forward to at school. </p>
<p>Finally I told him, dad and I were together before you came along, we will be together after you leave. We will be fine, even if we get a little misty at first. We’re excited for you! </p>
<p>This will be the longest and shortest two and half weeks!</p>
<p>*This will be the longest and shortest two and half weeks! *</p>
<p>I hadn’t thought about it this way, but boy, you’ve nailed it, eyemamom! This is SO true (9 days and counting till we leave) - and it has been a roller coaster (for me, anyway)!</p>
<p>Glad to hear your son is feeling better after the talk- hopefully will sleep better tonight. I know there must be LOTS of kids (not to mention parents) having sleep issues these last few nights at home…</p>
<p>All the best…</p>
<p>Hi-- Lurked sometimes but did not join the HS 2012 thread. Don’t know if new people are welcome to this, by now, very well-bonded cohort of parents.</p>
<p>During high-school, my soon-to-be freshman D was not a tippy-top, uber-high-achieving, extremely talented (many awards–sports, arts, drama, dance) kid, that so many of the kids on the 2012 thread seem to be. And good for them. Actually, my older D is more that way. But the 2009HS, college class of 2013 thread to seemed much more varied, not in the personalities of the parents or students, but in the presenting nature of concerns and academic diversity of the students. So, that thread also kept me grounded during that first time around. If several parents on a thread are open about medical or learning or emotional concerns during the college search, and others are looking at community college, and quite a few are pushing gap years due to concerns about maturity, and they are open about discussing their respective issues and are kind and respectful to those whose needs are different, it does temper the “we say we are looking for “fit”, but we really want good “fit” at the most selective levels” push that high-achieving kids put themselves on sometimes, dragging their parents along. This thread seems very diverse and fun in the personalities of the parents, but more on the high-end student part of the continuum to me.</p>
<p>When people’s children are exploring the most selective schools or gaining acceptances with major merit to schools based on grades or athletic or arts talent, or finishing up senior year with many recitals, community awards, school awards, etc, I just was not sure that the parents of those young super-stars would relate to the struggles of kids who are kind, decent, caring, and extremely hard-working B or C students (tutoring, mega hours put in to make what are now considered quite mediocre grades) or the concerns of said students’ parents. Or the parents of kids with type-B personalities. So, I spent more time looking at the B and B+ student threads for college info and just to feel that my kid was normal rather than the failure that comparisons with the kids of this cohort would imply. LOL. No one’s fault, but I just felt stressed when I read how well everyone seemed to be doing, despite the usual concerns (tippy top LAC or tippy top national university or regional school with full merit), and the angst that comes with those very nice, if difficult choices. </p>
<p>That said, college is a new time. They will have other experiences, roommates, meal plans, adjusting to the rhythym of college life, more adult relationships, new friendship dynamics, changing relationships with siblings and parents, internships. Those are things in common, whether a student is at Harvard or at Williams or at Julliard or at a regional university. Or, they are attending community college, but they are growing up and changing. So, I am hoping I will not feel as drastically out of place with my mundane concerns as a soon-to-be empty nester, mother of a somewhat shy, droll, insightful, caring, creative person who is going to a private 4-year, urban college, but not a name school. She is quite goal-oriented. She will have a fine life, but I doubt I will be ever bragging on all of her awards, both because I am not braggy by nature (though it is fun to share successes, and perhaps I am a bit envious of people who feel confident to readily do so) but also because I doubt that the rewards of her life will be reaped from external recognitions. I am a little worried about how college will be for her, but I am not worried at all about her maturity and ability to make good choices in her life!</p>
<p>Welcome, Mamita. Your daughter sounds just wonderful to me!</p>
<p>Some of us have multiple children with multiple issues. My oldest is high achieving but his adhd is a big concern of mine since he’s already missed some important deadlines for his school and as a result, will have to shell out more money. :-(</p>
<p>My middle son has some major issues (diabetes, severe visual disability, depression, etc) and will not be going the same route as my oldest; I’m not even sure he’ll make it to college.</p>
<p>My youngest is too young for me to worry about! LOL</p>
<p>So, sometimes, it takes a little digging to realize there are plenty of us with high achievers that have challenges and that makes life, well, challenging! :-)</p>
<p>eyemamom - everything about your post made me smile! Especially this:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>welcome mamita! So glad you posted. I think sbjdorlo hit it on the head! All these kids are headed out to be freshmen with a wide range of things to be nervous and/or excited about! And all the wackaloons are nervous and excited too. I’m glad you’re part of our group now!</p>
<p>And in real life, our AC is shot and needs to be replaced. We have a heat pump now, but we’re going to look into heat pumps, gas furnaces, and even geothermal systems. I figure if you all send me just a measly $100 dollars each, we’ll be able to have heat this winter! :eek:</p>
<p>Thanks, sbjdorlo. I need the cohort experience/support for being a parent of young adults, for now out of the nest (except for vacations)!</p>
<p>Mamita, welcome. I’m happy that you enjoyed the wild and woolly postings on the old HS 2012 thread and that you feel more confident about posting on this new thread. Of course new posters are welcome all the time!</p>
<p>Perhaps you are right that many of the wackaloon kids are towards the more accomplished end of the student spectrum, but there’s diversity too, and there was certainly a lot of diversity in their college application journeys. Just look at the list of 100 colleges that our kids are attending!</p>
<p>Hello - Since other former lurkers are joining in, I thought the time would be right for me. I discovered this board in late December but before I could join, my D was accepted ED to her college of choice. She will be joining a couple of others here at Kenyon. We live in the Pacific NW and have been to Ohio one time for 2 days! (We went for a quick college visit trip last summer.). This is my first child heading off and I have been flying blind. However I have used quite a bit of information posted here to figure out how to get her there and her stuff in an affordable way. I look forward to sharing the upcoming 4 year adventure with everyone here.</p>
<p>Welcome mamita. We are all setting forth on new paths as are our varied kids. I look forward to hearing about those journeys.</p>
<p>Yes, welcome Mamita. It’s true there are a lot of high achieving kids in the mix, but the parents are all wackaloons. Please feel at home here.</p>
<p>And somebody proposed the PERFECT Empty Nest cocktail to me today: elderberry liqueur and champagne. Is that brilliant, or what?</p>
<p>I suppose one could use elderflower liqueur and get the same pun, though I don’t know how it tastes.</p>