<p>Best of luck to all new firsties. I will see you next Saturday when I drop off my D, a new firstie. Please remember to be nice to your aged Ps. They are more than a source of funds. And they will miss you very much. There's a good reason why they gave you cell phones -- not just to text message your friends! I will be looking for you on campus to make sure that you give you aged Ps real hugs. If your aged Ps are not going to be there to drop you off, call or text them that you made it to MoHo safely. Be good to your fellow MoHoers and work hard and play hard! :)</p>
<p>It’s hard to believe that it has been four years since we first took our daughter to Mount Holyoke. I wish every firstie the four years of happiness, intellectual growth, opportunities and successes that my daughter had. It was a wonderful experience for her!</p>
<p>The good news…we will be taking the international student we host for her second year at Smith. I’m hoping we can pop over (wow…subliminal thought…I’m hoping to go to Judie’s Resataurant in Amherst and enjoy one) to MHC so I can get my fix of the “quiet energy” I feel every time I walk on campus!</p>
<p>Have a great four years everyone! Make the most out of your time at Mount Holyoke. It truly is, as my daughter said, “an experience of a lifetime.”</p>
<p>A quick update…I did get to MHC last weekend and it looks wonderful! Last minute groundskeeping underway so the campus will be pristine to welcome the class of 2014!</p>
<p>Hopefully, Hurricane Earl will stay away for move-in. When we moved our daughter in four years ago, Tropical Storm Ernesto tried to put a damper on things…but nothing could stop the excitement.</p>
<p>Enjoy everyone!</p>
<p>Not even a sprinkle on move-in day. Speeches in the amphitheatre, picknick behind. Campus was beautiful. Heliocopter parents were NOT summarily dismissed, as at other schools, per press reports. D now happily esconsed in Porter in a good sized double. Reportedly, food is good so far. Intro to MHC skits by upperclass girls was apparently a scream, both funny and LOUD. Even the hot weather went away. I look forward to Thanksgiving. :(</p>
<p>My Amherst kid is hoping to take a class at MHC this year. It didn’t work with his schedule this semester, but hopefully next! The 5 college deal is so great.</p>
<p>ConCerndDad - Congrats to you and your daughter to what sounds like a super start to the year. How nice to be on the Green as a firstie! Every dorm has it’s plusses, but being on the Green is special…and Porter is so well located. When my daughter lived in Safford, one side of the bay window overlooked the library and the other, Mary Lyon’s grave and the ampitheater. I hope your daughter’s room has a great view!</p>
<p>I’m sure by now your daughter is in the midst of, as my daughter calls it “making a great group of friends.” My daughter,as you know, is now working in New York City. She bemoaned the difference between it and Mount Holyoke. She told me that in NYC, you meet people through people, whereas at Mount Holyoke, it is natural to introduce yourself to new people and get to know them. She misses that.</p>
<p>'rentof2- I hope your son or daughter get’s the opportunitiy to take a class at Mount Holyoke. It would be a great experience. My daughter took classes at both Amherst and UMass. She tried to fit one in at Smith, but it didn’t work out. The Five College Consortium is a great resource!</p>
<p>D’s view from Porter is of Blanchard. D is down low, but the 4th floor firsties visit to get cool. She meets new kids every day. And kids she likes, too. Everyone seems outgoing and ready to meet and greet. D has eaten in 4+ dining halls already, and finds the food great. The falaffels were not quite right, though, a bit soggy. D and roommate are considering going vegan for a week or two for fun. Convocation yesterday was apparently very LOUD and the amphitheater was overfilled, SRO. Classes start today, so I suppose with the homework soon to start piling in, socializing will calm down a bit. But it’s a short first week, and there’s apparently an apple picking party at Hampshire Saturday afternoon that’s a “must”. They do do homework, I hope.</p>
<p>Oh, trust me…the homework will come 
Then it’s all about balance… No shortage of homework at Mount Holyoke, that’s for sure. Part of the learning experience is time management. One of the many things that my daughter liked about Mount Holyoke was the ability of students to find that balance (ok, perhaps mid-terms and finals excepted.)</p>
<p>As I remember, my daughter found convocation a bit over the top as a firstie, but by second year, she was all about wearing red and class spirit! Last year, she was buying red accessories to compliment her gown (seniors weartheier graduation gowns, sans cap.)</p>