Son17 will be heading back home in a month, wow time flies. I’m hoping he finds some time to do some fun stuff before he has to leave.
Hi everyone, it has been quite a while since I have been on here. Just getting ready to start this process with D19:( I hope everyones kids are doing well. Caroline has settled in really well at UA. I will say that the school is not exactly what she thought it would be, but she has made a great group of friends and is enjoying sorority life.
We moved to Texas at the end of the school year, so that has kept us quite busy. I look forward to catching up with everyone!
Finally remembered my password. Have been reading but not posting. D is having a good semester. She says college is hard, but she’s happy to be doing that hard stuff where she is!
@rightcoaster, is your son abroad for just the first semester? I thought it was all freshman year, but probably getting it confused with another international program. Will he have any time to travel before he comes home?
Nice to see some updates, so I’ll share- My son is so-so at Purdue. His grades are good despite some initial panic at feeling completely outgunned by other first year engineering students. He joined the club lax team and a fraternity, made friends, and works really hard on staying on top of his classes but he is not loving the school vibe and we may look into transfer options for next year. He knows he can get a great engineering education there but doesn’t know if he can be happy. It is discouraging to go through the process and end up in this situation but we will get through it. At the very least he is at least finding that he can manage a very challenging situation, so it’s a big boost in personal growth. Can’t wait for Thanksgiving when both kids will be home!!
@jmek15 for a great engineering education with a less intense atmosphere, have him look at Valparaiso university. It is roughly an hour from Purdue. My DS16 is a Sophomore EE major and loves it.
It was so nice to see S17 for the first time since we dropped him off. I was able to go to K-State on Friday and stay until Sunday morning. He had an award ceremony I was able to attend Friday afternoon. He wanted me to meet his gf. We all went to lunch together then he went and studied for an hour or two and we all went to a movie later. Saturday I met him for breakfast and then he had to spend the afternoon studying (two big tests on Monday). We all went out to dinner and I left the next morning. His gf is nice and he is very happy, just a little cold. Tues day he texts me “Its flipping snowing!!” Later he sent me pictures of some flurries. A little weather shock.
Nice to hear from a number of you!
We will visit S17 for the first time since drop-off this Saturday. He’s on the quarter system, so Parent’s Day runs late. I’m really looking forward to seeing him in person! (Just in time for the first rain of the season in SoCal.)
He says that things are going well, but all the homework sets and take-home quizzes and tests are a lot of work at Caltech. Thankfully, they are on pass/fail in all classes for the first 2 quarters. I don’t know much about what grades he’d be getting, but he’s passing and getting homework sets completed on time.
He doesn’t have much spare time, but he’s gotten involved with a swing dancing group (something he never did in HS) and is working out in the gym with a friend 3x a week. He’s enjoying the activities in his House, which have recently included a zombie break-in by another house and a Pumpkin Drop off the 9-story library.
I like all the updates! Seems like all the kids are at least surviving Freshman year.
@jmek15 son17 was able to take 12 day trip to Germany, Switzerland and Italy. His group is going to Paris this weekend I think. They’ve been taking trips all over England, it seems like they do a field trip once a week. I might fly over to see him when his classes are over, but he might be ready to come home, chill and get ready for the next semester- in Boston! We’ll have to move him in during January, it will probably be freezing and gross. Bummer about your son not loving Purdue, but he’s a good kid with a good school track record so I’m sure he could find someplace for next year if that’s what he wants. How bout Northeastern?? When do you have to apply by if you want to transfer someplace? I’ve never looked into that.
@jmek15 I’m sorry to hear your son isn’t happy. Sounds like he is making the best of the situation but it’s difficult when we know are children aren’t happy. If it doesn’t work out at Purdue, he’ll find his place next year.
@dfbdfb My D chose Wellesley in part because of the weather. She loves snow!
FWIW, speaking of weather, my D19 is in Wisconsin with me at a research conference this week, and is thinking that this could be a nice state to end up in, given how warm it is in November and all. :))
Thanks for the encouragement, guys! It is too bad that you go through the whole process and end up thinking that maybe you made a mistake, but time will tell. And in the meantime he’s getting a great education and learning some life lessons.
@rightcoaster, it sounds like your son has had some fun adventures during his London semester. What an amazing experience!! Hopefully Boston won’t be too dull by comparison!! I’m sure it will be great having him only an hour or so away. Do you have his dorm assignment or roommate info yet?
DD is working hard at BC. She has joined the Freshman service program and travels 2 hours every Tuesday to tutor an immigrant in English at The International Learning Center. She has been enjoying coming up with curriculum and working one on one with her student. She was accepted not only into the Honors program but applied and was accepted into the Honors Chemistry track. She is on the Fencing Team but is currently rehabbing after having a torn labrum repaired in August. The PT she is receiving at BC is top notch. She expects to be competing in a couple of weeks. It was tough to go to school on crutches but BC took good care of her and has a service available to athletes to help get them around.
We were surprised to learn that BC does offer some merit aid, although it’s not advertised. DD got her FA package and was awarded a significant scholarship on top of that. Her four years there will cost less than one year at her private school. My son went to a BC information session at his school and the BC rep saw his name tag and asked if he was related to my DD (they went to different schools.) When DS said he was the rep smiled and said, “I was the one who admitted your sister, she was in the top 3% of our admits.”
Although her rejections still sting we are thankful to BC for being the type of school that celebrates hard work, good grades, and maximizing your opportunities. Very old fashioned values that my DD lives. It’s good to be wanted.
@cleoforshort It sounds like she’s exactly where she should be. And being in the Boston area is wonderful for a college student. My D likes taking the train/bus in and meeting up with friends at other colleges or going out to eat.
Glad to see some other kids liking the Boston scene for school. It’s hard to go wrong I think, unless you are a strictly warm weather kind of person. Tons of schools, tons of kids, tons of volunteer and intern opportunities, lots of things for the kids to do on the weekends.
My son is looking forward to coming back to Boston and seeing some of his friends at BU, BC, Olin, Emerson, Bentley, Berkley etc. He has some friends that went to Umass Amherst and they want to visit him in Boston too.
@jmek15 I transferred schools after my first year as did my best friend in high school from a different school. Sometimes you have to see what you don’t like to really know what you do like. I specifically recall the first time a week or two into my 2nd year of college finally feeling like I was at home.
I agree, @youcee! I transferred my junior year and it was the best possible thing I could have done. We keep reassuring him that he has options, and that we’ll help him work through it.
here is a video done by a freshman that talks about it not all being rosy and great.
https://grownandflown.com/video-explains-everyhting-being-lonely-freshman-year/
My Dd sent me a text that she went to Mass on campus tonight and trhey were praying for a freshman who went to friends formthe weekend and ended up in the hospital incritical condition with kidney failure and lungs are failing. 
So heartbreaking.
Prayers tonight for all of our kids’ health and well-being.
A couple weeks ago, my S15 came home for fall break. Got caught in a huge traffic jam that shut down the highway for a couple hours. Later found out that a student from his school was involved in the accident and was killed. Son’s girlfriend knew the student killed. I cannot imagine the loss, hurt and emotions for her family. Anxiously awaiting her homecoming for break. Makes you realize how quickly life can change.