Most happy freshman so far

[Anonymous]

Happy kids - VT, VT, CNU, Longwood, Northwestern. Richmond. W&M.

Unhappy - Univ of South Carolina; has not found their crowd. GMU. Slippery Rock (followed his girlfriend here versus Emory. They broke up. Ugghh). GMU and Slippery Rock likely to transfer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Happy kids - VT, VT, CNU, Longwood, Northwestern. Richmond. W&M.

Unhappy - Univ of South Carolina; has not found their crowd. GMU. Slippery Rock (followed his girlfriend here versus Emory. They broke up. Ugghh). GMU and Slippery Rock likely to transfer.

Who would let their kid follow a GF or BF to Slippery Rock? It’s a regional PA school in the middle of nowhere 95% with kids who live within 50 miles of campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont speak with my daughter's friends.

That’s sad. It’s not like I speak to my kids’ friends all the time, but when they’re in my house, I speak to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont speak with my daughter's friends.

That’s sad. It’s not like I speak to my kids’ friends all the time, but when they’re in my house, I speak to them.

Right? Also, my daughter generally tells me what’s going on in her friends’ lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All girls.

Wake: super fun but socially exhausting. A bit socially competitive? Unexpected vibe.

Columbia: very hard academically. Switching major. Enjoying it. But hard.

Colorado: Amazing. Having the best time.

Vanderbilt: ugh. Expected to love it. Hard social adjustment. People drop you in groups so quickly. Social backstabbing. Worried about rush.

Michigan (X3): football season is sooo fun. Best school. Classes are really big tho. Worried about sorority rush.

Dartmouth: Kind of ehh. Hope next quarter is better

Duke: nerdier than expected. Less fun than expected.

Wisconsin: very fun. Low-key. School isn’t hard at all.

Northwestern: much more fun than expected. Lucked out with dorm and friend group. Some guys having tricky time with dirty rush.

Cornell: super fun. Rush in winter is nerve wracking. Greek life and collegetown bars rule Ithaca.

Colorado College or UC Boulder? (looking at the latter for my DC)

Its CU Boulder- yes, kid loves it.

[Anonymous]

Happy: penn State (loves it - fun, easily found friends, lots of academic and club opportunities for motivated kids- and my daughter considering transferring there from Clemson; BU-loves being so close to the city. Pitt - same, loves urban vibe. Great mix of kids.
Neutral: several got o UMD and they all like it except too close to home. Clemson (my kid), having a hard time fitting in but has made a couple friends. Not as academic as she would have liked despite being in honors college. Penn: doesn’t like the physical campus - not much to do and downtown Phil, not a quick walk away.
Disappointed Towson, might as well still be in HS. Duke: pretty segregated between needs and rich. Has not found her people. Won’t transfer due to prestige but sad it wasnt as cool as she thought it would be.BC: not much to do near campus. Snobby and very competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spin off a previous post - that was bumped up - on what parents overhear from freshman Kids & friends (from high school) this week about the trail’s & tribulations of freshman year.

Have heard a lot this week about who’s thriving, who’s still searching for ppl and who’s already looking to transfer.

Anyone else want to dish? I’ll share but don’t want to go first (given how that other poster was treated for the reported eavesdropping).

I’m particularly interested in those kids who are having a fabulous first semester. Any clue as to why/what’s made it so successful?

A few trends from my DC and friends. First off not having a boyfriend/girlfriend "back home" or at another college, or breaking up with one on eve of leaving for college-all with versions of that had a fairly miserable freshmen start. Next the ones that were more self motivated (i.e. not parents pushing them) all are doing better- they are managing their coursework and got involved in extra curriculars easily. Finally, not surprisingly, they are all the same kids so the ones that were more out going/leaders seem to have more easily found their groups, it is taking longer for the shy ones but they are figuring it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont speak with my daughter's friends.

That’s sad. It’s not like I speak to my kids’ friends all the time, but when they’re in my house, I speak to them.

+1

Who doesn’t speak to their kids friends? So closed off and weird (or a troll).

[Anonymous]

When I was unhappy after my first semester I didn’t tell my mom or anyone else. I’m surprised so many kids are being this honest. Different generation? Or just me?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Happy: penn State (loves it - fun, easily found friends, lots of academic and club opportunities for motivated kids- and my daughter considering transferring there from Clemson; BU-loves being so close to the city. Pitt - same, loves urban vibe. Great mix of kids.
Neutral: several got o UMD and they all like it except too close to home. Clemson (my kid), having a hard time fitting in but has made a couple friends. Not as academic as she would have liked despite being in honors college. Penn: doesn’t like the physical campus - not much to do and downtown Phil, not a quick walk away.
Disappointed Towson, might as well still be in HS. Duke: pretty segregated between needs and rich. Has not found her people. Won’t transfer due to prestige but sad it wasnt as cool as she thought it would be.BC: not much to do near campus. Snobby and very competitive.

Rittenhouse square in the heart of downtown Philadelphia is only a mile away…my kid takes the tram, uber, walks all the time.

You can have complaints about Penn, but being near downtown isn’t particularly valid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was unhappy after my first semester I didn’t tell my mom or anyone else. I’m surprised so many kids are being this honest. Different generation? Or just me?

I think it is different generation but mainly because of ease of communication via text and seeing them on social media.

[Anonymous]

Sad that some of you don’t talk to your kids.
Mine shared all this openly. As did any friend who was here.

[Anonymous]

I posted earlier, but also just saw kid's friend who's at Marquette, and she's loving it. Lots of friends; really engaged. I don't think it had been at the top of her list when applying, but she's really happy there, and only had positive things to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was unhappy after my first semester I didn’t tell my mom or anyone else. I’m surprised so many kids are being this honest. Different generation? Or just me?

I don’t think we can assume they’re all being honest, much as these posters want to believe they’re the cool moms. I think there’s a lot of pressure on kids to act like they’re super happy, especially this early. They’re constantly seeing images of their friends at other schools having the best time ever. Who wants to come home for T’giving and be a Debbie Downer?

And these kids likely came from pressure cooker high schools where the parents were obsessed with them going to the “right” schools. Of course they’re loving it. Can you imagine admitting to your high-strung mom who can’t stop bragging about you that it’s not all that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was unhappy after my first semester I didn’t tell my mom or anyone else. I’m surprised so many kids are being this honest. Different generation? Or just me?

I don’t think we can assume they’re all being honest, much as these posters want to believe they’re the cool moms. I think there’s a lot of pressure on kids to act like they’re super happy, especially this early. They’re constantly seeing images of their friends at other schools having the best time ever. Who wants to come home for T’giving and be a Debbie Downer?

And these kids likely came from pressure cooker high schools where the parents were obsessed with them going to the “right” schools. Of course they’re loving it. Can you imagine admitting to your high-strung mom who can’t stop bragging about you that it’s not all that?

This is how I felt. I loved college and went to a good one, but after freshman fall I left with the impression of “this is…it?” It felt so important and then I actually attended and realized that maybe I should’ve cooled down a bit in high school.