My D finally got a remote campus job! She gave up and then something dropped in front of her and she is really happy now. She’ll be teaching required supplemental section meetings to beginners in her major.
Congrats to your daughter, @milgymfam! My D19 has just applied for a great museum internship in New York that I hope she’ll get. She’s in the business program at Parsons, all remote this semester and doing it from our home near Boston. She’s leaning toward getting an apartment in Brooklyn for the spring semester with the friends she’d planned to live with, whether Parsons is in-person or not. We’d miss her, but it would be great for her to be with her friends and out in the world. And even amid the pandemic, she can take advantage of more art-world networking opportunities in New York than she can here.
@Vineyarder - hope she gets it! It’s so nice to see the museums open again in NYC. D19 moved back for fall and although chafing somewhat at the (understandable) current “no guests in dorms” policy, she is happy to be there. She does have a couple of in person classes, but some of her friends there are all remote and mostly happy still they’re there. She is also looking at getting an apartment with a couple of friends for spring - I think more from a social perspective. There doesn’t seem to be much difference between dorm and apartment costs, and they are trying to get an apartment in one of the co-living type buildings so they are furnished, more flexible lease terms etc… in other words without the extra admin hassle that rentals usually involve.
Interestingly, NYU has said that there has been little to no evidence of classroom-related transmission of Covid, so they are hoping more faculty will offer in person classes in spring.
Thanks, @SJ2727. A co-living place is an interesting idea – I’ll raise that with my D and her friends. We do have a bit of extra furniture they could have, so we wouldn’t necessarily need a furnished place, but it would help. They’re leaning toward an ordinary apartment in Bushwick or Greenpoint. Either way, it’s likely apartment living will be less expensive than the New School’s very expensive dorms.
Somewhat amusingly, D19 thought we might actually let her use the meal-delivery service that she and DW use for three of their weekly dinners, Green Chef. Comes to more than $10 a meal per person – not a college student’s budget! She’ll have to think more in the “big bag of rice, big can of beans” direction. I’m sure she and her three friends will be able to come up with some tasty yet economical options.
Tulane just posted preliminary plans for spring semester. Classes starting as planned Jan. 19, kids will have to come back early to get their covid tests like they did at move in. Normally girls go back a week early if they are rushing or in a sorority but there are no plans on how that will work yet. They are still going to have their 4 day weekend
Mardi Gras break in February but no spring break, a few long weekends will be spread throughout the semester but no dates were given so far. Semester will end as planned and finals will be on campus.
I feel sad for the kids missing another college spring break but feel so lucky they will get to be in person. Hoping maybe one of the long weekends will match up with the high school spring break so we could all do something together for a few days if they are allowed.
Oh, I didn’t mention- NYU has also cancelled spring break, and made up for it with a later start to the semester (by a few days), and two long weekends. They will open dorms early again for those who need to quarantine (and have promised they’ve learnt their lesson about the food!!) - hopefully CA stays off the quarantine list, regardless if D19 does end up in an apartment or goes back to dorms.
UofSC has announced spring schedule. No spring break. Instead, 5 days off - “Wellness Days” - scattered throughout semester. And most aren’t on Frays/Mondays, so you can’t just create a long weekend. I assume that is to spread the effect on classes.
S19 made it through self quarantine with all negative covid tests. His roommate recovered pretty quickly but they kept apart in some interesting ways, which included roommate living on their balcony for several days and S19 living in their closet for a few. Boys! Vanderbilt saw quite a big spike (compared to all the other weeks) in cases last week, but S19 has remained negative. There has not been a whole lot of fun going on compared with friends at other colleges, and the weekly covid test results highlight where the problems are happening. S is just working hard on school work and exercising. He said he wants to return to his apartment after Thanksgiving to study for finals b/c he feels he will be able to work better there. I’m going to visit him this weekend for the first time since dropping him off in August. I wish we could do some fun Nashville things, but the weather is supposed to be nice, so we’ll probably just do hiking and outdoor stuff, plus maybe a music jam session on the rooftop with S and his roommate.
M D really hasn’t complained much about the restrictions at her LAC or not being able to leave the campus bubble. She did some fun things with her suitemates yesterday to celebrate her 22nd birthday and some other friends came by their balcony to serenade her with Taylor Swift’s “22”. 
D19’s absentee ballot never arrived (mailed out 5 October), but when she contacted her home state division of elections sabout it, she was told that our state has a (not very well publicized) online voting option—you fill out an online form, they send you an email link that takes you to a server that creates your ballot, you fill it in online (it fills in the ovals for you!!), then you print it out and sign it (they require a physical signature), and finally either fax it or email them a scan.
So she faxed in her ballot this morning from the university library, and it didn’t even cost anything because it’s a toll-free number!
All I can say is that next time I’m traveling on an election day (and we have, depending on the year, three to five elections in a year, because local elections are in the spring and primaries for local and statewide and national offices aren’t always held at the same time as each other), I’m totally using the online ballot option.
D is getting registered for spring. I talked her out of taking 18 credits. Originally her goal was to be done with classes fall semester of senior year, then do her internship in spring instead of summer. Her advisor said due to the nature of her major it will be much easier to find one in summer, so she might as well stay and take more classes. She’s kind of warmed up to the idea and I figure she’ll still have to pay rent through the whole school year anyway. We’ll see how it goes, though, and try to get all necessary classes done before that last semester in case. But either way, no need to cram an extra class in this semester.
Last weekend she did her last Americorps shift so now she is going through exit process. She did not complete all the hours (would have been impossible) but we’re hoping that due to Covid she can get a pro-rated or even full Education Award. She’s been told she’ll get something so we’re eager to find out. Would love to get a good chunk of next semester covered.
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I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere on this site, but the students at Haverford (and Bryn Mawr/UPenn for now in solidarity) are striking currently. They’re on day six I think. No classes, work, clubs, or engagement of any kind. I don’t want to debate the merits of the strike but I will say it adds another layer of stress to an already stressful year all around. I mean that for me and my daughter.
@milgymfam I had no idea - what a year for your D!
I’m sorry, @milgymfam . I know our family would have a hard time handling one more stress right now.
I had not seen that either, @milgymfam . Hugs to you and your D.
What are they striking about?
@SJ2727 the strike was organized by students of color after a breakdown of communication and work toward dismantling the mistreatment of students of color, poor students, and queer students on campus. There was a communication from the administration that pushed the situation past the talks that had been ongoing since the summer. While I don’t agree one hundred percent in lockstep with the organizers methods, my daughter knows that she has our support… but it is still stressful, especially with her scholarship hinged on very good grades, and her in the midst of applying to junior year at Oxford and scholarships for summer programs. Plus she had only worked one week of her job when the strike started.
Oh my @milgymfam , that sounds very stressful for you and your daughter! And for all.
I’m so sorry, both for your daughter’s stress and for the students who felt this was their only recourse.
SO the uptick in COVID cases even in VT has reached Middlebury, and, for the first time since the semester began, three students tested positive, and 24 are in quarantine as contacts. Luckily, the on-campus part of the semester is over (ends on the 20th), and my wife is driving tomorrow to pick D19 up.
J-term is online, and Spring Term is on campus, similar to Fall.
D19 got home yesterday (we’d hoped to hit a seam in the Thanksgiving travel weekend), with her finals over as of this past Wednesday!
Of course, her sisters are still in school (D17 attending college remotely, D23 and D25 in remote high and middle school classes) and she’s distancing pending her covid test results, so there’s not all that much she can do here with us yet, but that’s okay. Still nice to have her safely home.
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