<p>while it is true that you don’t have a roommate to be your ready made friend, that is no reason for a person living in a single to not be able to find other people to hang out with. just go door to door and introduce yourself, try to strike up some conversation. just be generally sociable and outgoing, actively try to meet new people, and your efforts won’t go unrewarded :)</p>
<p>Echoing what several others have said, parents should DEFINITELY stay for the Convocation on Thursday evening. It’s a very moving rite of passage experience – for students and their parents.</p>
<p>But I can’t imagine parents sticking around all weekend to “help” their student. The orientation schedule is very busy – your student really won’t have time to spend with you. It’s fine to spend the weekend in St. Louis and getting familiar with the area, but plan to do that on your own.</p>
<p>I think that pre-O really helps the parents! By the time you get to orientation, your S or D already has a “life” on campus! It really helps set the mind at ease to see them so happy already!</p>
<p>limabeans, regarding Parents Weekend, we were there last year Friday to Sunday, and we saw our son Friday night and Saturday night, taking him out for dinner both nights.</p>
<p>Other than that, he was too busy. H & I had a great time by ourselves, exploring the area around WashU. We went for a long hike in Forest Park (beautiful!) and visited the St. Louis Art Museum. Took a long, leisurely stroll through The Delmar Loop, walked around campus and the surrounding area.</p>
<p>We did not do any of the “planned stuff”. I guess it’s not our style, although I’m sure many parents participated.</p>
<p>We’re not going to Parents Weekend this year, but we are going to St. Louis on a different weekend, and we’ll take in a Cardinals game. Perhaps our son will make a little time for us. ::rolling eyes::</p>
<p>palmalk, you’re so right. Our son is at pre-O and by the time we get there on Wednesday, it’ll feel like Parent’s Weekend.</p>
<p>For all of you who may have missed today’s article about saying good-bye in the NYTimes:
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<p>Wanting to get in touch with parents of class of 2014… I am from DFW … & would love to get in & stay in touch with parents … so can discuss the years t WASHU… Please message me if interested… Dropped Son off on 26th… attended convocation & held up the lights to light the path to the Quad :=) … now back home … part of heart left in Washu…</p>
<p>wish I had read this earlier: We got there late & had to sit in the overflow & watch the Convocation on a screen in gym …</p>
<p>MommyRox,
There are a few of us Wash U freshman parents here. Check out the thread on the Parents forum entitled “College Class of 2014 and Beyond”. It is all parents of freshmen “leaving the next” (not just Wash U parents) and there is a lot of great support there. I just got back to the Phila area from dropping my D off at Wash U. Yes, a little bit of my heart is there, but my D is so very happy and Wash U is clearly a wonderful place for her that I am not too down. My only concern is how well she will keep in touch because I can tell she is already making new friends and will be very busy. Feel free to PM me if you’d like. We can also start a thread on here for Wash U parents. Not sure if it belongs here or on the parents forum. But you are not alone in going through this. The only time I got close to teary was during Convocation when the kids were SO enthusiastic (even while I sensed a head-ache coming on. LOL. It reminded me of my freshman convocation (although I have no recollection of parents being there) and how that was the start of four wonderful years for me. I got teary feeling the energy of a fabulous beginning for my D.</p>
<p>I’m another parent of a freshman. I missed orientation, so it is interesting to read about it from others. My husband took my son there, flying from NJ, and I stayed home with our younger daughter. It seemed only fair because my husband hadn’t seen the school at all, as I had taken our son for all of the college visits. And our daughter had no interest in going, and there didn’t seem much point in the expense of 2 extra plane tickets. </p>
<p>It was all very logical, but I didn’t realize how bad I would feel at not being there, although my husband sent pictures of the dorm room (modern), and bought me a t-shirt. :-)</p>
<p>Thanks all for responses, PM’s & great words of encouragement… It feels nice to have support & understanding from fellow parents… I will respond to the PMs a little later… since I am running in directions today.- just wanted to take a few secs & say Thanks to all…</p>