How are the class of 21 freshman hanging in a few months in?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is a D1 athlete at her school and was invited to and accepted into the Scholar’s program! After a year and a half of virtual school, this is awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a discussion going about a month or 6 weeks ago about this and I'd love to see how everyone is adjusting since it seemed pretty tough at the time.

How are folks doing? I know one athlete who wants to transfer desperately and does not want to do the sport anymore. Everyone else seems to be getting used to their schools and routines.

My DS loves his roommate and his classes and is doing great, but he identified a few weeks ago that he needed some more friends. He is very shy and self described socially awkward (I don't see it personally). He joined another club of interest to him last week and is actually going camping with the outing club this weekend, so I think he's getting to know more people. He just signed a lease for an apartment for next year and has gotten closer to his prospective roommates which is nice to see.

He has no regrets on the school he chose.

How about your kids?

May I ask which school? I have a shy DS who would do well with something like an outing club.

I think every school has an outing or outdoor club. This happens to be at UVA but there are like 600 kids in the club, its popular!

[Anonymous]

Mine is loving W&M socially and is loving the intensity of her learning. She is struggling a bit academically--very high rigor in social science/humanities/even the liberal arts core courses and tough grading. I'm glad to see academic struggle though--colleges should be challenging students. She came in with a 4.3W GPA and 1500 SAT and is fighting hard for B's and says she's doing as good as or better grade-wise as many of her classmates. But she still has plenty of time to go to parties, make friends, join a bunch of clubs etc. She also is loving the outdoor activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socially, my DD is happy. At a "Top 20" school, from a W school in MCPS. Academically, she is feeling more challenge than expected. Two years of MCPS virtual instruction wasn't enough preparation for what she is experiencing. However, she says she is feeling more encouraged post-midterms.

My DD is feeling this too as s STEM major. Virtual Chemistry really did not prepare her for college chemistry and lab.

Same for my STEM kid.

Thank you for this. My straight A HS student will be lucky to get a 3.0 her first semester of college at flagship state University. It’s been brutal and Chem is the killer class.

[Anonymous]

My child seems engaged and happy.

Learning to navigate a big system (state school). I’m not sure about grades yet. He reports things are okay so far. Chemistry includes some review, so not weeding yet - probably next semester? He’s excited and take about other classes. Joined loads of clubs.

Also broke off with HS sweetheart, it seems okay and he’s making friends. Roommate seems fine - they’re not friends but civil. Son mostly sleeps in dorm as his roommate plays video games non-stop.

I was excited to learn that he’s doing laundry fairly often!
For meals, we either got the wrong plan or did not teach him budgeting because he’s nearly spent through his meal plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socially, my DD is happy. At a "Top 20" school, from a W school in MCPS. Academically, she is feeling more challenge than expected. Two years of MCPS virtual instruction wasn't enough preparation for what she is experiencing. However, she says she is feeling more encouraged post-midterms.

My DD is feeling this too as s STEM major. Virtual Chemistry really did not prepare her for college chemistry and lab.

This is totally My D too. She's a STEM major at a T20 and is woefully unprepared for the caliber of several of her courses thanks to 1.5 years of all virtual instruction. She is extremely happy socially, but the academic adjustment for my top kid at a top school has been rough.

[Anonymous]

My kid at a SLAC is finding classes easy but - being on the old side for his grade and having taken a gap year, he feels a LOT older than the other freshmen. Didn’t expect that.

[Anonymous]

One very happy and well adjusted DC at JMU.

Loves it there.

[Anonymous]

I am so glad to hear these reports. I am a prof at a top 10 school and an advisor to freshman this year. I think on average they are more unhappy and more disconnected and more tired than I have seen students. I have at least 2 in crisis and a few I can tell are struggling but putting on a brave face. I did see some students look genuinely happy. I feel for these kids - this is such a tough transition, always, but especially this year. Take care all! And if there are things profs can do would love to hear, although like everyone else we are exhausted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so glad to hear these reports. I am a prof at a top 10 school and an advisor to freshman this year. I think on average they are more unhappy and more disconnected and more tired than I have seen students. I have at least 2 in crisis and a few I can tell are struggling but putting on a brave face. I did see some students look genuinely happy. I feel for these kids - this is such a tough transition, always, but especially this year. Take care all! And if there are things profs can do would love to hear, although like everyone else we are exhausted.

My DD has struggled mightily this year. Much more drinking that she expected - and though she drinks and goes out regularly, it's even alot for her. Took her awhile to find her balance there. Socially she's doing ok but yes big transition from COVID junior and senior years. Big school, trying to find resources and get to know profs is harder. I think she'll make it out alive LOL come December and be better prepared to really hit the ground running in January when she returns.

[Anonymous]

My kid overall is doing well, but I thought this anecdote was telling: his prof in his one big lecture class said that this year's midterm performance was the worst she's ever seen in decades of teaching, uniformly across all sections of the class. (That made my kid very happy with his high B.) I guess that speaks to the impact on these kids of a year and a half of online and--for many--watered-down teaching. The prof was going to change her approach to teaching the material for the remainder of the semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socially, my DD is happy. At a "Top 20" school, from a W school in MCPS. Academically, she is feeling more challenge than expected. Two years of MCPS virtual instruction wasn't enough preparation for what she is experiencing. However, she says she is feeling more encouraged post-midterms.

My DD is feeling this too as s STEM major. Virtual Chemistry really did not prepare her for college chemistry and lab.

Same for my STEM kid.

Thank you for this. My straight A HS student will be lucky to get a 3.0 her first semester of college at flagship state University. It’s been brutal and Chem is the killer class.

A lot of the large intro STEM classes are in essence weed out classes. And ORG Chem (more advanced) is famous for kicking kids off the train to med school.

Tell them to try to hang in there. My kid enjoyed her jr/sr (i.e.specialized) science classes a lot more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socially, my DD is happy. At a "Top 20" school, from a W school in MCPS. Academically, she is feeling more challenge than expected. Two years of MCPS virtual instruction wasn't enough preparation for what she is experiencing. However, she says she is feeling more encouraged post-midterms.

My DD is feeling this too as s STEM major. Virtual Chemistry really did not prepare her for college chemistry and lab.

Same for my STEM kid.

Thank you for this. My straight A HS student will be lucky to get a 3.0 her first semester of college at flagship state University. It’s been brutal and Chem is the killer class.

A lot of the large intro STEM classes are in essence weed out classes. And ORG Chem (more advanced) is famous for kicking kids off the train to med school.

Tell them to try to hang in there. My kid enjoyed her jr/sr (i.e.specialized) science classes a lot more.

I recommend forming study groups. Kids can explain concepts to each other.

[Anonymous]

Really well except home this weekend for the 2nd time for "freshman flu". Headed to the dr for a second time (he went at school on Tuesday, but is getting worse). Otherwise he's happy. Hope we can get him through this...old dorms suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so glad to hear these reports. I am a prof at a top 10 school and an advisor to freshman this year. I think on average they are more unhappy and more disconnected and more tired than I have seen students. I have at least 2 in crisis and a few I can tell are struggling but putting on a brave face. I did see some students look genuinely happy. I feel for these kids - this is such a tough transition, always, but especially this year. Take care all! And if there are things profs can do would love to hear, although like everyone else we are exhausted.

My DD has struggled mightily this year. Much more drinking that she expected - and though she drinks and goes out regularly, it's even alot for her. Took her awhile to find her balance there. Socially she's doing ok but yes big transition from COVID junior and senior years. Big school, trying to find resources and get to know profs is harder. I think she'll make it out alive LOL come December and be better prepared to really hit the ground running in January when she returns.

<<Big school, trying to find resources and get to know profs is harder. >>

This outcome is so predictable. I never understood the appeal of a big school. But...to each his own.