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#21
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On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 20:59:08 EST, illecebra
wrote: I think that if someone starting college isn't already doing all their own laundry, cooking at least a fair share of meals, and doing a fair share of cooking, there are serious issues to begin with. Or maybe different family priorities? I think teenagers should learn how to do laundry (their own and/or a share of family laundry, doesn't matter) before they leave home, and should be able to cook simple meals, but there are lots of different healthy ways for families to share the load at home while helping their young people develop life skills. I also think they should start learning how to manage money, and should acquire a good estimation of the relative risks and costs of borrowing money from parents vs. borrowing money on a credit card vs. going without. I think they should learn how to read a city map, how to figure out a bus route in a city, how to figure out intercity bus/train schedules, and how to get to work or school in a rainstorm in a way that they can be dry during the day. I think they should learn how to sew on a button, how to take care of themselves when they start to develop cold symptoms, how to get as much sleep as they need even if fun things are going on around them, and how to politely ask a teacher to clarify an assignment. What else do you think *your* young people should learn how to do before they leave home? Louise |
#22
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In article ,
Robyn Kozierok wrote: In article , Louise wrote: On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 19:39:07 EST, (Robyn Kozierok) wrote: Most of the schools in Ontario (Canada) had this rule back when I was in school. I don't know if they still do. I never heard of it in 1979 when I was applying (W'loo, Toronto, Queen's, McMaster, Guelph, etc), and it definitely wasn't the case at the one I attended. I was a few years later than you, and I am pretty sure that frosh had to stay in residence at Waterloo, where I ended up. I don't remember the details of the other universities as well though. I am guessing that the double-cohort may have caused a lot more flexibility with dorm space being at a premium. Waterloo in the 80's didn't require that first year students stay in a dorm. At the time residence space was at such a premium that not only was it not required, there was a small chance that you would not be offered a room at all even if you wanted one. My DH lived quite some distance off-campus during his first year. The university has since moved to the model of all are guaranteed an offer of a room, but one is not required to accept. Some students chose to find off-campus housing, and others continue to live at home as their parent(s) live within commuting distance. The double-cohort (which is when Ontario eliminated grade 13, so two groups of students graduated at the same time) meant that a lot of new residence space was built so that the guarantee of an offer for a dorm for incoming first year students could still hold. Although I seem to recall some universities did offer incentives to students who chose to live off-campus to handle the crunch. An interesting parenting question comes out of the double-cohort. For the first time a noticeable number of students were arriving on campus at age 17 (since elementary and high schools use Jan 1 as the cutoff date). So the universities had to decide whether the students should be treated as adults. At what point should we as parents no longer have access to our kids' student records? At what point should we as parents no longer be going to the school to solve problems for our kids? Carol Hulls |
#23
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Louise wrote:
On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 20:59:08 EST, illecebra wrote: I think that if someone starting college isn't already doing all their own laundry, cooking at least a fair share of meals, and doing a fair share of cooking, there are serious issues to begin with. Or maybe different family priorities? Yes. I don't recall helping out around the house by doing laundry, or cooking. But I certainly knew how to do it all, just by observing. When I started doing laundry as a freshman in the dorms, I don't recall anything horrible happening. Also, I was baking before I left home, and could follow a recipe. I think teenagers should learn how to do laundry (their own and/or a share of family laundry, doesn't matter) before they leave home, and should be able to cook simple meals, but there are lots of different healthy ways for families to share the load at home while helping their young people develop life skills. I also think they should start learning how to manage money, and should acquire a good estimation of the relative risks and costs of borrowing money from parents vs. borrowing money on a credit card vs. going without. I think they should learn how to read a city map, how to figure out a bus route in a city, how to figure out intercity bus/train schedules, and how to get to work or school in a rainstorm in a way that they can be dry during the day. I think they should learn how to sew on a button, how to take care of themselves when they start to develop cold symptoms, how to get as much sleep as they need even if fun things are going on around them, and how to politely ask a teacher to clarify an assignment. How to change a flat. How to recognize danger, and when to trust your instincts. How to read a recipe. How to recognize the signals your body sends when you're starting to get sick. How to speak up when someone has done them wrong. Scott DD 11 and DS 9 |
#24
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In article , Louise wrote:
I think teenagers should learn how to do laundry (their own and/or a share of family laundry, doesn't matter) before they leave home, and should be able to cook simple meals, but there are lots of different healthy ways for families to share the load at home while helping their young people develop life skills. I also think they should start learning how to manage money, and should acquire a good estimation of the relative risks and costs of borrowing money from parents vs. borrowing money on a credit card vs. going without. I think they should learn how to read a city map, how to figure out a bus route in a city, how to figure out intercity bus/train schedules, and how to get to work or school in a rainstorm in a way that they can be dry during the day. I think they should learn how to sew on a button, how to take care of themselves when they start to develop cold symptoms, how to get as much sleep as they need even if fun things are going on around them, and how to politely ask a teacher to clarify an assignment. What else do you think *your* young people should learn how to do before they leave home? Right now I think I'll be happy if he learns to brush his teeth, tie his shoes, pick out his own clothes, and eat at mealtimes---preferably before middle school. By college I'll expect him to be able to balance a checkbook, keep within budget, provide food for himself, ride a bicycle with a load, figure out bus routes in unfamiliar cities, ask for directions, keep himself and his clothes clean, ... . I'll also expect him to be able to differentiate polynomials, solve quadratic equations, copy-edit text, design and carry out experiments, know the difference between metonymy and metaphor (and use both effectively in poetry), draw realistic portraits, be able to portray a variety of characters on stage, ... . I know the expectations above sound unrealistic, but he's about halfway there on most of them (several of them are not ones I would have chosen for him, but are based on unexpected talents of his). I'm more worried that he'll never bother to learn to tie his shoes than that he won't achieve the more intellectual and artistic ambitions. ------------------------------------------------------------ Kevin Karplus http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~karplus Professor of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz Undergraduate and Graduate Director, Bioinformatics (Senior member, IEEE) (Board of Directors, ISCB) life member (LAB, Adventure Cycling, American Youth Hostels) Effective Cycling Instructor #218-ck (lapsed) Affiliations for identification only. |
#25
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In article ,
Carol Hulls wrote: In article , Robyn Kozierok wrote: In article , Louise wrote: On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 19:39:07 EST, (Robyn Kozierok) wrote: Most of the schools in Ontario (Canada) had this rule back when I was in school. I don't know if they still do. I never heard of it in 1979 when I was applying (W'loo, Toronto, Queen's, McMaster, Guelph, etc), and it definitely wasn't the case at the one I attended. I was a few years later than you, and I am pretty sure that frosh had to stay in residence at Waterloo, where I ended up. I don't remember the details of the other universities as well though. I am guessing that the double-cohort may have caused a lot more flexibility with dorm space being at a premium. Waterloo in the 80's didn't require that first year students stay in a dorm. Ok, I guess I'm nuts. Now that you mention it, I do remember there being some stress over them possibly not having enough dorm rooms available, though in practice, I didn't know any freshmen who lived off-campus unless they lived with their parents, and there were "interconnecting" rooms in Village I that had only one student in them (so they weren't "full" my freshman year, at least for 4-stream frosh (students going out on a workterm after their first semester) who were placed in Village I. --Robyn |
#26
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In article ,
Louise wrote: What else do you think *your* young people should learn how to do before they leave home? Manage time and money (including checking account and credit cards), care for their belongings, clean any room of the house, do laundry, cook meals, wash dishes, hold a part-time job, file a tax return, use a hammer and screwdriver, assemble cheap furniture, comparison shop, choose or plan healthful meal options, minor clothing mending (fix loose buttons or popped seams, etc.). --Robyn |
#27
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#28
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In article ,
Louise wrote: You added a lot of good ones. Take taxis. Along these same lines, know how to get around safely in the city/town in which they will be living. Also know when and how much to tip. Cook an omelet. That's rather specific I bet a lot of people get through not only college but their whole lives without that particular skill ;-) --Robyn |
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