So here I am, in a little dorm room on the University of West Florida campus - home of the Argos. (don't even ask me what an argo is).
There are so many things to bring up here - so this is going to be a bit random.....first off - dorms. DORMS!
I am 32 years old and sleeping on a single bed with a mattress that has the thickness of a cardboard box, in a dorm. The bed is killing me - (between sitting in the car for 10 hours and sleeping in this bed, my acupuncture appointment is going to be very well needed on Monday - I already cannot wait!!), but the dorm room is actually quite nice!!
Dorms have come a long way since I was in college.....there isn't even a communal bathroom anymore - haha! Each room (at this college) has it's own private bathroom!! Now they say the downside to this is that the students (2-3 in a room) have to clean the bathroom on their own. Are you kidding me? Clean your own bathroom or share with an entire floor of teenage girls......hmmmm......not a tough choice!!
Ok so I have a private little room with a private little bathroom (and it comes with a microwave and fridge!) and I'm thinking - this isn't so bad! I could do this college thing! Then there are the slams of other doors in the middle of the night, and the late night chatter and laughing in the hallways -- ok if this was really where I was living it would piss me off, but since this is orientation, to hear the excitement of the freshman is actually amazing!
Day 1 of the orientation - so today was the first full day of orientation and it was so packed with information my head was spinning! There was a joint parent/student/family session in the morning and then the families were split up from the kids until dinner. - Oh I will have to tell you about dinner later!
So I am in the family sessions, and I am sitting in there trying to take notes as fast as possible, and trying to really process everything that I am hearing. I am looking around at the parents in the room with their blank stares, and I am wondering - "does anyone in here know what the fuck is going on?"
Of course people do, but it's a shocking moment, when after hearing from everyone under the sun that "students do not have a curfew in the dorms", one parent raises her hand to ask not one, but TWO stupid ass questions!!
1. Do the kids have curfew on campus? - Um, hello. This is stupid for the obvious reason stated above. We have already been told this by the Vice President, the Dean of Student Affairs, the Director of Housing, and the orientation guides. DUH!
2. Well, so if my son is leaving campus, doesn't he have to check out with someone and then check in again when he's back? Are you saying he can just come and go as he pleases? - Well. Surprise Surprise.....it's college!! Do these people seriously think that on top of educating the students, living with the students, keeping an eye on the students, growing the students, etc. that they also have a damn sign in sheet? Come on now!! Like seriously - come on - I did not just hear that question come out that lady's mouth!!
There are so many things to bring up here - so this is going to be a bit random.....first off - dorms. DORMS!
I am 32 years old and sleeping on a single bed with a mattress that has the thickness of a cardboard box, in a dorm. The bed is killing me - (between sitting in the car for 10 hours and sleeping in this bed, my acupuncture appointment is going to be very well needed on Monday - I already cannot wait!!), but the dorm room is actually quite nice!!
Dorms have come a long way since I was in college.....there isn't even a communal bathroom anymore - haha! Each room (at this college) has it's own private bathroom!! Now they say the downside to this is that the students (2-3 in a room) have to clean the bathroom on their own. Are you kidding me? Clean your own bathroom or share with an entire floor of teenage girls......hmmmm......not a tough choice!!
Ok so I have a private little room with a private little bathroom (and it comes with a microwave and fridge!) and I'm thinking - this isn't so bad! I could do this college thing! Then there are the slams of other doors in the middle of the night, and the late night chatter and laughing in the hallways -- ok if this was really where I was living it would piss me off, but since this is orientation, to hear the excitement of the freshman is actually amazing!
Day 1 of the orientation - so today was the first full day of orientation and it was so packed with information my head was spinning! There was a joint parent/student/family session in the morning and then the families were split up from the kids until dinner. - Oh I will have to tell you about dinner later!
So I am in the family sessions, and I am sitting in there trying to take notes as fast as possible, and trying to really process everything that I am hearing. I am looking around at the parents in the room with their blank stares, and I am wondering - "
Of course people do, but it's a shocking moment, when after hearing from everyone under the sun that "students do not have a curfew in the dorms", one parent raises her hand to ask not one, but TWO stupid ass questions!!
1. Do the kids have curfew on campus? - Um, hello. This is stupid for the obvious reason stated above. We have already been told this by the Vice President, the Dean of Student Affairs, the Director of Housing, and the orientation guides. DUH!
2. Well, so if my son is leaving campus, doesn't he have to check out with someone and then check in again when he's back? Are you saying he can just come and go as he pleases? - Well. Surprise Surprise.....it's college!! Do these people seriously think that on top of educating the students, living with the students, keeping an eye on the students, growing the students, etc. that they also have a damn sign in sheet? Come on now!! Like seriously - come on - I did not just hear that question come out that lady's mouth!!
OK - so her questions got me, but then we have, what to me is the best question of the day........ready?
"Does this college offer a car service to the airport so my son can fly home when he wants?"
"Does this college offer a car service to the airport so my son can fly home when he wants?"
Hold on - WHAT. THE. HELL. DID. YOU. JUST. ASK...???? I couldn't even help the face I made - a car service? To the airport? Is this college or is this a damn hotel?! Seriously!!!!!!!!!!!
Whew. Anyways -- so this is how the sessions go all day - info thrown all over and then parents asking the exact same shit that was just presented. I mean, I sat in there feeling like the smart kid that paid attention in class. . . and we all know that is NOT the case!!! :-)
So financial aid, housing, transitioning to college - you want to know? I can tell you! I can tell you anything you want to know about UWF!! Well, maybe.....
Eating in a college cafeteria is the freaking single most dangerous thing in the world if you are trying to watch what you are eating. I mean, could there be more food in one place? And you can eat as much as you want? As many times as you want? And there is ice cream cones? I can scoop the ice cream myself? Damn. Bad news for the diet but good news for the foodies!!
The items to eat were pretty good - I was disappointed in the lack of veggie options, or even chicken options (since I only don't eat red meat/pork), but I was good.
There is so much more going on tomorrow, I just can't wait to stand in line with the parents at the housing office to find out when I can find out if my student is off the waiting list and actually in a dorm!! Because when they suggested to the parents to start looking at off-campus housing and/or hotels for the students that aren't assigned dorm rooms, well you know that's when I had to get up and walk to the front to ask this woman wtf kind of crack she was smoking!! I'm gonna send a kid 10 hours away to college to live in a HOTEL? I think not. Get your shit together UWF. Come on now!
Ok, so I am back to the dorm room ---- nice and cozy (trying to imagine being cozy) and ready to go to sleep and wake up to a bright day in Pensacola, filled with tons of more information and fun.
I am so glad I did this trip - the experience is great, but to experience it with Vanessa and see her excitement and happiness, it's so nice.
So financial aid, housing, transitioning to college - you want to know? I can tell you! I can tell you anything you want to know about UWF!! Well, maybe.....
Eating in a college cafeteria is the freaking single most dangerous thing in the world if you are trying to watch what you are eating. I mean, could there be more food in one place? And you can eat as much as you want? As many times as you want? And there is ice cream cones? I can scoop the ice cream myself? Damn. Bad news for the diet but good news for the foodies!!
The items to eat were pretty good - I was disappointed in the lack of veggie options, or even chicken options (since I only don't eat red meat/pork), but I was good.
There is so much more going on tomorrow, I just can't wait to stand in line with the parents at the housing office to find out when I can find out if my student is off the waiting list and actually in a dorm!! Because when they suggested to the parents to start looking at off-campus housing and/or hotels for the students that aren't assigned dorm rooms, well you know that's when I had to get up and walk to the front to ask this woman wtf kind of crack she was smoking!! I'm gonna send a kid 10 hours away to college to live in a HOTEL? I think not. Get your shit together UWF. Come on now!
Ok, so I am back to the dorm room ---- nice and cozy (trying to imagine being cozy) and ready to go to sleep and wake up to a bright day in Pensacola, filled with tons of more information and fun.
I am so glad I did this trip - the experience is great, but to experience it with Vanessa and see her excitement and happiness, it's so nice.
1 comment:
Those parents' questions are so funny! I remember my dorm experience well. We had shared bathrooms, and I ended up always using the boys' bathrooms cause there was never anyone in them, and the girls' were always so disgustingly dirty!
I'm excited for your student - good luck to her on her forthcoming adventure!
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