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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Please help me figure out if or what I should do to help.

My DS has been at school for less than a week and is unhappy - he is telling me he is lonely, doesn't have friends and doesn't like his classes (first ones were today).

His roommate has other friends and leaves him out, it's hard to meet others given covid restrictions.

The school has various clubs but they are meeting virtually and I don't think he has enough to do. He cried to me on the phone last night - I think he expected to love it and is so upset that he does not.

I'm normally not a helicopter parent at all and my DS is very independent.

Is there anything I can do to help?  I don't want to call his RA behind his back and I'm not even sure how to do that - I never met the RA and have no idea who he or she is.

I would love to have someone check up on him but how could I even do that? I just don't want him to fall into a state of depression.

Maybe I should let him work it out on his own, but I'm also worried that it will get worse.

Any advice? Please be nice - he's my oldest and its hard to send a child away during this time.
[/quote]

Dear op,

You are not alone and neither is your son.  My dd is also a Freshman and is totally miserable.  We have decided to let her come home and do her classes remotely.    The majority of her classes are remote and there is nothing fun to do as Covid makes this impossible.  If there wasn't Covid I would tell you and my dd to give it time but, these are not normal times.  I'm hoping that by Spring or Fall 2021 they both can have the college experience they want.

Good luck!  Don't listen to those people who tell you to tell him to "suck it up"  We need more compassion and support now more than ever.[/quote]

I could not agree more.  [b]None of us have experienced anything like this and it can't be compared to first year experiences in other years. [/b] My child was very homesick last year as a first year without Covid.  Things did get better as time went on, but I don't think the improvement would have happened with required Covid distancing.  My heart goes out to these kids - missing out on the end of their senior high school year and now missing out on first year college activities.  We need to support them in any way they need.[/quote]

+1000

I've sent 3 kids away to college and 2 of them didn't hit it off with their roommates so it took a while for them to find a social group. And as OP said, it's so much harder without clubs, etc.
My one kid found his group by studying in the common room of the dorm - is that allowed?[/quote]

I know it’s not allowed at the liberal arts college where my nephew is.[/quote]

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