I can't even stand the college and univ forum any more. Luckily for me your title drew me in.

It starts with the "where sound bobby apply with these stats" and "let's rank the schools every day".... and continues to the dorm crazies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it's my fault. I need to get off social media. But the hand ringing about sending kids to college is hysterical. This week I've read posts about:

--child's roommate does not have a social media presence, should they contact residential life
--child's roommate wears pants, while their child wears dresses. mom wants to switch roommates
--why can't parents stay beyond 2 hours to set up their childs room? Their child doesn't understand what all the packed items are for
--child's roommate doesn't care about coordinating room decor; Their child does. What should she do?

What posts have you read that make you wonder if these parents are ready to land the helicopter?

These are hilarious. But I don't fully understand the first one. Should who contact residential life, and what exactly is that?

Residential life is the college office in charge of dorm life, including assigning/reassigning roommates. So the implication is that an assigned roommate not having social media is so terrible the child needs to be able to switch roommates.

Thanks, I thought they might want to either help the person, or assume they are suspicious and can't be trusted.

There is a poster in our FB group who plans to stay in town for the entire week of orientation "just in case"
I guess they have a hotel or AirBNB near campus. But it seems a little extreme to me. Will your kid need that many trips to Target?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I WANT to be snarky about it, but I agree, it's mainly international families, or those who just don't seem to have any real cultural understanding of how things work, not your garden variety of helicopter parents.

But I will be snarky about one thing, just checking out the parents' page for my DD, the parents are all SO OLD! or at least really old looking.

I'm 48, but I look a lot better compared to most of the other parents on FB.

-DCUM snark delivered....

Agree, launched both of ours before our 50th birthdays. We had them during med school/at the end of law school. It was great! Though now we have an empty nest and none of our peers will for at least 3 more years.

Right. And you ruined your much of your 20s and early 30s.

NP, but I don't think "ruined" is the right word for Med School and Law School.

And, if you'd like an itemized list of how I spent my 20s, I don't think you would consider it ruined in any possible way. Masters degree (check), fun with friends and dating (check), travel (check), cool jobs in major metro area (check). I was just lucky that I found someone in my late 20s, we had similar desires to start a family, got pregnant easily, and that we had the education/careers to live comfortably.

Everyone has their own journey. But it's definitely sour grapes to think that I somehow ruined a decade of my life by having a child at 30 and 32.

My husband and I are active, fit, free of childcare, and rich in our early 50s. It's a pretty sweet life. (knock wood)

The yikyak at our school sometimes has screenshots from the parent FB group. All the kids are cringing over these parents. And their names are on the posts!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it's my fault. I need to get off social media. But the hand ringing about sending kids to college is hysterical. This week I've read posts about:

--child's roommate does not have a social media presence, should they contact residential life
--child's roommate wears pants, while their child wears dresses. mom wants to switch roommates
--why can't parents stay beyond 2 hours to set up their childs room? Their child doesn't understand what all the packed items are for
--child's roommate doesn't care about coordinating room decor; Their child does. What should she do?

What posts have you read that make you wonder if these parents are ready to land the helicopter?

These are hilarious. But I don't fully understand the first one. Should who contact residential life, and what exactly is that?

Residential life is the college office in charge of dorm life, including assigning/reassigning roommates. So the implication is that an assigned roommate not having social media is so terrible the child needs to be able to switch roommates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I WANT to be snarky about it, but I agree, it's mainly international families, or those who just don't seem to have any real cultural understanding of how things work, not your garden variety of helicopter parents.

But I will be snarky about one thing, just checking out the parents' page for my DD, the parents are all SO OLD! or at least really old looking.

I'm 48, but I look a lot better compared to most of the other parents on FB.

-DCUM snark delivered....

Agree, launched both of ours before our 50th birthdays. We had them during med school/at the end of law school. It was great! Though now we have an empty nest and none of our peers will for at least 3 more years.

Right. And you ruined your much of your 20s and early 30s.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, have things changed!

I drove by myself, with my dog, to college. Because I had a dog, I rented a room in a house off campus and moved in with three roommates. I called my dad and mom when I arrived, but they didn't make the drive to visit until fall break, because they were working.

I know. When I went, I hopped into a car with another kid going to the same school and off we went. I transferred after two years and my parents never even saw the first school that I attended. They did get to see me graduate though which seemed to be enough for them.

Wow! This just goes to show how different the college experience can be for different people. What PP described is nothing like anything experienced by any of my college or HS friends. Each family does what works for them.

Anonymous wrote:Just wait until you get on FB parent pages for your child's school. It's insanity.

At DD's private uni, people have asked about cleaning companies for dorms.

My favorites are the ones who post that their child hasn't made any friends and would anyone's kid be interested in hanging out with their kid?? They also usually DON'T post anonymously for those which makes me nuts.

these make me sad. there are usually very kind replies directing the parent to open clubs and ways to find their people, as well as some who offer up their willing upperclassmen to meet the kid for lunch and give them some tips. Lonely freshmen are hard on any parent's heart; I get how many do not know what to do and reach out to FB.

Anonymous wrote:I WANT to be snarky about it, but I agree, it's mainly international families, or those who just don't seem to have any real cultural understanding of how things work, not your garden variety of helicopter parents.

But I will be snarky about one thing, just checking out the parents' page for my DD, the parents are all SO OLD! or at least really old looking.

I'm 48, but I look a lot better compared to most of the other parents on FB.

-DCUM snark delivered....

Agree, launched both of ours before our 50th birthdays. We had them during med school/at the end of law school. It was great! Though now we have an empty nest and none of our peers will for at least 3 more years.

Oh this is a great thread. Workmate was sharing FB parent posts with me. Between us we have 5 children, at various schools including popular flagships on DCUM and ivies, hopkins.
Best snowplow/helicopter parent posts:

-Student cannot clean their room it is unfair the (card swipe/secured dorm) will not let cleaning staff come in to the room when student is at class

-Student cannot use public restrooms due to shy bladder and they did not get a bathroom in their single

-how will students know not to touch the radiators when they turn on in winter?

-will the professors be understanding if they oversleep for class, my student cannot wake up to an alarm

-what are the exact room measurements we have to custom order (a bunch of unnecessary shelving)

-why can't we stay longer go to orientation events for students

-why does the cafeteria close to the dorm close at X time? how is it fair that this cafeteria is "only" open 11 hrs during the daytime and the late night place is a longer walk?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I set up my kid in under 2 hours. It went like a military operation. We already knew the dimensions of the room, closet etc. Everything got dusted, wiped, lysoled, vacuumed, put away and the beds were made.

so he needs to call to ask you where his extension cord is or if he has another blanket somewhere.

Why would you think that?

Anonymous wrote:Wow, have things changed!

I drove by myself, with my dog, to college. Because I had a dog, I rented a room in a house off campus and moved in with three roommates. I called my dad and mom when I arrived, but they didn't make the drive to visit until fall break, because they were working.

I know. When I went, I hopped into a car with another kid going to the same school and off we went. I transferred after two years and my parents never even saw the first school that I attended. They did get to see me graduate though which seemed to be enough for them.

Anonymous wrote:I know it's my fault. I need to get off social media. But the hand ringing about sending kids to college is hysterical. This week I've read posts about:

--child's roommate does not have a social media presence, should they contact residential life
--child's roommate wears pants, while their child wears dresses. mom wants to switch roommates
--why can't parents stay beyond 2 hours to set up their childs room? Their child doesn't understand what all the packed items are for
--child's roommate doesn't care about coordinating room decor; Their child does. What should she do?

What posts have you read that make you wonder if these parents are ready to land the helicopter?

These are hilarious. But I don't fully understand the first one. Should who contact residential life, and what exactly is that?

Anonymous wrote:Wow, have things changed!

I drove by myself, with my dog, to college. Because I had a dog, I rented a room in a house off campus and moved in with three roommates. I called my dad and mom when I arrived, but they didn't make the drive to visit until fall break, because they were working.

I mean, my dad went to college in 1971 and his parents drove him. Then, like now, many freshmen can’t have a car.