<p>Well said SEA_tide, have a terrific senior year!!</p>
<p>As I noted in my last post, my son was homesick before he ever left home.</p>
<p>He and his GF have been inseparable this summer and I know leaving her was really hard for him. He also left all his close friends to travel to a school where he doesn’t know anyone.</p>
<p>I know he’s still homesick because so far he’s called me at least twice each day. I’m a single mom and accustomed to him being with his dad for several weeks at a time over the summer and usually don’t hear from him unless he needs something. But since he’s been away, he’s calling home just to say “hi”.</p>
<p>I know that once the school year starts that there’s a good chance that he’ll make new friends in his classes and once he goes to ‘Get On Board Day’ he can find activities to get involved in, but I also know that there’s a chance that he won’t find his place.</p>
<p>On the night before he left when he was emotional about leaving all his friends and his girlfriend behind, the words of wisdom I provided were, “Once you get down there and get involved, you’re going to make new friends and I’m sure you’ll have a great experience, but remember the thing about colleges is there are A LOT of them and if this one truly doesn’t work out, then you always have the opportunity to try a different one.”</p>
<p>The last thing I want is for him to be unhappy and feel like he HAS to stay there because of scholarship money or because he doesn’t want his friends to think that ‘he couldn’t handle it’. I want him to WANT to be there.</p>
<p>I try to teach him from my own college experiences. I struggled a little during my freshman year and had roommate issues which led me to having 3 different roommates during the year (and I wasn’t in a suite!). I wasn’t sure about my major or what I wanted to do in my future. But once I found my place, my college years became some of the best years of my life. I made friends that I still have today. I met my son’s father. I learned independence and assertiveness and life skills that I needed to transition to life after college. My experiences taught me that even if you have a ‘slow start’ you can still have an incredible experience.</p>
<p>jrcsmom- is he in OA or AA?</p>
<p>jrcsmom, is your son doing AA or OA or band?</p>
<p>OA - Riverside group</p>
<p>my DS is in lakeside (based on another posts info about the two groups). What dorm is your son in?</p>
<p>Riverside-East</p>
<p>darn, trying to figure out how to get him connected to my son. Seems to have opposite schedule/housing. </p>
<p>I think it is going to help when more people are on campus. My son’s roommates are not moving in until this weekend, and he felt like everyone else had a roommate last weekend and was spending time with them, not out socializing.</p>
<p>Last night helped son pack his car for this morning’s early departure from Dallas to start year 2 at Bama…! The packing was masterful if i do say so myself… Kind of like putting 100 pounds of stuff in to a 50 pound bag…! and there was still room for the 75 pound dog thats going back with him…side note - the dog was acquired while he was finishing up freshman year and he surprised us with that…! He was 30 pounds in May…</p>
<p>He is heading to live at The Retreat off campus with 4 of his fraternity brothers. He cant wait to get back “home”…Bama is home to him and we love that he feels that way. It was not as hard this morning on us as it was last year…it wasn’t easy either…he was so excited to be heading back. We couldnot be happier with the his decision to go to Bama…he is thriving there…! He said it agin a few days ago…he can’t imagine being anywhere else…</p>
<p>I know it’s hard for parents sending their first born off to college but the Bama experience has been so off the chart, overwhelminlgy positive for our son and us…I can envision the same for all of your young adult kids …they will thrive too…!! Celebrate the job well done…!</p>
<p>Roll Tide from Texas!</p>
<p>You guys are all great! I haven’t been on in a little while and there are already 3 pages!!! I am feeling better. I knew my DS would not be calling me, but he doesn’t even text unless I text first. He is doing OA and I have no idea what the schedule is like. He said they were canoeing today. He is in RCS-N and is alone in his suite this week. I worry that he sits alone at night on the computer, but I can’t nag him. I guess I need to come to terms with his personality. If he wants to be alone, then I guess that is who he is and that’s ok. I just wish he would initiate communication with me. Oh, and Aeromom, I have my decals on and I’m waiting to say Roll Tide to someone!</p>
<p>proudmama3- he is in my son’s group, and in the same dorm. Probably know each other by now!</p>
<p>Jrcsmom: Of course, it’s always a possibility that UA might turn out to not be the right “fit” for your son. I think you spoke the words he needed to hear, “the just in case speech”. No parent wants their student to be unhappy, that’s what transferring is for. However, I still truly believe that once the semester starts in earnest, and he gets involved in classes and projects, that all will be fine. Wishing your son a great semester!!</p>
<p>Eleven years ago we moved our daughter into Tutwiler dorm and our son (d’s twin brother) to that school across state whose Name We Dare Not Mention. </p>
<p>Lemme tell ya - it will NEVER AGAIN be like it was. They’ll finish their studies, graduate and get jobs, get married, move out for good.
Enjoy these last short years of parenting your child. Remember the toilet training, the midnight throwups, the terrible 2s and the angry adolescence…NOW is SO much easier and rewarding.
A new chapter has begun.
Enjoy and savor it. It will not happen again.</p>
<p>Vlines- they probably have met. I’m hoping they have spoken. Of course I have no way of knowing, because that would require him to talk to me 
His name is Joshua if you happen to speak to your S.</p>
<p>Proudmomma3 is your son on the first floor of RCS north tower?</p>
<p>I feel like such a bad mother after reading these posts! Two years ago we took our DD to Bama, threw her belongings in her room, made up the bed, and hugged good-by just as the bus for sorority convocation pulled up outside Riverside to take her to Coleman Coliseum. My husband and I hit I-65 south to PCB for a week with friends while DD went through recruitment. We stopped by T-town on the way home for bid day, which was unbelievable, and then headed home to Kentucky.</p>
<p>Like many of your kids, My DD went a different direction than her HS classmates and never looked backed. Since she was in grade school, she had been attending performing arts camps, and academic enrichment programs on college campuses. She had stayed on many college campuses, but Alabama was love at first sight. We loved the NMF scholarship!</p>
<p>I think this year was harder for me than last, 'cause I know it won’t be long til she starts a career or grad school even further away. OK, now I’m depressed :(</p>
<p>Geesh Sea Tide you brought tears to my eyes. Have a great senior year & thanks for all your wisdom here on CC.</p>
<p>Sniner- no he’s on the 4th floor.</p>
<p>Proudmama3 - Hopefully Joshua has met my son’s roommate. I gave you his name in a text last week. He is a great guy! :-)</p>
<p>Ok. I remember someone saying that their son was on the first floor in the room across the hall from my daughter. I was going to make her go over and introduce herself.</p>