Last night, we paid the bill at University of Edinburgh. Turns out that by going there for a semester, my daughter is saving about half the money she would have spent at Bowdoin. And that includes the airline ticket. Why are colleges so expensive in US?
Rode my bike to work this morning. The pedestrian/cyclist lane on Gold Star bridge has been fixed so no need for a bus ride. It was a nice and easy ride today.
The Drop-off
Last week, we dropped off our son at college. They made move-in really easy for everyone. As we pulled up in front of his dorm building at the assigned time, a swarm of 20-25 upperclassmen descended upon our car and in one shot, they took all of our son’s belongings up three flights of stairs to his room. By the time, I found parking and walked back to the room, half the stuff was already put away. This help from other students was really nice and in the spirit of Davidson College.
On the following day, all the incoming students were welcomed at a ceremony held in the same arena where Steph Curry played. I thought the speeches made by one of the students from student senate and the dean of admissions were really on point. The student basically told all the freshmen that for many of them high school was easy but, college is going to be hard work. There will be times when they’ll want to give up and it is OK. This only makes them realize their limitations and give them an opportunity to seek out help, make it a learning experience and grow their horizons. It was good to hear this straight talk from a student.
As the course work gets going and when the students find it hard, it is common to question if they belong there. The dean of admissions addressed this imposter syndrome. He said that this feeling is normal especially when the students are away from their familiar support network at home. He assured the students that the admissions staff looked through thousands of applications and chose this cohort because the staff thought the students belonged there. He was confident that his staff doesn’t make mistakes in these decisions. I thought that was very encouraging and a nice confidence booster for the students.
After an outdoor picnic, it was time to say goodbye and leave so the freshmen could continue on with the orientation program. It was with mixed feelings that we gave final hugs and got to the car to leave. We were all mostly happy. He will be at an excellent institution getting some of the best education available while making new friends and playing great music as a part of Davidson College Symphony Orchestra which will enhance his college experience. He worked his butt off to get there and we are very proud of him. The Covid years were really hard for him and he didn’t do well in school but in the last two years he picked up the slack and was successful with college admissions process. I guess this is normal progression - a child growing into an adult and leaving to find his own place in the world. Of course, we will miss him at home. He is the noisiest member of our family. Always chatting and sharing and yes, arguing about everything. He also makes the most beautiful sounds with his viola. We will miss all that but will also enjoy some peace and quiet at least for a few days.
Now that he has completed the first week of classes without any issues (no missed classes or meals), and FaceTimed with us a couple of times, we feel confident that he will be OK. The Davidson staff also went to great lengths to talk about all the support they provide for physical and mental well-being of students and assured all the parents that their students will be looked after like family. In another month and half, we will visit him for parents weekend. Look forward to hearing about all the new experiences at college.
Does anyone know if a livejournal blog can be imported to micro.blog? @help
Super Blue Moon
It is just laughable to see all the hype in the news about SUPER BLUE MOON. It is a stupid astrological concept. Perhaps if we knew how to count a proper month i.e. 28 days of lunar orbit around the Earth, there would be no silliness about 2 full moons in a month. As the moon moves around its elliptical orbit, it comes at its closest at some point in time and is at its farthest at another. The change in size is not even perceptible unless you are a moon researcher who is looking at the moon every day. How come we don’t celebrate tiny moon?
If we choose to focus on real issues such as climate change and how to counter it, that would be more useful than wasting time and energy on this SUPER BLUE MOON silliness.
Sorry for being a curmudgeon this morning.
I want to know if Hurricane Idalia is headed to Mar-a-lago or not. Then I’ll know if I should show support and root for people of florida or for the hurricane.
Calluses! They are called damned calluses. Wanted to text my brother that I have calluses from rowing but, my brain was stuck at scabs and scars. Couldn’t come up with the right word for more than 10 minutes. Getting old is no fun. This is only going to get worse.
While in North Carolina, what we had as daily low temps are now our daily high temps as we are back home. What a relief!!!
While going on this trip, we were thinking of considering NC as a possible retirement location. After one week the answer is a solid NO.
@pratik @stupendousman @lukemperez
Albert Camus
“Go out for a walk. It doesn’t have to be a romantic walk in the park… It doesn’t have to be a walk during which you’ll have multiple life epiphanies and discover meanings no other brain ever managed to encounter. Do not be afraid of spending quality time by yourself… That doesn’t make you antisocial or cause you to reject the rest of the world. But you need to breathe. And you need to be.”
Argh! After last few days in North Carolina, it feels good to think that only one more month of Summer left before it is officially Fall. What a relief!
When you have 3-4 kids, it seems right to refer to the oldest and youngest of the flock. With only 2 kids, what is the correct way? Oldest and youngest or older and younger?
Another day of nice after ride coffee. I am going to miss this when I go back to riding in the area around my home.
