<p>bethievt, I know I'll miss my D, too...the older 3 were boys, and not near as involved with dear old Mum. D & I have thoroughly enjoyed the girlie stuff all these years...I know I'll miss seeing her daily, but lucky for me she's going just a couple of hours away so close enough for me, yet far enough to be "away" for her. And yes, there are some teachers and acquaintances throughout school that we'll miss. You might be surprised how hard it is to "go home"...i.e. to school events...when you do not have a child involved. Some friends graduated their last a couple of years ago. The dad was telling about how he didn't see any reason not to continue going to the sports events-the thing he'd enjoyed most over all the years. The first winter - nearly 6 months after daughter graduated - he went to the first girls' basketball game and realized he knew virtually none of the people there, even though it's a very small school (500 in K-12) in a very small town (less than 2000 in the school district). But most of daughters' friends had been the youngest or onlies so most people who had any idea who he was were gone. He said he felt like people were "looking at" him as if he was a creep...coming to teen girls sports games when he had no relatives on the team. Needless to say, he & wife soon found new outings! (Not to say this will happen to you, but you do lose that very real connection, and the people.)</p>
<p>I'd agree I'm ready for it to be over. My daughter is the last of three and got two quick acceptances and then three deferals. We were encourged to apply early when we made the summer visits, so by November we were looking at letters saying send us any updated test scores and midterm marks. It has been now what 4 months of waiting and gashing teeth. Mid term marks went out this week finally and I'm happy to report that there wasn't any slowdown as the average was 91. We never really understood or cracked the code on this deferal thing but we do know that she did the best possible outcome. I think the colleges understood that and we hope that we just weren't strung along for these 4 months. But back to my earlier point ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>This thread derailed some what from the original topic, but is wonderful because of it. I am a senior and I'll be leaving for college next year. Besides spending every waking moment trying to sum up my last years of adolescence, I've been projecting how the change is going to affect my parents, specifically my mother. I'm the last to leave the nest after my brother three years ago, but I don't think my mum is ready to let go of school, early wake-ups, packign lunch etc. just yet.</p>
<p>on with the derailing..... My daughter (HS graduate 2003, to be college graduate 2007) was very involved in the theatre, drama and choir in HS. I still go back for those performances and get a kick out of seeing the kids that had bit parts as freshman (when she was a senior) now doing the leading roles. </p>
<p>The HS choir concert has a community tradition of inviting choir alumni back on stage to sing the hallelujah chorus with the current choir. It's very moving and sometimes humorous to see the middle aged, recent graduates and young kids all blending in to sing. When my daughter was a senior in the HS choir I got choked up imagining her coming back the next year as a college freshman. When she went back as a college sophomore, it was pretty cool.</p>
<p>The second sin of Senioritis is just like in the NFL you want to have momentum going into the playoffs and when these kids slack off they aren't in a position to hit the ground running in the fall as they crank up to an entirely different level of intensity and structure in college. It doesn't take them long to develop bad habits, it takes a long time to get rid of them.</p>
<p>Ray, I couldn't agree more - there is a tendency even for some teachers to catch the slack-off bug around this time of year - midwinter slump hits some harder than others - but a strong senior year not only gives a student confidence but the impetus to crank up and go into the playoffs ready to tackle any challenge. Signs indicate that senioritis season this year is definitely hitting a peak - just take a look at the thread on the hs forum. No vaccinations or magic bullets for this ailment -at my kids' hs, the whole senior class was called into the office the other day, upbraided by the GCs and, to their dismay, "senior day" was canceled - 4 students were given warnings to ship up or they wouldn't be happy how they might ship out. Reminded me of originaloog's post. On top of that, we have a mild case of junioritis - a significant number of juniors who are quite good students were also called in to get a brusque wake-up call and bluntly told that if their future plans called for more than just waiting on tables that the time to get into the game is now. First time I ever heard about junioritis...</p>
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at my kids' hs, the whole senior class was called into the office the other day
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<p>The image that called to my mind was quite claustrophobic. Thinking of the 500+ students, that were in my son's HS class, being called into any office is a bizarre image. :)</p>
<p>I can't help laughing at that image and now I can't stop thinking about how many students can fit into a volkswagen beetle or a phone booth. Luckily, the class is a heck of a lot smaller than 500 and the "office" in question has a large anteroom used when it is necessary for students to be called on the carpet - I think the administration had an Aubusson rug put in expressly for that purpose.</p>
<p>D is terribly affected by Senioritis. I think it's made worse by the fact that she is going to a different college than everyone else. She's trying to squeeze out the last bits of "fun with the gang."</p>
<p>Senioritis is normal but even those with acceptances in hand should be warned not to totally slack off. My daughter was accepted ED to a college that turned out not to be the right place for her (for reasons unrelated to this thread). The point is, she successfully applied to transfer to two very selective colleges. If her grades for the last 3 marking periods of her senior year (after she received her ED acceptance) had not been good, she would not have been able to transfer to the school where she is now so happy.</p>
<p>"We were at a concert of his youth orchestra the other night, and it was wonderful, but my mother said to me, "You're going to miss this I bet" and I thought, I don't know...It feels like we've been doing it for a LONG time!"</p>
<p>Funny you should say this...all of my siblings went to school 700+ miles from home, but my mom continued to come to our plays, concerts, etc. almost as reliably as she did before. Of course, the up side is that the plays and concerts you attend to support a college kid are generally a lot better. :)</p>
<p>good to know, Hanna, so i needn't feel intrusive travelling the 77.2 miles to daughter's events, but who's measuring?</p>
<p>I'm hoping to still attend some of my son's competitions/performances. His closest potential school is a 5 hour drive one way; his farthest are on the opposite coast--I'm thinking I'll find a way though. With all the time I'll save not checking the mailbox or lurking on CC?</p>
<p>Orchestra concerts, field trips, my volunteer "job" at the school; I'll miss it all. My youngest D is off to Swarthmore in the fall. My nephew may go to the same high school. I've thought about vounteering to chaperone his field trips, but he would be terminally embarassed if I did.</p>
<p>Just went to my LAST Parent-Teacher conference. Due to duel enrollment, Son only has three teachers this year (plus choir). Two teacher said he was doing great. Third teacher said he had senior-itis and needs to work a bit harder. Son said third teacher didn't know what she was talking about. So I guess he didn't turn in his homework and is making careless mistakes for the fun of it????</p>
<p>Husband says we will continue to go to soccer games since he coached some of the younger kids. I hope "we" is him and the mouse in his pocket because I'm sure not going!</p>
<p>And on a side note, we may continue going to the Christmas Choir concerts because we also have an alumni choir. A year-ago Christmas was choir teacher's 29th and final year, so we flew Daughter home for the concert. Son will be an hour from home, so I assume he'll be back for that.</p>
<p>Thing I'm NOT going to miss the most? Fundraisers!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>Peggy -
I think you meant "dual" enrollment unless he is into fighting with swords or pistols :)</p>
<p>And I wonder how many dozens/hundreds of times I've typed it that way . . ..</p>
<p>Actually, he says he is ready for college. He has three huge nerf guns and a mini refrigerator.</p>
<p>The game "Assassins" is very popular at some colleges :)</p>
<p>Article in the NY Times "Slackers Beware" warns stressed-out students who have worked their fingers to the bone since the 9th grade not to take that ticket into college for granted because, as they say, it isn't over until it's over: "You’re not done."</p>
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Senioritis has infected the college-bound since, oh, the beginning of time.... </p>
<p>If anything, though, colleges are extending the admissions period by making sure students stay on track in that twilight between acceptance and arrival on campus.</p>
<p>While colleges and universities have always insisted students maintain top grades, more are now poring over midyear and final transcripts, mailing warnings or making phone calls to students with fallen averages. And in some cases, they’re rescinding admission.
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<p>Apart from the University of Washington, other colleges such as the University of Colorado, Syracuse University, the University of Michigan, Franklin and Marshal, etc. are taking action if red flags are raised even this late in the game.</p>
<p>My daughter is basically done with high school, in her mind.</p>
<p>It would have been better if she could have just started college right after she was accepted, because she's just going through the motions here. She's not going to fail anything, or even necessarily do all that poorly by many people's standards, but it's clear that nothing from now on is going to command her best effort.</p>
<p>In the past I've heard some teachers complain about teaching seniors, and I can clearly see why.</p>