<p>The biggest surprise expense may have been postage. For the sweaters my son left in Virginia! His roommates, all from Alabama, kept their suite at 68 to 70 degrees with the AC (but 74 to 76 with the heat). My son was freezing! (We set our AC at 78 degrees or so) So he called and asked that I box up his sweaters and sweatshirts so he could be a little warmer. </p>
<p>Like malanai’s son, my son started out as a confirmed GDI. He has been in a fraternity since the start of his sophomore year. He, however, pays his dues.</p>
<p>I wonder why there is any need for the habitual use in these forums of a pejorative (gosh-darn or God da**) to describe students who are Independents. I don’t see a similar practice when describing students who are Greek, although such pejoratives do exist. I understand that some may see it as a term of endearment, but I also understand that some, including me, see it, at best, as a very backhanded term of endearment.</p>
<p>The term GDI was coined a long time ago…long before I pledged over 30 years ago. I can see why some may not like the term. Maybe on this forum we should just say non-Greek or Independent.</p>
<p>^^^I don’t believe that anyone here meant the use of GDI to be derogatory. The term was just being used to emphasis the distinction that these students did NOT intend to go Greek and then surprised themselves and their families that they chose to pledge.</p>
<p>Isn’t that what college is about, learning that we can become more than we thought, a time for growth and exploration?</p>
<p>The term GDI was in use when I was in college some 25 years ago, many states away from Alabama. I personally don’t use it, but other than the actual words it is shortening, I don’t find it disdainful. Not everyone wants to go Greek. Having been Greek, I know that when you are Greek it is easy to wonder why anyone wouldn’t want to be Greek. My oldest S is Greek. My middle son is an athlete and hasn’t gone Greek. My D who is coming to UA in the fall doesn’t want to rush and I fully support her (and though I am ambivalent, I am mostly pleased). </p>
<p>I’m not trying to get into the the Greek vs non-Greek debate. Just saying that I don’t think the term is derogatory to a college student.</p>
<p>Edit to say that I see this has already been commented on. Roll tide!!</p>
<p>M2CK, I like your suggestion to just say Independent. :-)</p>
<p>robotbldmom, I agree that no offense is intended, at least for the majority of uses I have seen in these forums. Not so sure if that is as true as frequently when our students use it on campus. I also agree that college is a time for growth and exploration, preferably positive growth and positive exploration. FWIW, I have often seen the GDI term used to describe students who remainded Independent, not just to describe those who were Independent before they became Greek.</p>
<p>lattelady, it is hard for some to use the term “God-da**” in a non-disdainful way or non-derogatory way, just as it is hard for some to hear that term in anything other than a disdainful and derogatory way, and that includes college students. As for shortening, I agree that most acronyms (probably all) are shortening, but that doesn’t lower the potential for the underlying to be used and/or heard in disdainful or derogatory way.</p>
<p>What? I thought it stood for Genuinely Defiant Independent. :)</p>
<p>Seriously, though, while the term may have originated as a pejorative description of students who choose not to be Greek, many of those students have hijacked the term and use it self-descriptively to fiercely declare their independence. That’s how my son uses it and that’s how I meant it when I used it. There was no offense intended, nor was there any “need for habitual use” when I used it.</p>
<p>That said, if anyone’s sensibilities are offended by the use of the term because of the God D*** reference I, for one, understand and am more than happy to use alternative language on this forum. Hey, whatever it takes to keep the discourse civil and ongoing, as long as we don’t lose our collective sense of humor or fall prey to stifling political correctness.</p>
<p>Going forward, allow me to suggest that, in drawing distinctions between those who choose to go Greek and those who choose not to, we don’t stereotype Greeks as individuals who lack independence. ;)</p>
<p>Likewise parking tickets. They are very serious about parking violations! We paid the first one $50 but warned D all the rest were her responsibility and consequently there hasn’t been a second.</p>
<p>Our surprise expenses were for unexpected clothing purchases. I think I wrote about this in a thread from awhile ago.</p>
<p>There is Quidditch on the Quad= Harry Potter gear.
Joined dancing club=shoes you can dance in and even more dresses.
Theme nights with dances= mask, valentine gear, red dress, hawaiian dance gear, etc.
Bathing suit, suntan lotion, cute towel, flip flops for the Rec Center or other pool.
Halloween stuff=they dress up.
Christmas clothes, decorations for the dorm.
Dressy clothes and business casual clothes. You will have meetings with your clubs and the Honors College has events that I think was mandatory.
Spirit gear.</p>
<p>We didn’t buy all of this stuff but we could have. My D managed to pack some in advance. We also brought some to her when we visited.</p>
<p>Our biggest “unexpected” (more like underestimated) expense comes from the number of times we traveled to UA, with associated travel costs, hotel rooms, car rentals, and eating out. </p>
<p>Also, it cost more to “outfit” our son’s dorm room and suite than we anticipated. When we moved him to storage last weekend, we filled a Jeep Liberty wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling except for the front two seats.</p>
<p>Our experience has been that D spends less money in college than she did in HS. The only time I get a call for extra money beyond her monthly food allowance is if she needs printer ink and if she needs to refill a prescription. </p>
<p>As for boots, her first pair of cute houndstooth rainboots from Target didn’t make it into November of freshman year, and she now has a pair of Sperry’s with matching fleece liners. Her rain jacket is a Marmot that we picked up at REI. It made it through 2 UA years and a trip to England, so we’ll recommend. We did end up buying her a lighter Northface sometime freshman year because her Denali was too warm for everyday in AL (although it came in handy a few days) but she needed something more than a hoody and/or her rain jacket.</p>
[quote]
Our biggest “unexpected” (more like underestimated) expense comes from the number of times we traveled to UA, with associated travel costs, hotel rooms, car rentals, and eating out./quote]</p>
<p>this is what I am thinking is going to be the biggest surprise to our wallets. Just looking at how much it is costing to go to BB end of the month!</p>
<p>FWIW, I have often seen the GDI term used to describe students who remainded Independent, not just to describe those who were Independent before they became Greek.</p>
<p>I’ve only heard the expression used for those who never pledge. I’ve never heard it used towards those who weren’t going to pledge and then later did. </p>
<p>Oh yes…parking tickets. Younger son has been VERY good. Older son was good UNTIL his last semester…got 5 parking tickets in ONE semester. He had to pay them. </p>
<p>As to the cause of parking tickets…well, one bit of advice…tell your kids, “do not believe your friends when they tell you it’s ok to park here or there.” :(</p>
<p>RE: hotels around colleges. Ugh, they all do this. My sister complains about what she has to pay for hotels by her kids’ schools. </p>
<p>Many hotels exist by colleges for the sole purpose of providing for these “pricey, high damand” times. During the other times, they’re vacant. So, they have to overcharge during the popular times to stay in business.</p>
<p>No…there isn’t a one-decal-fits-all-lots decal. There are residential students lots, there are off-campus students lots, there are faculty lots, there are visitor lots, etc.</p>
<p>Kids who live on campus probably are less likely to park in the wrong spot since they aren’t moving their cars everyday. My older son lived in The Bluff his senior year, and during Spring semester, he rarely took the school shuttle, so he’d listen to other kids as to where he could park and got burned a few times. He finally learned to only park where he should park…no matter what some kids say.</p>
FWIW, I have often seen the GDI term used to describe students who remainded Independent, not just to describe those who were Independent before they became Greek.</p>