<p>Interesting article about students' misgivings about their college coming out at Thanksgiving:
A</a> feast of doubts for college freshmen come Thanksgiving - USATODAY.com</p>
<p>This article is from 2009, but the theme is timeless. Thanksgiving gives a student time with family, and time to reflect.</p>
<p>I saw one study that a student can determine within the first eight weeks whether a college is right for them.</p>
<p>Yes, we still have a bunch of these going on with our freshman, but not throwing in the towel! He feels strongly that he has committed to the year and that he will follow it out. I’m hoping the 2nd semester will bring:
- more enjoyable academics (Cal 2 has been a BEAR + “boring” gen eds)
- more social experiences as more intramurals start
- maybe winter weather will keep more kids at school as opposed to the going home every weekend that seems to occur.</p>
<p>Can’t do much about the “missing” GF though! And I don’t think that’s going anywhere!!!</p>
<p>Good article, good food for thought. Maybe lots of people can take a little something from this article. I know my H needs to read it…</p>
<p>Great article.</p>
<p>I made a conscious effort to “lower expectations” before my kids went off to college. Reminded them that not everyone meets their BFFLs the first week of school. Also told them that no college is going to be 100% perfect - there’s going to be professors they don’t like, kids they don’t like, rules they don’t like (or unenforced rules that should be enforced), something will be overpriced (food or books or sports tickets), etc. Reminded them that they are not going to be the smartest kid in the room - or maybe even not in the smartest HALF of their class. </p>
<p>Many kids head off to college with the experience and expectations so built up in their heads that no college could live up to it, and end up disappointed for a while.</p>
<p>Great point La '84-- I think, in general, our kids are so geared to think that college will be the BEST time of their lives and they’ll meet their BEST friends and have GREAT experiences that nothing can live up to it. I will use what you said when D goes off to school (hopefully) next August/September: you may not like your roommate. You may not like the food. The professors in your major may not agree with your worldview. It may be colder/hotter than you thought it would be. There will be one really annoying thing about a) doing laundry b) registering for classes c) the local wifi system. A little preperatory reality check (in concrete terms) creates not dissatisfaction, but a realistic acceptance of their new home. Good points.</p>