@Thelma2 @AggieMomhelp or anyone else… what are your thoughts on TAMU classes offered as online/web classes? We’re looking at possible ICD/arts/basics, etc. courses and are seeing this as an option occasionally (sometimes the only option) depending on the course. Pros/Cons?
@agtrio23 it really depends on your kiddo and their interest in that subject. It can be really good or really hard. My friends daughter has all her classes in line this semester. It’s kicking her butt. But it’s the only way she could take them. One a semester isn’t bad but I wouldn’t suggest any more than that. There’s just no engagement.
@agtrio23 Personally, I would not do online classes through A&M unless that was the only way a needed course was offered. Online classes at TAMU in summer can cost over 1200 and upwards per class, depending on the major and class taken. At your local community college is better, Saves a ton. However, people do it all the time, so it’s really a personal pref.
@agtrio23 There is a very popular health class that meets both ICD and one of the other basics, can’t remember which one, that is online. Usually it books up quickly. My son took it his first semester and couldn’t understand why everyone on the aggie reddit said it was so easy. As it turns out, the reason it was so “easy” is because it had not been changed in years and all the quizzes and tests are on the internet via quizlet. My son felt like that was cheating so he never took advantage of it, and just barely got his A but has said he will never take another online course.
@AggieMomhelp @Thelma2 @pbleigh , Whew! NSC and registration is done. There have been so many things done over the past year at such a frantic pace. I want to make sure I’m not forgetting anything over the summer. He has registered for Fish Camp, parking permit, early move-in, and he has his sports pass. Are there any housing related things to do before dorm move-in (he hasn’t done the housing orientation yet)? Is there a deadline for accepting AP credits? Does he wait till school starts to get his books or get them early? Anything else?
Don’t accept any more ap credits at this point unless you need to. There is no deadline for accepting them and it is possible down the road you might regret having them (like if you want to change majors but have over 60 hrs). My son is now a jr and just finally accepted the last of the ones he will take (wanted to go ahead and order his Senior ring).
As far as books go, definitely wait on that. So often they don’t ever use the text and they are so expensive that it is best to wait to see if you need it, I pushed and pushed my son to buy his books and have finally realized he just doesn’t need them all the time and he is the best gauge at what he needs. Many of the classes will require online access codes and they will find out exactly what they need on the first day of class.
@CamandCam There is no deadline for accepting AP credits and the general rule of thumb is don’t accept them until you have to because you can do it online at any time, and there are certain things that are limited by what year you are in total credit hours. So, best to keep your options open.
What dorm is he living at because many of them have twin extra long beds and sheets that fit are a bit harder to find? My son found the mattress uncomfortable so we ended up buying a firmer mattress topper for it. Some people like getting personal safes to lock up electronics, etc when they are not in their room.
For books I have a done a mix of buying them early over the summer and waiting to the last minute. What we tend to do is check out the syllabus for the class in years past and if the teacher recommends buying the book in past years and it looks like nothing has changed then we try to find it early in the summer on amazon when prices seem to be cheapest. Many of the teachers will tell the kids not to buy the books or offer them an online book option to go along with homework; in those cases we wait until school starts and see what the teacher says.
If he will be bringing his own bike he will need to get a bike permit on the same website you get the parking permits. Get a very strong bike lock, the U shaped ones, if he is bringing a bike.
Enjoy the summer!
@CamandCam are you on Facebook? If so, be sure to join Aggie Parents page and Texas A&M Class of 2023-Parents pages…they are a wealth of information! You’ll find out everything you need to know & more!
Hopefully your Advisor told you to wait on accepting AP credits.
Well you all covered it perfectly. Nothing to add but totally agree with everyone. and yes, what dorm is he in? I may have more to add depending on that.
Thanks to all for the comments. @AggieMomhelp , he will be in Krueger.
My son tried to do the Annual Housing Orientation, but the system wouldn’t allow it. Has anyone had any luck with it?
Follow up to my previous post. My son contacted Housing, and they said it won’t be available until late June or early July.
Re: Money for daily expenses
Howdy!
Not sure if I a posting in the correct forum, if so please advise.
My oldest is starting in the fall (Engineering + Engineering LLC in Mosher).
Back in the Pleistocene Epoch, when I went to college, I had to open a local checking account with a local bank that had their ATM on campus and I wrote out checks for clubs, friends, pizza, etc.
My daughter has an account with the local credit union that has All-Point as the ATM provider (CVS @ University / College). I noticed that Wells Fargo is the only ATM on campus. Should we go ahead and get a WF student account? Or do kids these just use apps to send money back and forth?
Thanks in Advance!
Re: Admitted Student Posters/Placards
Howdy, perhaps a stupid question, but I have been seeing social media posts with kids showing off placards/posters of them being admitted to TAMU (like the pictures at the bottom left here: http://studentsuccess.tamu.edu/First-Year-Experience/Hullabaloo-U).
We never got one of those in the mail from TAMU. Is it something you had to order?
Pretty sure my daughter is admitted and starting in the fall as they allowed her to sign up for NSC and Fish Camp and gladly took my money!
My son never received one of the admission posters either. We tried asking about it back in April when on campus. It was recommended that he send in a request for one in the applicant information system. He did so but never heard back. I know it is minor compared to getting in and all that is ahead, but I would have loved to have the picture and for him to have received it in the mail. So, I have no advice but I can say that your daughter is not alone in missing out on that first congratulations.
Yes, the banner should have come in the mail with official acceptance. That’s crazy that not everyone got one.
As for banking… my son has chase. We live here. Trust me. They figure out the money thing pretty easily. Most Venmo or cash app. If he wants to pulse and doesn’t have a car to get to his bank, then he can always pay a fee. And there are atms at north gate as well for chase and I think another bank as well. The main thing we found is that you need to have access to transfer money directly into their account but you can also use Zelle for most institutions.
My son never got the official acceptance in the mail, thus no banner. It was the six tabs and an email that let him know he was in.
That explains it, we never got an old fashioned snail mail acceptance letter, she just got an email and instructions on how to to access the new student portal (this was back in November 2018). Unless of course it’s buried in her room someplace under mounds of other stuff …
While we were at NSC last week, we opened an account with Wells. We are OOS and our bank is a local non national chain. IF your student is a new customer for Wells they are giving an Aggie themed Debit card and, more importantly, $200 into your account. Requires 10 “swipes” a month.
Our credit union is a partner with the credit union on University Drive, only a block from the Wells Fargo branch. My student can access his home account from the partner credit union, but we also opened a Wells Fargo account so he could have their debit card. The machines on campus (there’s one in Mosher) are Wells Fargo. We put a small amount in the WF account, and he didn’t use it much, but it was convenient for the few times he needed it.