<p>Now that we have reached the mid-semester point I thought it might be helpful for future attendees to obtain some feedback from students/parents about how everyone found the first half of their first semester at UD. For students: Was it easier/harder or about what you expected from an academic and/or social perspective? For parents: How are things going adjusting to your children being away at college for the first time. I'm sure any comments or suggestions would be helpful to future and even current students/parents. I'm a little surprised about the dearth of activity on this UD thread since the semester started, it certainly is atypical from past years. I hope things are going well for everyone.</p>
<p>We just visited our S who is a freshman yesterday. He reports he is very happy. Really likes his floormates in his dorm. Enjoys Japanese and Intro to Engineering. Disappointed in Chemistry class instruction. Says TAs are more helpful and clear than instructor. Keeps sending pix via text of the campus on beautiful days. I am adjusting well with him away because he is happy and has adjusted so well. Makes it much easier seeing him enjoying the experience and managing the workload.</p>
<p>I’ll get things started and hopefully prompt some more replies.</p>
<p>My daughter has a screwy schedule that includes a Sunday afternoon lab. Classes are calc, physics, bio and organic chemistry. Add in a part-time job and a few hours each week serving as a lab assistant and she bit off just about as much as she can chew. She loves living on the North Green since everything is nearby. A humorous story is that she slept through the September disturbance, even though her windows overlook College Ave.</p>
<p>No roommate drama or problems since she paired with a good friend from last year’s dorm. For meals, she went with max points and min meals and it seems to be working out well.</p>
<p>One surprise is that she is more homesick this year than last. Might be because she spent the summer on campus and was only home for a few weeks since the end of freshman year. Mom & I visited last month to drop off winter clothes and might head back next weekend for brunch.</p>
<p>All in all, sophomore year is shaping up to be another good one.</p>
<p>My S is a Freshman in the honors program. He adjusted so quickly to college life, it was actually shocking to us! He was a kid who never went away to camp and is a real “home-body”. But I have to say, that UD really did an amazing job socializing the Freshman. In the honors dorm they were divided into small groups so it didn’t seem as overwhelming to him. He always has someone to eat with and socialize with. Being in the honors dorm also has an academic environment that he enjoys. Studying is respected and expected. The students seem to to be a very diverse group too, which is nice. He is doing very well academically, and likes all of his classes with the exception of his calc class, due to the fact that his teacher is unapproachable. But that is to be expected. You aren’t going to love every teacher. But all in all, it has been a wonderful experience so far!</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman nursing student and loving everything about her first year at UD! She ended up in Dickinson, which was a bummer at first but has grown to love it. She has a very tight knit group of dorm mates and loves her roommate who she met on the Facebook page. She has Bio, Chem, Anatomy, FYE Nursing and a Public Policy class and she is thriving in all of her classes. She also just added in a minor in Public Health as she wanted to challenge herself a bit more. My daughter has a very active social life but knows when she needs to study as well! We miss her lots, but can see how happy she so we are really thrilled for her. Looking forward to Parents Weekend in a few weeks so we can see her! Hope everyone else is doing great!</p>