I'm having writers block here on gc letter. So - how's your college student?

[readwithem]

Go ahead.

 

I need a distraction :)

Edited October 5, 2009 by readwithem
changed my mind.

[Gwen in VA]

It depends on the day.

 

I just talked with ds -- he has a 6 - 8 page paper on Kant due on Wednesday, and he has had writer's block on Kant for the past week. So now I'm stressed! But he's fine. :tongue_smilie:

[readwithem]

It depends on the day.

 

I just talked with ds -- he has a 6 - 8 page paper on Kant due on Wednesday, and he has had writer's block on Kant for the past week. So now I'm stressed! But he's fine. :tongue_smilie:

 

Sorry about ds' writer's block!! Sounds like it's going around....

 

I finally made a "first pass" at a particular paragraph for the gc letter (I've had a draft of the letter for awhile but dd's reaction was it's more of an outline:glare:)

[Kareni]

One thing that helped me in making the counselor letter was to compile a list of character traits. My husband and I both sat down (independently) to decide which traits best characterized our daughter. I used those traits as the basis of my counselor letter. If you have an interest in seeing my list of character traits, I'd be happy to send it along to you (or anyone else) if you send me a personal message with your email address.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Nan in Mass]

My strategy was to list what I thought colleges want and then list what showed that my son had those things. Then I put it into paragraph form. It took me months of not-writing to write it.

-Nan

[readwithem]

One thing that helped me in making the counselor letter was to compile a list of character traits. My husband and I both sat down (independently) to decide which traits best characterized our daughter. I used those traits as the basis of my counselor letter. If you have an interest in seeing my list of character traits, I'd be happy to send it along to you (or anyone else) if you send me a personal message with your email address.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Kareni, you sent me that list months ago - and it was VERY helpful - thank you!! I had my dh mark things and I marked things separately as you suggested. I'm not having trouble coming up with traits that describe my dd, but putting it in a paragraph vs. saying she's like a Boy Scout (loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, etc.).

 

So how is your college student doing? :)

[readwithem]

My strategy was to list what I thought colleges want and then list what showed that my son had those things. Then I put it into paragraph form. It took me months of not-writing to write it.

-Nan

 

:lol:

:) This is a great idea, Nan!

 

So how is your college student doing? :001_smile:

[Nan in Mass]

Well, at the moment the only thing I have to go on is his older brother's offhand statement "Oh - I saw him yesterday and he's doing good." Sigh. Two weekends ago I heard from him. I wrote about that in a post a few down from here. If his life continues to be so exciting, I'm not surprised he hasn't found the time to email or call. We heard that he had discovered that it was a good idea to do the calculus homework, even if it is assigned as just practice problems that won't be collected. Good save. I'm rather worried about him, academically. He seems to be managing the regimental piece ok, staying under the radar. Most of our communications with him have involved warm clothing - please can I have my long underware top to keep the sun off sailing, please can I have my wetsuit, please can I buy a sprayjacket, please can I have my bottoms to go under the wetsuit. This is a totally familiar situation. With the peace walking, it was footwear. I guess I'm glad we're not trying to help him deal with a crazy roommate or flunked tests or worse problems (at least not yet), but it might be nice to hear something, anything at all, about his roommate, other than everything's fine. Thank goodness the oldest talks more. Of course, my husband might differ there - the latest phonecall from oldest was to request $80 (or something equally outragous) for a uniform hat and to complain about the Russian physics prof who expected his students to remember an obscure fact from last year on the midterm.

 

-Nan

[OH Kim]

How's my college student?

 

I wouldn't know without facebook.:tongue_smilie:

[Karen in CO]

So how is your college student doing? :001_smile:

 

I talked to mine last night on Skype - he was skipping class because they had a tsunami. I'm not happy with the skipping class, but I bet it must be horrible to try to trek across the city to class in a tsunami. :) He also has a 15 page paper coming up on Cambodia and is trying to get through Gilgamesh. He asked if he could come home for Christmas and the girls squealed "Yes!" before I could ask if he had any job prospects. I guess I get to see him in December, and he still won't have a job.

[Nan in Mass]

Wow! That is not amongst the rather long list of things I worry about my sons having to deal with. Drowning, yes, definately, but tsunamis, no. Maybe a different translation might help with Gilgamesh? We're enjoying ours. That 15 page paper makes me wonder how long my middle son's research paper has to be. And how my oldest, who can write papers (thanks to public school) but hates it, is doing in his humanities class.

[readwithem]

:eek: Good reason to skip classes!!

 

Will your ds come home for Christmas, Karen?

 

Wow. How did he even find out about a school in Japan?

[readwithem]

Thank goodness the oldest talks more. Of course, my husband might differ there - the latest phonecall from oldest was to request $80 (or something equally outragous) for a uniform hat and to complain about the Russian physics prof who expected his students to remember an obscure fact from last year on the midterm.

 

-Nan

 

:willy_nilly:

:001_huh:

 

Wow. I might agree with your dh on this one.:glare:

[Karen in CO]

Yes, I just don't think I'm able to tell him that he can't come home, no matter how expensive those tickets are.

 

He learned about the school in Japan when he was taking Japanese classes at the local cc - the professor is from Japan and also teaches at a nearby university. She did a great job of scheduling visitors into the class including the Japanese Consulate General and reps. from various universities across Japan.

Edited October 9, 2009 by Karen in CO

[readwithem]

Yes, I'm just don't think I'm able to tell him that he can't come home, no matter how expensive those tickets are.

 

He learned about the school in Japan when he was taking Japanese classes at the local cc - the professor is from Japan and also teaches at a nearby university. She did a great job of scheduling visitors into the class including the Japanese Consulate General and reps. from various universities across Japan.

 

:001_smile:

 

So is he studying Japanese or something else? Are all his classes in Japanese?

[Nan in Mass]

No. Some things are priceless.

[Karen in CO]

:001_smile:

 

So is he studying Japanese or something else? Are all his classes in Japanese?

 

 

He is attending an American university, but 60% of the students are Japanese. He is required to take Japanese every semester, but he is majoring in International Business. After 4 semesters of Japanese in the states, he only placed in some beginning or intermediate Japanese which they told him was good for an American. Besides the earthquakes, monsoon season, typhoon season and the occasional tsunami warning, and super small portions of food, living over there has been a great educational experience for him. Getting the welcome package from them was pretty scary for me because it included evacuation procedures in the event of a major earthquake, volcano, war or other national disaster and the realization that he is very , very far away.