Girlie AGDee's College Search Thread

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

Whooping cough? That is pertussis, right? That is in the DTP vaccine, so she should be all set coming from Michigan. This is what happens when people don't get their children vaccinated. This drives my pediatrician sister nuts!

Her parents could have very well have had her vaccinated to schedule but, from what it appears, the vaccine wears down after about 10 years so if she had it before kindergarten she may have needed a booster anyway. Not sure if Columbia requires the DPT booster for an incoming student; I don't remember needing one when I started there but I'm pretty vigilant about vaccinations so the ones I had before undergrad and studying abroad were probably sufficient.

Did her roommate have to travel far to get to school? Airplanes and airports are pretty much vectors for this sort of thing.

[AGDee]

Yes, it is pertussis. Her roommate drove from her hometown (same state as Barnard, but kind of a long drive). Barnard did require those vaccinations but I imagine it is like the public schools... if there is an objection, you can get out of the requirement. Or, as you said, she hadn't had a booster. Hypo is up to date on everything so I'm sure she'll be fine but from everything I've read, they usually put people in the same household on antibiotics as a precaution.

[AZTheta]

Dee, this thread is one I return to (along with Badge Trends) and I'm quite appreciative of your willingness to share Hypo's story with all of us.

And i would be remiss if I didn't casually happen to mention that there is a Kappa Alpha Theta chapter at Columbia. Just in case...you never know.

[momof4girls]

I return to this thread too. My daughter is a sophmore. Last year she was 25 minutes away, but this year she's 11 hours away, so I feel like we're experiencing being away for the first time. I've had the home sickness calls, the roommate is driving me crazy calls and now spider bite calls.

[AOIIalum]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

Whooping cough? That is pertussis, right? That is in the DTP vaccine, so she should be all set coming from Michigan. This is what happens when people don't get their children vaccinated. This drives my pediatrician sister nuts!

Hopefully she understands those of us who watched their infant have a horrible reaction to first DPT vaccination. Eldest ended up in the hospital after his first one and they determined it was due to the Pertussis component. From then on all three boys only had the DT shots. Unfortunately, middle did have Pertussis in HS but was caught early and he was fine. Youngest's last booster was the full DPT and luckily he did not have a reaction, but was watched closely during the possible reaction time by the doctors. Allergic reactions are serious!

Dee, hope Hypo's roommate recovers quickly and uneventfully. Glad Barnard is taking good care of them both.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by AOIIalum

Hopefully she understands those of us who watched their infant have a horrible reaction to first DPT vaccination. Eldest ended up in the hospital after his first one and they determined it was due to the Pertussis component. From then on all three boys only had the DT shots. Unfortunately, middle did have Pertussis in HS but was caught early and he was fine. Youngest's last booster was the full DPT and luckily he did not have a reaction, but was watched closely during the possible reaction time by the doctors. Allergic reactions are serious!

That's a medically legitimate reason to not have a certain vaccine...she's talking about the parents who listen to debunked urban legends/internet misinformation about vaccines, and don't listen to their pediatrician who tries to explain the research-based, acknowledged risks and benefits. They avoid all vaccines and it upsets her when their children contract illnesses that could have been prevented. As AGDee said, in Michigan you can "opt out" from the required vaccines, and parents have been doing this to the point were certain illnesses have flared up again...and that affects kids like your sons who can't have a certain vaccine for a legitimate reason.

My take is, if there's a shot and you don't have a legitimate reason why you can't have it...get it! My kids have gotten every optional vaccine there is! My daughter had the varicella vaccine as a baby, when it first came out. I had chicken pox when I was 25, and I didn't want her to deal with that, or worry about shingles later in life.

[AXOmom]

This isn't meant to scare anyone - just that this issue came up in another thread that I think I posted (don't remember now) regarding a young woman on my daughter's campus who died from bacterial menangitis last spring.

There was a brief discussion about school vaccination requirements for living in a dorm. (it would have been a moot point in this case since the young lady was living in a sorority house and not a dorm). Daughter's school (my am) didn't require them which surprises me even now. I believe her first school did. I can't quite figure, given the liability issues, why every school wouldn't require proof of this to live on campus. Actually it surprises me that GLO's don't require vaccinations to live in the house. Wouldn't this be a lawsuit waiting to happen?

Ironically, in this case, the girl had a previous bout with bacterial menangitis her freshman year and had, I assume, gotten treatment quickly enough that she recovered then.

[AGDee]

They put Hypo on antibiotics as a precaution. She has also had her Menactra vaccine. I had bacterial meningitis when I was 13 and luckily my mom was wise and got me to ER immediately once I had a high fever and stiff neck. Smart lady.

In other news, she got a Betta fish. I asked her who's going to feed this Betta fish during school breaks since she can't exactly bring it home on the plane with her. She has no idea. Kids!

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by AGDee

In other news, she got a Betta fish. I asked her who's going to feed this Betta fish during school breaks since she can't exactly bring it home on the plane with her. She has no idea. Kids!

There are always international students and those from far away. Just tell her to make friends with some of them- chances are she can find someone who's still around! I was one of the "far away" people and my now-husband was one of the international students who stayed on campus for most breaks.

At my school there was usually one hall director as well who was "on duty" during each break period. People would often bring their fish, turtles, etc to that hall director to take care of. Of course, that was a very small school where everyone knew everyone- but maybe they have something similar there.

ETA: One of the dumbest things I did was get a 20 gallon fish tank in college. It was fine throughout the year (could always find someone to feed them), until it got to time to move the tank! Maybe it wasn't a bad thing in the end that my now-husband had an accident filling the tank and most of the fish didn't make it. He thought that by turning both the hot & cold taps full force, he'd end up with lukewarm water. Umm... no! And of course he didn't bother testing it. Whoops.

[adpiucf]

There are autofeeders and some vets will board fish.

[AGDee]

Update:
Hypo has been in touch almost every day this week because she has had questions or needed me to do something (of course!).

Things she has been doing:
"Rushed" for student tickets to see Once on Broadway on Saturday. This means she got up at 4:45 am (unbelievable, this is a kid who sleeps til 1 pm if given the chance) to be in line at 5:45 am for a box office that opens at 10 am. They did get tickets though!

Joined the Columbia Marching Band (yay!) They are sort of a parody of a marching band. Google them.. they are hilarious and creative!

Went to the Columbia Democrats interest meeting and said it was totally packed. I guess when one of your alumni is running for re-election as POTUS, your club is popular!

Broke the phone charger I bought the day before we left for NYC. (already? really?)

Did laundry (lol)

Went to see Porgy & Bess tonight as part of her First Year Seminar class.

She and a group of friends went to the Highline.

AGZG: Pay attention!!! She was very excited that one of the authors of Freakonomics was a guest lecturer for her Social World class. I don't know which one.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Update:
Hypo has been in touch almost every day this week because she has had questions or needed me to do something (of course!).

Things she has been doing:
"Rushed" for student tickets to see Once on Broadway on Saturday. This means she got up at 4:45 am (unbelievable, this is a kid who sleeps til 1 pm if given the chance) to be in line at 5:45 am for a box office that opens at 10 am. They did get tickets though!

Joined the Columbia Marching Band (yay!) They are sort of a parody of a marching band. Google them.. they are hilarious and creative!

Went to the Columbia Democrats interest meeting and said it was totally packed. I guess when one of your alumni is running for re-election as POTUS, your club is popular!

Broke the phone charger I bought the day before we left for NYC. (already? really?)

Did laundry (lol)

Went to see Porgy & Bess tonight as part of her First Year Seminar class.

She and a group of friends went to the Highline.

AGZG: Pay attention!!! She was very excited that one of the authors of Freakonomics was a guest lecturer for her Social World class. I don't know which one.

She's living the first-year life! Love it!

Any culture shock?

[AGDee]

Well, we live in a pretty diverse area and Detroit can be pretty shocking itself but the one thing she had never been exposed to is Judaism. Some parts of Metro Detroit have a large Jewish population but not in the area where she grew up. I wouldn't say it is culture shock. She is finding it interesting though.

She is definitely living the First Year life and loving it Even though she says she is swamped with reading and short 'response' papers.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Well, we live in a pretty diverse area and Detroit can be pretty shocking itself but the one thing she had never been exposed to is Judaism. Some parts of Metro Detroit have a large Jewish population but not in the area where she grew up. I wouldn't say it is culture shock. She is finding it interesting though.

She is definitely living the First Year life and loving it Even though she says she is swamped with reading and short 'response' papers.

I guess I was thinking more regional...Northeast college campus life is its own weird animal. I know I was prepared for something a little like UF or Auburn when NO! So different. I mean, I knew it was going to be different but coming from the South, it was a whole other world.

The fact that half of my college campus skipped town about two weeks in for the High Holidays was a giant shock. I was like, where is everyone? They had either gone home or gone to Hillel. Columbia doesn't even have Friday classes; back in the day, so many of its students were observant Jews that they didn't have classes so everyone could prepare for Shabbat. I don't know if Barnard does it still; some of the professional schools do (except for Architecture--stab stab).

[AGDee]

She doesn't have Friday classes. I believe there were a few discussion sections available on Fridays, but most classes were MW or TTh.

Her biggest exposures to college campuses were Michigan and Barnard so I don't know that she had a lot to compare to Michigan might be more like a Northeast school than a Southern school would be. She is used to a pretty urban setting though.

I did ask her if she was getting enough "alone" time. She is like me in some ways. We both are very social and like to be active in organizations and go do things with people, but we also both need a certain amount of "alone" time. It was really difficult for me in college because I had a roommate who rarely left the room save for work and class. She was ALWAYS there. Hypo said her roommate went home last weekend so she got some time alone and enjoyed that. She also said she goes to the study lounge a lot and nobody else is ever in there so she gets her space there.