@Ballerina016 I’m willing to bet that your D will stop dressing like a Californian soon enough! Sounds like she’ll miss most of the below-zero weather though. Hope she is at 100% soon!
@Cheeringsection @sseamom
those conversations are hard when you see another parent or child struggling while things are okay in your immediate realm. This is such a fragile time in young adult’s lives, and frankly, all of our DDs and DSs are at risk. What that parent needs most is just a listening ear. For tomorrow it may be us that needs that listening ear.
Thank you @sseamom I hope so. Good news. She put on a scarf today for the first time. It takes a while to recognize that scarf is not a fashion accessory, but a necessity in some climates. Baby steps. Maybe she will put a hat next. 
@sseamom @Cheeringsection said
“Anybody else stumbled into any awkward situations where you run into a parent of a HS classmate of your DC who has nothing good to say about how it is all going for the classmate?”
I assumed she wasn’t necessarily referring to a “friend” but a “parent of a HS classmate of your DC”. I guess this could mean a “friend”. At any rate…I didn’t actually finish my thought in my previous post. Several of the parents who expressed their opinion without being mindful of their words have recently engaged me/my hubby in conversation about how their DC dislike their college choices. Could this have been an opportunity to blindly make some thoughtless statement which would make them feel worse? Yes. We did not. Instead, we spoke with them about opportunities at the college or maybe transferring to a different college. In the end, several have apologized for their insensitivity which was actually very nice.
@Ballerina016 , wow, that is wonderful news! How fun for you to have her home for a time while she takes advantage of such a remarkable opportunity.
Totally agree with you @oneundecided
@HappyFace2018, I’m not sure I entirely follow your last. @Cheeringsection, sounds like your DH handled everything perfectly. Making a brief understanding comment and turning the conversation to another topic works well, as does a hug and sympathetic facial expression. Sounds to me like that was the gist of your husband’s response.
So glad for you and your D, @Ballerina016! She will escape the deep frozen tundra of Boston and have a great experience. Icing on the cake: she will be at home. Sounds like a freshman parent’s dream come true! :x
@EastGrad When you are presented with an opportunity to say something nice…take it…even when you could say something not so nice.
Congrats @Ballerina016 . You must be so proud.
@Cheeringsection Just yesterday, in fact, I ran into a parent that I had chatted with during application season. Our younger DC are classmates and our older DC are now college freshmen at different colleges. We both inquired about how each other’s college kids were doing. Mine is thriving. Hers will most likely transfer. It wasn’t an uncomfortable conversation. There are so many parts to finding the right college fit - academics, social aspect, the locale, the weather, etc. We talked about that and what her DC learned about what he really wants and she graciously said she was happy for my DD.
Oh, I understand now, @HappyFace2018. Wise words for everyone, indeed.
I went to a mixer and got flirted with. Ew
Okay, @readingclaygirl, my mom curiosity is getting the best of me. Was it ew because of the person doing the flirting, their approach, or are you saying ew humorously? My D gives me zero details about any romance in her life, so I’m bugging you instead. 
@palm715 Pretty much the first 2. It was just weird. He was just creepy. It had also never happened before
The first 2. @palm715 The guys (who go to another college) were just creepy and I could tell what they wanted. I had also never been flirted with so it was uncomfortable.
@readingclaygirl, good for you for seeing right through them.
I’m so sorry you had an uncomfortable experience, @readingclaygirl. Flirting and being flirted with can be tricky. I know I’m grateful to be an old married fart that doesn’t have to worry about flirting anymore.
@mommdc Thank you. Apparently some guys take advantage of the mixer to lure girls back to frat parties. That was not going to happen.
Thanks all. Yes I agree it is not unusual for a freshman to have a rough time. DH just felt really awkward not being able to offer any real suggestions since that is the type of conversations he has had with this parent in the past. He had no frame of reference since the issues the parent was describing are not ones our DS is experiencing. I won’t list them here for fear of identifying them or us, but yes, DH offered a listening ear. He just felt unable to contribute much else. Not his usual style.