First little breakdown caused by online school last night. DD is in a theatre set building class which didn’t meet many times in person. Mainly in those classes they learned about safety and foam. Some slideshows with sketches have been uploaded about building flats, stairs, etc. The video on flats explained how to assemble a basic rectangular frame of 2x4s and muslin.
By Thursday she has to write in depth instructions on how to build 4 different flats with arches and angled tops, a staircase, wagon, and platform, with material lists and prices. She’s finding it super difficult to absorb without any hands on learning and is totally overwhelmed. She doesn’t even want a theatre minor anymore.
MMM @bjscheel that sounds like a lot. Is it a year end paper? I would hope that any student who gets an assignment that feels totally over their head would feel comfortable reaching out to the professor for help or guidance. (My D is a Theater major, and has taken a credit of crew/set building, and I think I would definitely hear about it if she got that assigment due in a couple of days).
My college kids are doing OK with online learning but my high schooler is really struggling. I feel your pain.
I’m happy to see that Brown University President stating that reopening college campuses in the Fall should be a top priority. I’m hoping that more colleges embrace this desire to get back to school this Fall and put a little more pressure on those that are hesitant.
I think the tide has turned here in MA. Although we remain a hot spot for covid 19 cases, the vast majority of people do not seem to be panicking about it. On Sunday I saw tons of people outside working in yards, running, cycling etc. Plenty of people out doing errands and trying to get back to normalcy. Hopefully our governor decides that more businesses can open up, with some restrictions in place.
It will be interesting to see the health data from recently opened states over the next few weeks.
I was reading today about a prison system that tested their population and found 90% of them asymptomatic. I have a feeling that a lot of the US population has already been exposed to the virus, especially those that live or work in densely populated places.
Son17 is done for the semester, and now waits to see what the status of summer/Fall co-op will be .
Son19 is studying for Finals next week and just signed up for an online class for the summer term. He got some $$ back from his meal plan, so we told him he could use the $$ to take a class this summer. It will keep him productive, and will lessen his load for next year. He is pretty sure he is going to double major in MechE/CompSci now. That would give him a lot of career options.
I would love to agree with this, but I feel like the top priority should be making sure large quantities of human beings don’t die.
If we can manage that and reopen college campuses for the fall, then sure, that’s a good thing. But I don’t see reopening colleges this fall as a top priority compared to all the other existential-crisis sorts of things our species is facing right now.
S19 is starting finals this week, but has turned into a total basement hermit. He has regressed so much (being ASD). Nothing after next week right now. Nadda, nothing. I cannot imagine 4 months (if not longer) sitting in the basement on the computer day after day. He will not listen to me, so H will have to force him out to find a J-O-B
My S19 is done with classes and finals (co-op college that starts early January) and he earned a 4.0 for the semester (not a fan at all of pass/fail options)! He was hoping to get a job in his field (civil) but that seems unlikely now so summer classes it is. I work at a community college (yikes, these weeks have been tough) so he’ll be taking electives to keep him busy. My poor D20 is left without her spring senior year at boarding school and just learned last night that they will be boxing up and sending her belongings:). She, too, will enroll at my college this summer. Even my D22 will be taking classes to explore the medical field for which she’s interested. They are at no cost to me (sans the books) so its a win. There will be no sitting around in my house all summer!
My D19 finished her spring semester yesterday. She had one more final scheduled for today, but was able to go ahead and take it yesterday, so she could be done. She’s also planning to take a class this summer, online. But Freshman year is DONE!
My kids have absolutely no interest in summer classes. My D19’s school doesn’t accept outside credits and she would just stress about a grade for absolutely no reason- it’s her default setting. And it would cost us money we don’t have. My D20 just wants the summer off with no school. She’s never understood why my D19 always did school-ish summer camps in high school. Ha.
As for the end of the year, D19 is finished with two classes, has one final project and one final test next week. D20 submitted her last final yesterday and is officially done high school.
S19 is officially done with freshman year. He’s glad to be done with the work but definitely sad that the semester came to an end this way. He’s been attending virtual meetings with some other students for a leadership position he has for next year, but who knows what that school year will bring. One of his pretty good friends from high school and his water polo team will be joining him at his college next year so that is nice.
S is looking into taking Calc 2 over the summer but I think it’s too late to figure it all out since his university only accepts certain college classes and none from community colleges. He didn’t realize he needed it as a prerequisite for a microeconomics class. Oh well, even if he can’t take it this summer, I think he’ll be able to work it into his schedule at some point soon. Since internships are unlikely for him at this point, and I’m a bit hesitant about him getting certain summer jobs, I think he’ll go back to the country club where he has worked as a life guard for the past few summers. Hopefully he’ll be able to earn some money, not be too close to others and get free meals!
@elena13 so many people with older kids tell me not to be so worried about getting an internship for the summer after freshman year. I get that but S19 really wanted to do something more than go back to the golf course and work. Who knows if that will be an option since he worked in the dining room there. His math teacher gave his class a heads up about some virtual math tutoring jobs that pay $20/hour and he sent his resume in last night. That would be great if he got that. They are guaranteed 15-20 hours per week. He’s been tutoring fifth graders while on campus so I hope he will get this gig.
We still want him to try to start meeting with local Bowdoin grads or friends of ours just for informational interviews since he’s completely undecided on what kind of job he’d want after graduation. Consulting seems like a no brainer but I know there are lots of jobs he might like. I also know that, when he’s looking for something next summer, he’s likely to score a job if he already knows the person hiring so talking to people now is a good idea.
I think he has this week and next week and then finals. I can feel him getting so tired of this online thing. It’s just wearing on him. He’s trying so hard to stay focused and we still see him doing a lot of work but it’s with less enthusiasm. I dread when class is over. I don’t know how he (or D21) will do with no structure at all. Bowdoin also doesn’t take community college credit and is picky about transferring credits from elsewhere so taking class doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Re: summer jobs/internships. A few days ago, Cuomo said they are ramping up contact tracing and will be using NY college students to do it. Could provide some opportunities, if other states do the same.
A problem we are having is one of a prescription. My D has adhd and takes meds for it. Her doctor near her school had planned to treat her until school was over and then do a 90 day script to get her through summer. School went online last month and now my D is out of meds- right before finals. Her doctor is now in another state and local pharmacies won’t fill a script from him, so we had to find her a doctor here. We did that but now the new doctor cannot prescribe her without her going in for an appointment- something that has ramped her anxiety up (she also has GAD)so high that we don’t even know if the meds are worth it at this point. She’ll likely be a mess until the appointment on Friday and then two weeks after it. Sigh.
@milgymfam - Will the local doctor do a telehealth appointment? Many practices are doing that. If not, you might be able to find a nurse practitioner at another local practice who is willing to do a virtual appointment. It would probably be hard for her to not have her medication for finals. I also know that the combo of anxiety and stimulant medication can be tricky.
@milgymfam Sorry about D’s prescription woes… Why won’t her doctor near her school write her a script for your state? Was she being treated for ADHD before she started college?
Check if the doctor is willing to do a Zoom appointment - after all, the doctor isn’t taking things like vitals.
D19 still has a couple of weeks on her semester, and is spending her time in activism, schoolwork, and (lucky us) baking. She hasn’t yet decided whether she’ll take a pass/fail for any of her courses.
She has been in contact with the professor with whom she planned to do an internship this summer, and she may be doing an online internship with him. However, even if things open up in Illinois by then, she does not want to go and live alone.
Ugh, that’s terrible. Have you asked the pharmacy at her school?
My D has her prescriptions for anxiety at the Student Health Center, back at school. They’ve been great. She just called up the pharmacy there and they filled the prescription and mailed it to her.
@homerdog Can your son take summer online classes from his college? That will keep him busy. Mine didn’t plan on b/c she wanted to travel. But she signed up just now to avoid the long summer months at home, even though she will be working
Apparently it’s against the law for a doctor to write a new prescription for a stimulant without an in-person appointment for evaluation. No telehealth allowed. She started taking it in high school, but she went to a doctor back then that she has aged out of, and the military is not flexible about that. The doctor in PA tried to do an electronic script at three different VA pharmacies, including a branch of the same company she used in PA. All refused to accept the scripts. Her choices are very black and white: she can go to the doctor on Friday morning or she can stop taking her meds until she’s back at school. It kinda sucks all around.