<p>Did visit for parents weekend freshman year for each kid. Embarassed to say I dont recall visiting older s much after that year, though DH went back with him to help him settle in after he broke his leg junior year. Younger s happens to be in a city that DH and I each had conferences to attend, so got to visit a few extra times. ALso went to visit to celebrate his 21st bday (translation: take him and his friends out for lots of meals on our nickel). Older s’s bday was in the summertime or we’d probably have done something similar.</p>
<p>Hmmm, I think it comes to about three times over the four years…freshman move-in, graduation and one vacation/visit for S1 all 2,000 mile road trips one way…and it’s looking like that will be how it is with S2. So technically only one “visit” in four years if you exclude the freshman drop-off and the senior graduation!</p>
<p>Pretty much 1-2x annually for move in and/or move out. Looking forward to the graduation week a year from now. We spend most of our time wandering the local area (Portland OR).</p>
<p>Twice a year so far. Parents’ Weekend in the fall, and her sports’ conference finals which are in April and she has had the fortune to compete in these first 2 years of college. Otherwise, it would just be Parents Weekend. She’s too busy!</p>
<p>Mine don’t come home for Thanksgiving or for Spring break and both of them decided not to come home for summer after freshman year. Sad but true…although when I think back I didn’t come home for summer after freshman year either. They grow up. They fly away. I am secretly hoping #3 stays closer to home.</p>
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Ditto. Made it for Family Weekend first and fourth years; D was abroad second year (we visited Budapest) and we were strongly encouraged <em>not</em> to come for Family Weekend second year.</p>
<p>My favorite memory was making a rendezvous for move-out weekend. Was assured that packing up was well along. When we finally saw her room, it resembled the aftermath of the battle of Marengo.</p>
<p>S1 is at school at about 6 hours away. We have helped him move in in the fall and out in the spring each year and have picked him up for Thanksgiving (we pick him up and go to a vacation rental fairly close by. Hurrah for Wegman’s take out Thanksgiving dinner!). Freshman year I think we drove him back after spring break and did a little tourist stuff in the city nearby. We haven’t been able to go for parent’s weekend because it has conflicted with S2’s marching band season. Other than that S1 has taken the train which he much prefers to driving in the car with us! He is staying at school this summer to do research. It is not clear if he “needs us” us but I want to go down to do tourist things since he is in a great city and he’s almost a senior.</p>
<p>S2 was initially reluctant when we started looking at some schools a little closer to home (1.5 to 3 hours). I think he had it in his head, because of his brother, that going away was part of the college experience even though we were looking at schools he liked alot. I finally told him that if he was close to home I would only vist under the following circumstances: Move in/out, Parent’s weekend, concerts/plays he was in, or when I was invited! That seemed to calm him down and he will be attending about 2.5 hours from home.</p>
<p>school visit before HS senior year, preview, freshman move in and freshman parent weekend. 4 visits in 15 months and none since.</p>
<p>For us, it’s depended on the kid…pretty big difference between oldest/daughter and second/son, although both were 8 hours away. D was a theater major and liked having us visit–I usually did parents’ weekend or fall break in October and then went out for a theater production in either winter or spring. Also did moving in/out and usually one vacation drive per year (the rest of the time she found a ride with another student). S is in a less appealing town, and his parents’ weekends are uneventful–we went once, and now only really go for moving in/out. He has his own car this spring, so I may not go back till he finishes! Youngest son will be applying to acting programs in the fall–if he gets in, I want to see him perform, so I expect we’ll be back on the visiting circuit!</p>