I received a couple of emails from Sean, detailing some of his experiences with his classes. He seems to be interested, inquisitive and enjoying the college experience, so far.
And, he even cut an email short because he wanted "to be early to class." Yes! That is a very good sign--much better than sleeping through class.
He later explained a cultural diversity class game--in which the students were divided into 2 groups, Alpha's and Beta's, given tasks to do in each group (like barter for special playing cards without using English) and then interact with the other group, developing opinions on what the other group was like, without really understanding why they were acting the way they did.
I don't remember college being that fun!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
High-tech paying and class confusion
On Monday, I got to experience paying for part of college on-line with an e-check. No standing in line or wasting postage or paper.
Sean also went to academic advising and came back a little concerned that he was going to be "stuck" with a major--choosing a major certainly can seem a bit intimidating when you think it will lock you into the rest of your life. Here is an excerpt of my email response:
First of all, relax! You do not have to decide on a major this semester, or even next semester. I switched my major twice my freshman year. I started as a Chemical Engineering major, after the first semester I switched to English and then at the end of the second semester I switched to civil engineering.
The only challenge in not knowing what you want to do is that if you end up wanting to major in a highly technical field (Engineering, Math, a specific science, Nursing, Aviation, etc), you may delay graduation if you don't take some of the prerequisite classes your freshman year (for example, an engineering major would be taking Calculus this semester, usually).
However, for most majors, what you do your first year is not a problem, as long as you work on your general requirements. I think what you have decided to do this first semester is an excellent choice, doing the Integrated Studies Program with a psychology class. The integrated studies program will apply to both your general requirements and to honors classes. The psychology class will let you explore psychology a bit. I would suggest that you do the Integrated Studies Program next semester as well, and also take a class in another area of interest (or another psychology class).
Tonight I spoke with Sean and when I asked him about his classes, he said he was about half an hour late for the first one, because he overslept. Argh! That was one of my biggest concerns--sleeping through classes! Then we had a frustrating conversation for both of us as I tried to get him to tell me what the classes are he was taking and what his schedule is--unfortunately, he is still confused on those points. Double Argh! I know he is taking a psychology class and 4 classes in the Integrated Studies Program--composition, Science, Humanities and something else--maybe the confusion is because they are "integrated."
I ended up just trying to confirm that he knew where he was supposed to go tomorrow and if he was confused about what to do or where to go, he should ask for help!
Take a deep breath--exhale. It will all work out (I hope!)
Sean also went to academic advising and came back a little concerned that he was going to be "stuck" with a major--choosing a major certainly can seem a bit intimidating when you think it will lock you into the rest of your life. Here is an excerpt of my email response:
First of all, relax! You do not have to decide on a major this semester, or even next semester. I switched my major twice my freshman year. I started as a Chemical Engineering major, after the first semester I switched to English and then at the end of the second semester I switched to civil engineering.
The only challenge in not knowing what you want to do is that if you end up wanting to major in a highly technical field (Engineering, Math, a specific science, Nursing, Aviation, etc), you may delay graduation if you don't take some of the prerequisite classes your freshman year (for example, an engineering major would be taking Calculus this semester, usually).
However, for most majors, what you do your first year is not a problem, as long as you work on your general requirements. I think what you have decided to do this first semester is an excellent choice, doing the Integrated Studies Program with a psychology class. The integrated studies program will apply to both your general requirements and to honors classes. The psychology class will let you explore psychology a bit. I would suggest that you do the Integrated Studies Program next semester as well, and also take a class in another area of interest (or another psychology class).
Tonight I spoke with Sean and when I asked him about his classes, he said he was about half an hour late for the first one, because he overslept. Argh! That was one of my biggest concerns--sleeping through classes! Then we had a frustrating conversation for both of us as I tried to get him to tell me what the classes are he was taking and what his schedule is--unfortunately, he is still confused on those points. Double Argh! I know he is taking a psychology class and 4 classes in the Integrated Studies Program--composition, Science, Humanities and something else--maybe the confusion is because they are "integrated."
I ended up just trying to confirm that he knew where he was supposed to go tomorrow and if he was confused about what to do or where to go, he should ask for help!
Take a deep breath--exhale. It will all work out (I hope!)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
College Move-in
This weekend I dropped my oldest off at College. Well, I guess it would be more like lug, lifted and hauled my son off to college.
Residence Hall check-in at the University of North Dakota began at 9 AM on Friday morning. A friend whose son had been a freshman last year told me that people start lining up at 7 AM to get their keys on move-in day. OK, I didn't need to be one of THOSE moms. We didn't show up until 8:10, snagging a great parking place, right in front of the building. Feeling rather virtuous for getting there early, we sauntered up to the front of the building where a few students in official yellow "HOT" (Hall Orientation Team) T-shirts were setting up a sign for the hall. Maybe the people were lining up somewhere else? I asked where the line was and the response was, "people don't usually start lining up until 8:30 or so." They offered to let us sit in the lobby of the hall to wait until 9.
I'm glad we did come early as my son, Sean, was the first to check-in and meet with his Floor Resident Assistant (RA). I was surprised that this orientation meeting took a little more than half an hour--it was going to be a long day for the RA!
We checked the room and decided to pick up the loft for the bed, but before leaving the room, Sean's roommate's family came up with some of the roommate's (Andy) belongings. The family was also sending off their oldest child to college.The Bed Loft. We went to the area for picking up the bed loft parts, receiving end pieces, braces, side rail and miscellaneous nuts, bolts, washers, etc. Oh, yes, we did get instructions--a few indecipherable lines of explanation which assumed the assembler had put the loft together before. I have an engineering degree and I didn't understand it. Fortunately, members of the HOT team were happy to help. Andy's 16 year-old brother, John, was able to observe the procedure so he could help his family with Andy's loft. The hardest part was kicking the bed springs out of the the bed so that we could use them in the loft. Note to self: next year wear hard-soled shoes!
With Andy's family of 5 and Sean and me, the room was a bit crowded for us all to manuver around, so after Sean and I lugged 9 bins up 2 flights of stairs, we decided to go to lunch to allow Andy's family the space to do things. I decided it was worthwhile, afterall, to get there early just to get a close parking space.I took Sean to a local "dive" with good food: The Red Pepper on University Avenue, but not near the university. Sean enjoyed the "grinder" immensely.
After lunch we returned to the room to unpack the bins and Andy and his family was gone, but it looked like they had organized most of his items.Sean and I worked on organizing his half of the room--his first task was to make the bed. I thought making a bunk bed was tough, well I think a loft may be even more difficult, being up even higher. I wonder if Sean will remake the bed at all in the next semester!
I won't go on about all the rest of the details for the weekend, aside from saying that I really set the bar high for my son--I actually told him, I'd be happy if he just didn't flunk out of school and didn't do anything immoral or illegal! Wasn't that motivational!This was "Welcome Weekend" at the University of North Dakota. Ironic, isn't it? "Welcome Weekend" was more of a "Goodbye Weekend" for the parents
Residence Hall check-in at the University of North Dakota began at 9 AM on Friday morning. A friend whose son had been a freshman last year told me that people start lining up at 7 AM to get their keys on move-in day. OK, I didn't need to be one of THOSE moms. We didn't show up until 8:10, snagging a great parking place, right in front of the building. Feeling rather virtuous for getting there early, we sauntered up to the front of the building where a few students in official yellow "HOT" (Hall Orientation Team) T-shirts were setting up a sign for the hall. Maybe the people were lining up somewhere else? I asked where the line was and the response was, "people don't usually start lining up until 8:30 or so." They offered to let us sit in the lobby of the hall to wait until 9.
I'm glad we did come early as my son, Sean, was the first to check-in and meet with his Floor Resident Assistant (RA). I was surprised that this orientation meeting took a little more than half an hour--it was going to be a long day for the RA!
We checked the room and decided to pick up the loft for the bed, but before leaving the room, Sean's roommate's family came up with some of the roommate's (Andy) belongings. The family was also sending off their oldest child to college.The Bed Loft. We went to the area for picking up the bed loft parts, receiving end pieces, braces, side rail and miscellaneous nuts, bolts, washers, etc. Oh, yes, we did get instructions--a few indecipherable lines of explanation which assumed the assembler had put the loft together before. I have an engineering degree and I didn't understand it. Fortunately, members of the HOT team were happy to help. Andy's 16 year-old brother, John, was able to observe the procedure so he could help his family with Andy's loft. The hardest part was kicking the bed springs out of the the bed so that we could use them in the loft. Note to self: next year wear hard-soled shoes!
With Andy's family of 5 and Sean and me, the room was a bit crowded for us all to manuver around, so after Sean and I lugged 9 bins up 2 flights of stairs, we decided to go to lunch to allow Andy's family the space to do things. I decided it was worthwhile, afterall, to get there early just to get a close parking space.I took Sean to a local "dive" with good food: The Red Pepper on University Avenue, but not near the university. Sean enjoyed the "grinder" immensely.
After lunch we returned to the room to unpack the bins and Andy and his family was gone, but it looked like they had organized most of his items.Sean and I worked on organizing his half of the room--his first task was to make the bed. I thought making a bunk bed was tough, well I think a loft may be even more difficult, being up even higher. I wonder if Sean will remake the bed at all in the next semester!
I won't go on about all the rest of the details for the weekend, aside from saying that I really set the bar high for my son--I actually told him, I'd be happy if he just didn't flunk out of school and didn't do anything immoral or illegal! Wasn't that motivational!This was "Welcome Weekend" at the University of North Dakota. Ironic, isn't it? "Welcome Weekend" was more of a "Goodbye Weekend" for the parents
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
