Okay, if you’re saying as a system there’s more variation, then sure. I think I use the word flexible a little differently than you used it in that case, but I think we’re in agreement. I personally don’t create exams that must be curved but I occasionally will add a curve if needed. I remember taking a graduate level accounting class as a sophomore in college (it was an accelerated program) and the exam means would be in the 50s. So yeah, a 65 was an A, but it could really shake a student’s confidence in a discipline that they might actually be good at (which is why I personally don’t use that approach).
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My son has had two professors whose approach I really appreciated: if a student gets something wrong on the midterm but correct on the final, the points are adjusted. One prof said he just wanted the student to understand the concept and it didn’t matter if it was earlier or later in the course.
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I can’t tell you how often I wish I had another child to pass all this “college” knowledge along to… My latest words of wisdom: As long as bright white sneakers stay trendy, buy whatever brand your kid “must have” for normal wear and a second cheapo pair to wear to parties. Or buy two cheapo pairs. Or make your kid buy his/her/their own shoes. Just know that those white shoes will last about two weekends of parties and then they will be ruined. I told my D she had to buy her own second pair after she announced her nice ones would never be clean again… she is now familiar with the Walmart shoe department. 
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Hi all! As promised, I’m back with an update. Regular readers of this thread will recall that we are a full-pay ‘donut hole’ family who made our high-stats D21 take a full tuition merit scholarship at a lower T100 LAC despite her anger and grief that she wasn’t going to a ‘better’ school like most of her friends.
I’m thrilled to report that she’s as happy as a clam: loves her roommate (also a tippy-top student there for the merit $), coach, and teammates, really likes her profs and advisor and is finding her classes to be really challenging (yep, core lab sciences are hard everywhere). So, the sound you hear is a giant exhale from her very relieved parents. (She had lobbied endlessly for a gap year and college app re-do until the bitter end. We were actually worried that she might refuse to get in the car to leave for orientation and move-in!)
I hope that all the other posters’ kids who started at less-than-dream schools are equally happy and settled: please let us all know how they’re doing.
What a rollercoaster this has been. Now we get to celebrate by climbing back on the ride for S23. Fingers crossed for a lot less drama on the next go-round.
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My sons (at different colleges) both wanted white Chuck Taylors. They are now a muddled grayish brownish color. Any chance they might wash them? No. No chance. They actually like the new ‘color’ 
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Fellow parent to a kid who had to go to their less than dream school here. Happy to also report she is happy and thriving!! Loves her classes and professors, like she can’t wait to go to class and get involved in discussions.
The first few weeks were pretty lonely with lots of sad calls home. Then she just took it upon herself to rush and landed in a sorority with some great kids. She has been paying for that with her own money and never asked if we would pay. I really appreciated that. Now her calls home are all about the new people she is meeting, the adventures they go on and just general excitement about her new life. What a relief!
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Adding on to the not top schools because of merit need.
D at non flagship state school. Was in her engineering Python class. She always sits in the first row of all her classes as she has ADHD and needs to cut down on distractions. Well her engineering professor emailed her Friday as she was not her usual engaged student and he was worried about her. (She was just overly tired with too busy of Friday schedule and had not eaten). Anyway I just wanted to point out that even at large state universities. Student/professor relationship can occur.
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What a fabulous and attuned professor. Nice.
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Totally agree!
Hi, all! I have a two point update:
-
About shoes—D21 has three pairs of crocs and a scrub brush so she can clean them in the sink of the dorm kitchen. Very practical and economical for kids who are happy with crocs style
. In fact, at first she said that everyone was telling her she would need rain boots, but now she realizes that crocs are better as she is in Virginia so it’s still hot, and crocs dry out quickly. -
Wisdom Teeth
. D21 has been in agony. It turns out she has an impacted/infected wisdom tooth. The dentist told us this summer that they should come out, but she was working full time, and he didn’t think it was urgent. We thought January would be fine. Well, now it’s urgent. She couldn’t eat or sleep due to the pain. She went to urgent care three days in a row, and they finally gave her a steroid shot which helped with the pain, and put her on antibiotics.
She is scheduled to have them out in three weeks. This was the soonest she could get as she wanted a Friday so she wouldn’t have to miss more classes. All the oral surgeons are apparently slammed due to people putting things off during Covid.
So, word to the wise: Learn from our saga and if you haven’t had your kids’ wisdom teeth checked out, try to do so asap!
Other than this hurdle, D21 is good. She loves her roommate, her classes and her professors. So overall, we are very lucky!
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Uh oh. My D put off her wisdom teeth removal until Christmas break. Crossing fingers we don’t run into an issue! Otherwise we’ll be searching for an oral surgeon in Virginia too! I hope your D is feeling better after the steroids and antibiotics. 
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We got braces off 10 days before S21 moved in. 
I hadn’t thought of wisdom teeth, yet!
My son packed reg shoes, gym shoes, oofos flip flops, shower flip flops, and I got him a pair of Northface snow boots and a pair of waterproof rockports that look semi formal or can go with jeans and supposed to be comfortable. The latter two pairs may not ever get used. I did get him a pair of shoe dryer 
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Check with your oral surgeon. My daughter had her wisdom teeth out over Christmas and he didn’t want her to fly for two weeks after the surgery. Same requirement after having tonsils out the following year.
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D had consult with oral surgeon last week for wisdom teeth. Not impacted or causing pain. But crowding teeth. Having them out day after semester ends. I too hope the steroids and antibiotics help her keep going. I was a poor working young adult with no insurance with impacted teeth. Had to save up money before I could get them out. Not fun. So glad she everything else is going well for her. Oh and D loves her crocs, just too lazy to wash them.
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Me too!! We’re going for parent weekend in November although regretting now that we didn’t just pick a less crowded football weekend since we can pretty much see all the same things then. We have tickets for the Ohio State game too but it’s over Thanksgiving and we have no plans or interest to drive back there then but maybe in two years.
We also learned that in my son’s senior year we will be a house divided lol when UT comes to play Michigan in the Big House on August 31, 2024! What a game that will be!! Definitely planning to go to that lol. A family affair for sure.
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Because technically it’s 4 sessions. 3 10 week terms Fall, Winter and Spring and then summer is a full 10 week session, although many schools will break it into two. I transferred to a school on the quarter system and absolutely loved it. Started late, then out the week right after TG, had a long ass winter break, went back first week of January with spring break between winter and spring terms and then got our first or second week of June. Summer school started immediately after.
Semester is generally 3 terms each about 15 weeks except shorter in summer. So fall and spring each 15 weeks and then summer is about 8 but classes about 2x as long time wise to equate to the 15 weeks. Semesters can make for a long year especially if have a bad teacher. Quarters can whoop your ass because usually only have one midterm but if bad professor or hate class you’re done very quickly. That was the best part. My grad school was quarters too.
What? And miss Indiana? 
Michigan does have a lot of events planned around Parents Weekend, as I’m sure you know, but much of the football related events (game, tailgate, etc.) are already sold out.
We’ll be there! This could be my last trip to Ann Arbor.
Yeah so I guess students take fewer classes each session but then typically do 3 sessions? Looks like it shifts the ‘school year’ to start later in the fall and end later in the summer.
Some schools with semester scheduling have winter term classes. Talk about condensed!
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@rbc2018 I think so. When I went to the UW, taking 3 classes was totally normal and would get us full time status. My son is on semester and they have to take 4 classes.
Four is typically the minimum to be considered full time, but I would say 5 is a pretty common course load to take (some take 6 but that’s pushing it depending on major).