Thanks to everyone for your help with the book situation. We were somewhat limited because of the access code situation, and for those classes, the Barnes and Noble price was as good as anything else I saw. They weren’t cheap but they will be used for two semesters.
The mailroom at D’s uni also makes you wait for an email before being able to pick up a package, and it’s closed on weekends. I recommended having her get stuff sent here this week so she could have it by Friday instead of having to wait until Monday. She was planning on coming home this weekend to pick up some things anyway.
It makes it easy that she’s so close to home. She’s had friends offer to do the driving if I couldn’t which is another bonus. Last week her a couple friends picked her up to take her to a surprise party and another friend took her back. Her best friend also visited her on campus.
Yes, @MACmiracle, the codes really hinder savings. It doesn’t help when the bookstore offers a significantly cheaper used version. DD felt that since they offered them, she didn’t need the code, but it doesn’t work that way. I will have to ask her what happened once classes started.
I shipped DD her first package. I was a little nervous as it appears the packages are delivered to the actual dorm buildings, and not a mailroom. She did receive it this morning and was very glad to get it, as it contained items we just didn’t get to before moving in. She already asked if I am going to send something for Halloween, because she knows I sent them to her brother.
She took the 12 meals per week plan as she said she couldn’t see going to dining hall more than twice a day, but she had already used them by today. She has flex money as well, and some cash on hand. I wonder if she is taking full advantage of the meal itself or she needs more flex money? At home she didn’t eat much at one sitting, but ate numerous small meals/snacks during the day.
I am wondering what would be the best solution for this? How are all your kids handling their meals/meal plans?
@MinnieFan thank you so much, that’s incredibly kind of you! I’m sure I’ll be PMing you later with various questions.
The shower issue aside, my D seems very happy. She is so engaged! She really enjoys her classes so far, thinks her academic advisor is great, and has enjoyed meeting her classmates. She says she can’t imagine being anywhere else. That sure makes me happy.
@laralei At D’s uni, meal plans can be increased to plans with more meals per week at any time and the cost is pro-rated. But there is a deadline in mid-September for going down to a lower meal plan.
My D has an all access meal plan that H and I encouraged for social reasons. In other words, if she was meeting different people in tge dorms, classes, clubs, etc., I wanted her to be free to go to the dining hall with them. The price difference was so minor, I realized she might even save money if she could go into a dining hall to grab a coffee or drink rather than pay cash somewhere else. Her dining halls have something like six meal periods a day and at the freshman dorm dining hall, you can re-enter multiple times during the same meal period. It’s a little crazy.
With all this in mind, I didn’t send D with any snacks but then I felt guilty when I saw her roommate’s collection of treats. So I went to the local supermarket and got her some protein bars, Greek yogurt, mini carrots, beef jerky, nuts, pretzels, and some large containers of water to refill her bottle.
Yesterday, I brought D home to find some old notebooks and things she thinks will help her this semester instead of just dropping off her packages. She wound up bringing D20 and a friend back to campus with her for a visit and so they could all get some work done. D20 has missed D18 a lot since she left; she’s having the hardest time of all of us all. I thought it was nice but a waste of gas, but at least D20 had a few hours to try to finish up her summer reading. Afterward, she told me the visit was boring. Haha.
@laralei, at S18’s school, freshmen are required to have the full 19 meals plan. He also gets some flex dollars. I sent him a care package today because he’s been hitting the vending machine for sodas frequently.
He is doing well. I got his first letter today. I’ve sent him 2 care packages (first was things he left at home.) and an AP stylebook from Amazon. He’s writing for the school newspaper ( I used to write professionally and so did my late father,) so I’m VERY proud. He’s liking his classes and keeping up with his spiritual life.
I’m going to see him in October. Can’t wait! (Sooner if Florence hits)…
My daughter walked into her room the other day to find her roommate’s friend going through her stuff.
She walked in today to find two guys, friends of her roommates that she knows. Her roommate had left— to walk into town to get coffee, leaving the guys there.
DS has the all access plan as well. As I recall freshmen are required to have certain minimum level plan based upon their dorm assignment. Historically DS’s dorm had one level, but this year it increased to all access so that was that. There is a dining hall a short walk from his dorm. He said he eats there typically twice a day. I actually ate with him there for the first time Friday. He gets 10 free guest swipes (per semester I guess). My office is about a ten minute drive from his dorm so that will be very easy to execute! Spoiled I know.
The launch for DS - could not have imagined it going any better! He seems so happy and engaged in it all. Seems to have not only found his tribe, but even beyond that he seems to have multiple tribes. After he spent 2 1/2 weeks this summer with the other 9 Brown Fellows, this group really clicked and remains close. They are all in the same honors dorm, and it seems like this group with their extended friend groups are always hanging and doing things together. Next weekend the BFs (the full group, 80 in all including the 40 at Centre) have an organized trip to the eastern part of the state.
Also in the dorm he is part of the honors science living learning community, and this group takes a lot of the same classes. Study groups forming out of this group now. He is taking 18 hours. He is super well prepared for biology and chemistry because of HS AP, so he seems to have it all well under control.
He joined a fraternity also, so this is obviously another social circle. He really wanted to do intramural sports, and last week he played ultimate frisbee as part of the frat division. Was proud of their “championship” last week. He is getting involved in student government. Bought season football tickets along with a group of friends. Once a month the GEMS group has some kind of event. I could go on and on. He is super busy and super engaged, and he likes it that way.
Friday he just seemed so relaxed and in his element. Living the dream as they say. Makes a mom and dad really happy to see!
@bjkmom that stinks that the roomie is so disrespectful. I hope the housing folks get her reassigned quickly.
Meals: We started out with the 21 meal swipes a week plan with a few hundred dining dollars, within days she dropped it to 14 swipes a week which increased her dining dollars. There are 4 dining options, they are all the same $$, they vary in their dining bucks which are good at any eatery on campus or the swipes which are only good at the dining hall and one sandwich/wrap type grab and go style cafe. Freshman can choose any of the 4.
Due to the hours of the dining hall, DD figured out she would most likely never ever make it for breakfast (7-10am weekdays, 8-9 weekends) kind of cracked me up that “I’ll never make it to breakfast, that’s just too early”, thus she dropped to the 14 swipes per week plan. Due to construction on campus, the majority of her classes are at the opposite end of the campus from the dining facilities. It is now too late to change it up so last week when there was a dining dollars sale, I bought her a few hundred to pad her account. The deal was spend $100 get $120. The swipes are a better value as one gets more bang for the bucks but if they don’t use them, they have no value. We will switch to even less swipes and more dining dollars in the spring.
I sent her a care package last week loaded with some of her favorite snacks. She and her roomies go to Walmart about once a week and she loads up on sandwich supplies as well as frozen fruit and yogurt to make smoothies.
She does have a fridge/freezer in her suite which comes in handy.
my d18 was nervous about sharing a room but quickly adjusted. She is in an honors suite with 1 roommate and 2 suite mates. They seem to get along great.
They had so many activities that they have been having so much fun. I’m hoping the mandatory ones will slow down now that classes are in full swing.
We really lucked out with books. one was rented for about $25 and one was purchased new for $4 so about $30 total. So far no books needed for other classes.
My daughter is on the college figure skating team. They have practice time available 6 to 8am Mon to Thursday so early wake up time but she seems ok with it. They will be doing preshow hockey game routines and competing in college competitions.
We lucked out on S18’s books too! 15 hours and only had to buy 2 textbooks and a novel. Came in under $100! D20’s textbooks for her 2 DE classes was more than that!!
My daughter was offered a ride back to LI, so I drove an hour east to Riverhead (they took the ferry) to pick her up last night.
We had an hour straight in the car of “I LOVE Plymouth so much!!! I LOVE my friends! I LOVE my professors!! Thank you and dad SO MUCH for this opportunity. Let me tell you about…”
I cannot recall ever seeing her this over the moon excited about anything.
Plymouth was, without a doubt, the right choice for her!!!
@bjkmom@apraxiamom YAY! That must just make your hearts sing. All the stress of which to choose, where to go etc. worked out.
DD tried out the community oven in her dorm last night, she baked up a batch of pumpkin cheesecake muffins while her suite mate whipped up lasagna. I asked her at about 11 pm how they were, her response “I just started them, I am now on college time” I had to laugh.
She texted me on Saturday that she missed baking so was headed to the grocery store to get some pantry supplies and was going to bake muffins.
Back from Parents weekend. DD was in very good spirits and has a special bond already with her room mate. Room mates parents not there as she is from CA so she was with us basically the whole time we were with our daughter. You could hear them engage in the kind of conversations and laughter of girls that had been friends for many many years.
Mom was still doing lots of her loving mothering reminders (eat fruit, work out, join clubs, etc) that garnered lots of eye rolls and also smiles from DD.
Today I got a text with a photo of her first test result. A 64/64 in intermediate micro economics.
