"Winging it" at Bama Bound

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>My son is going to the Honors BB on July 9-10. He will probably enter as a sophomore based on AP credits. Major is undecided, although he is in A&S and is likely to drift toward a right-brained field. Unlike a lot of the parents and students on this board, he has not shown any interest in reading the catalog, figuring out what courses to take, playing around with DegreeWorks, or any of that. Part of this is just his natural tendency to procrastinate. Part of it may be that he just isn’t yet mentally prepared to deal with moving onto the next level.</p>

<p>I’ve done a lot for him relative to filing of forms and the meeting of deadlines, etc., but he is on his own as far as structuring his schedule is concerned. I have suggest that since he is undecdided on a major, that he listen to his counselor at BB and take a broad range of core courses. Math and foreign language requirements are probably already met, although he may choose to keep taking classes in those areas.</p>

<p>So my question… If my son shows up for BB with no idea about what to take, will they be able to help him construct a good first semester schedule? Will they have the time and inclination to build on tabula rasa?</p>

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<p>That’s a pretty dangerous route to take. Building a schedule that doesn’t have interfering classes or misses important requirements is difficult and one will definitely not be able to do it WELL all at Bama Bound. I suggest you push the idea harder, because it’s important that he know how to do this.</p>

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<p>I see it like this, he will probably need freshman English right? (you said FL and Math were covered with AP’s) so he will take either EN 101 or EN 103, or EN 2XX something if his freshman reqt is met.
Next, class # 2, have him take the “next” math, that way if he goes engineering or business he will already be on the right track.
Class #3, have him take something in Humnaties, mabye a “Freshman seminar” that way he gets an Honors and Humanaties credit and he can’t take these later, only incoming freshman are allowed to take these
Class #4, most majors require some sort of fine arts credit, have him take some type of FA class…
There you have at least a 12 hour semester, just like High School, an English, Math, History/Social Science, and art…
At least get him to look at those “pages” on my Bama, class look up by attribute :)</p>

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<p>^^ I agree with XXjcat. You and your S can find some time to build a schedule this summer. Maybe your S is just trying to forestall the inevitable. I am sure he will come around soon. </p>

<p>I would definitely have a schedule in hand at BB. It will be so much less stress on your S. Good luck!!</p>

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<p>Slippy2000 - We will be at BB the same time as you and your S! :slight_smile: My S has not researched classes yet, but there is plenty of time. He is busy with finals and his upcoming graduation…Once all that is over, I know he will get motivated to get prepared for BB. I bet your son will, too. Bama Fever will take over! :slight_smile:
CrimsonMomNC - Thanks for the suggestions. They will give us a start. :-)</p>

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<p>Really, Really, not a good idea to wing it. By the time your son finds a class he would like to try, the available slots may be gone. Being unprepared will only cause annoyance, frustration and disappointment. No lesson learned there and a bad experience will color his opinion about future registrations. Learn from the recent posts and have your son read them if he doesn’t think that he could be shutout of a class. You need a plan, a backup plan, and then another. Do this and have a much better anticipated outcome.</p>

<p>Good Luck and Roll Tide!</p>

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<p>Let’s see, it’s May 28th. He’s scheduled for the July 9-10 Bama Bound, so is my daughter. Is it so horrific if the kids just want to chill and enjoy this very brief time in their lives?
As you can see from reading this forum, playing around with the idea of a “perfect” schedule is very time consuming and stressful, especially for the parents. As a parent (that likes to plan), I’m choosing to enjoy these few brief weeks and savor the moment because it to will be over in a flash.
My opinion, let the new graduates have a little time for NON-educational stuff (brain rest/stress relief) , i.e. attending friend’s Open House parties, going to the movie (amusement park), stay out a little later than normal from time to time, lounge around doing NOTHING…Let them enjoy this milestone of their lives. Don’t push them. Your son has plenty of time before July 9 to get some ideas down on paper. Trust me…it’s only an “idea” plan. Set in stone will happen prior to Aug 22nd.
Don’t fret. Reading posts on this thread will make you feel like a slug and think that your son is even a bigger slug.
Believe me, your son is on the more “normal” side of behavior for a graduating Senior. Kudos to those Rising Frosh that are waaaay beyond the game plan. My daughter has been a stellar student for 13 years. I think that she’s more than deserved a few weeks of decompressing and de-stressing. Neither of us have mentioned an inkling about a school schedule for August. I think relishing in the moment, of graduation and all of their accomplishments to this point, is much more important at this very moment!
YES, let the student figure out his/her schedule. Offer guidance. Offer to review. Offer suggestions. When they make an oopsie, they’ll learn to do better in the future. They need to be responsible for their experiences at college, not us parents.
Most of us seem just a tad “overbearing” when it comes to our kids, now young adults. Time for us to take a bow and a backseat.
Just a quick reminder, July 9-10 Bama Bound is ~70 days away. A, 14 day or so, break before is NOT going to kill his college potential.
Sit tight, enjoy this time and remember that you’ve done a nice job raising a smart young man.</p>

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<p>OK…so ProudBamaMama said it a bit softer than I did. Same sentiment; relax and enjoy.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice. I will encourage him to do the research. </p>

<p>I really mean no offense by this, but I find a lot of the parents on this forum to be very hands-on and involved in the planning and executing their children’s college experience, perhaps to the point of obsessiveness. I think a lot of kids are used to having their parents hover and make decisions for them. I’m guilty of that to an extent. But I didn’t have parents who micromanaged my life, and I did reasonably well in college and in life. You learn through making mistakes on your own. I did, and I fully intend to let my kids do the same. </p>

<p>My son earned NMF status on his own. He handled a brutal HS schedule on his own. He will probably enter college with 41 credit hours, so he has some cushioning built in to make some misjudgments in scheduling his first semester. While I will be there to help him and nudge him in the right direction before we go to BB, if he fails to do what he needs to do, then it’s on him. Nobody really goes through life with multiple backup plans, right?</p>

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<p>Uh, 42 according to my abacus. That heat stroke at the Indy 500 is wicked! :)</p>

<p>Your point is well taken, asaunmom.</p>

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<p>Asunmom, I posted my last one before reading yours. Beautifully said. I agree 100%. </p>

<p>I’m just worried about him walking into BB having done nothing. Given what I know about my kid, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. ;-)</p>

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<p>Malanai—That’s hilarious. Heat, maybe. Wishful thinking, probably. Remember “fried brain”, most likely! Can I borrow your abacus? Mine sucks.</p>

<p>I’m seriously laughing out loud right now. It’s confirmed, I’m ready for the cuckoo bin.</p>

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<p>Malanai-
How many days until:
July 15th, the day she leaves for Belgium?
Aug 8th, the day she returns from Belgium?
Aug 10th, the day she moves into the dorm?
Aug 18th, Bid day?
Jan 7th, BCS 2013 smack down in Miami?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.
ps Will foul language get you booted from the board? My abacus is a piece of *^#!</p>

<p>Sincerely,
Half dead in Indy</p>

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<p>Slippy, my hubs tells me that I need to start weaning my D off of me, so I can relate to being one of ‘those’ parents. But I admit that after having two boys, I kind of like having a child who values my opinion and input! She will be completely self-reliant before I know it. In the meantime, I don’t mind helping her try to figure out this thing called college. </p>

<p>When my oldest S went to college, we did no advance planning. He left his orientation with a schedule in hand. Same with S2. They had little or no AP credits so they were easy to schedule at their orientations. My D is like your S in that she will have quite a few AP credits which makes the schedule for this first semester more challenging.</p>

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<p>Sink or swim time. Of course, if it looks like the lad’s about to drown, you can always bring in a consultant at the 11th hour for a little . . . counseling. </p>

<p>I recommend Moe: [The</a> Three Stooges - Moe Slap Happy - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZgVRJ-H8U]The”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZgVRJ-H8U)</p>

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<p>Sorry. Registration at LSU is closed.</p>

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<p>No. Not unless you fly me to Indy. My fingers and toes are attached.</p>

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<ol>
<li>The same number of yards rushing Eddie Lacy will gain in the game.</li>
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<p>*I’ve done a lot for him relative to filing of forms and the meeting of deadlines, etc., but he is on his own as far as structuring his schedule is concerned. I have suggest that since he is undecdided on a major, that he listen to his counselor at BB and take a broad range of core courses. Math and foreign language requirements are probably already met, although he may choose to keep taking classes in those areas.</p>

<p>So my question… If my son shows up for BB with no idea about what to take, will they be able to help him construct a good first semester schedule? Will they have the time and inclination to build on tabula rasa?*</p>

<p>Bama Bound is not the time to show up and expect “one on one” attention. Within a very short time, a few hundred kids are registering for classes. </p>

<p>I’ve done a lot for him relative to filing of forms and the meeting of deadlines, etc., but he is on his own as far as structuring his schedule is concerned. I have suggest that since he is undecdided on a major, that he listen to his counselor at BB and take a broad range of core courses. Math and foreign language requirements are probably already met, although he may choose to keep taking classes in those areas.</p>

<p>On one hand you’re saying that you’re leaving it up to him to make his schedule, and then on the other hand, you’re expecting another adult (advisor) to “help” make his schedule. That said, he’s not going to be meeting with “his counselor,” so that idea isn’t going to work. </p>

<p>Also, since he’s undecided for a major and coming in with lots of credits, what the heck is a counselor supposed to suggest anyway? Counselors are usually major specific anyway. Some generic counselor doesn’t know him or his likes/dislikes, or strengths or weaknesses.</p>

<p>Even for future semesters, advisors do not “create” schedules. They don’t go thru and find open sections that will mesh with your other classes. They will approve schedules at BB. During future semesters, they check to see that you’re on schedule , but again, they’re not going thru MyBama, picking sections/CRNS, and creating schedules for students. That’s the student’s job (perhaps with family help). </p>

<p>Which Core Req’ts does he still need?</p>

<p>What AP credits is he coming in with?</p>

<p>I would not have him attend BB without any idea of possible options. It would just be too overwhelming. For future semesters, he can “figure things out,” but for this semester, I would make sure that he attended BB with some options to consider. </p>

<p>Frankly, there are some courses that I think nearly all kids should take…Deductive Logic and Critical Thinking in Philosophy for one. Public Speaking is another. Some kind of Literature class (which he may need for Core anyway.). A foreign language. A computer programming class. </p>

<p>And, of course, some of those awesome Honors Courses!!!</p>

<p>Since he doesn’t know what he wants to major in, how about considering a minor right now? Since he’s more “right brained,” maybe fulfill his Fine Arts req’t this semester. Does he have SB credits?</p>

<p>* Part of it may be that he just isn’t yet mentally prepared to deal with moving onto the next level.*</p>

<p>Another reason why you shouldn’t abandon him at this time. If he wasn’t coming in with a bunch of AP Credits, then it would just be a simple…take Frosh Comp, history, psych, and a math. But, he’s got much of that already. </p>

<p>Because he’s coming in with lots of credits without any major/career in mind, he needs some help from you (or us!)</p>

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<p>DD went to Bama bound with no schedule in mind. We had just come off graduation weekend and our 25th wedding anniversary…not to mention all of her siblings in town as well as grandparents. She met with the pre-med group the first day and started to “think about” what she needed/wanted to take. That evening she had a blast hanging out and meeting a bunch of girls that she would be going through recruitment with…they visited the pool party to pick up the shirt and then headed to Publix (where they got to meet a nice Tuscaloosa policeman who gave them a little tutorial on illegal turns and a warning). She also got to spend time with her roommate…all very beneficial in my book. the next morning while I was having breakfast and making new friends she went into register.<br>
My child is headstrong and stubborn. She wanted to take the “pre-med” track even though the adviosr told her not to because she was going through recruitment and the first semester was going to be really busy. Yeah well she didn’t listen to the advisor but did listen to the cute fraternity boy who told her the pre-med track was totally doable…so she ended up with a VERY time consuming and difficult schedule. It was a life lesson as far as I was concerned…she had to work this out for herself…and you know what??? She did!!!
She really struggle first semester and her GPA…yeah well it wasn’t great but she passed all her classes, got initiated, became VERY involved on campus and in her sorority and she figured out that she didn’t really want to be a surgeon.
Now she is a nutrition major, has made the deans list all three semesters since “the experience” and is so involved in so many different and wonderful opportunities at Alabama…she survived despite a bumpy start.
I know that y’all want to make it all perfect for your kiddos…we’re parents…that’s what we do but I am here to echo the words of some of the previous posters (who I know quite well and share the same opinions mostly) “It’s okay to let them fail”…kids a resilient…they land on their feet 99% of the time.
So take a big breath and as tempting as it is…just let go a little. Here’s the great news…all of here on this board will be there to catch YOU…we will dust you off, give y’all a big hug and trust me…y’all will survive…hang in there. This is what you raised these wonderful kiddos for. Let them spread their wings a fly…then stand back and smile as you watch them soar!!!</p>

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<p>And for those of you who are shaking your heads thinking a pizza missing some toppings…must be something right because DD is the student representative and speaker for the recruitment events across Missouri and I was the parent speaker. In March and April we spoke to over 700 students and parents relaying DD’s story of why she chose Alabama , how it’s gone and relating what a fabulous experience it’s been. I spoke on letting your children soar…I told parents that we have a sign above our door that says “home is where your story begins”…your children’s new “home” is the University of Alabama…what a wonderful story each and every one of them will write :)!!!</p>

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<p>I don’t think your D’s fall semester is really applicable to this situation. The OP’s kid has no career/major in mind. He’s also coming in with a bunch of AP credits. A pre-med student (and now a nutrition major) has a track/path to follow. A pre-med student would start with Bio, Chem, Frosh Comp and maybe a math, history, or psych. Those courses have many, many sections, so putting together a schedule wouldn’t be that hard. </p>

<p>A student who is beyond most Core, and without a major, does need some guidance.</p>