IN THE KNOW WITH RO: DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR COLLEGE STUDENT IS REALLY DO...

IN THE KNOW WITH RO: DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR COLLEGE STUDENT IS REALLY DO...: Here's another "real" day in the life of a college student that you may be surprised to know, at the same college which must s...

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR COLLEGE STUDENT IS REALLY DOING?

Here's another "real" day in the life of a college student that you may be surprised to know, at the same college which must still remain anonymous.  Yesterday, between the hours of 11am and 11:43am, 52 students came into the dining hall to eat.  A few were on the phone upon arrival, but the rest started using those cells as soon as they sat down to eat.

What was really interesting is that the majority came in with friends, but they clearly ignored each other during the meal. Granted, some were speaking with parents, but many were sexting (no, they never tried to hide pictures of breasts and penises as I walked by, but dang it I wish they would have!), texting other friends who were apparently more important than the ones they were eating with, playing games, or on Facebook/Twitter.  Even better, two people had textbooks open in front of them while engaged in their phonecapades, making me scratch my head in wonder as to how any knowledge was actually being retained.

Let me also say that these kids provided access to all their friends (yes, that is still happening even though they aren't really paying any attention to them), while mom and dad foot the food bill for all their meals on a weekly basis.  What the heck?

Unable to keep my mouth shut, I asked one young man if he had ever lost his phone?  When he responded that he had lost it once or twice, I asked if it stressed him out?  Of course, he said he didn't know what he was going to do because all of his contacts and messages were there.  I asked if he ever considered writing his phone numbers in an address book, and I got that "look".  You know - the ones where your kids think you're clearly crazy or out of touch with reality.  Uh...ok.

One group kept passing their phones around to each other and giggling incessantly, while another felt that an African-American Spiderman had racist undertones because he was portrayed as automatically loving Jazz.  Huh?

There are lots of cones for ice cream, so perhaps you can explain to me why one young man felt the need to squirt vanilla ice cream into his hand as he and those non-important friends left the dining hall for their next adventure?

Before you panic, there are plenty of serious students who care about getting that all important college degree, but while they're eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, something clicks which causes them to revert to high school mode. Believe it or not, this pattern continued throughout the rest of the day. YIKES!

What happened to the days when you went somewhere to eat, and spent time having fun with the friends who were actually in front of you? I don't get it.

Hugs...

IN THE KNOW WITH RO: FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE ARE REALLY STILL IN HIGH SCHOO...

IN THE KNOW WITH RO: FRESHMEN IN COLLEGE ARE REALLY STILL IN HIGH SCHOO...: Recently, I've had the opportunity to spend time with lots of college kids - specifically freshmen, and most of them are great.  I see t...

FRESHMEN IN COLLEGE ARE REALLY STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL MODE

Recently, I've had the opportunity to spend time with lots of college kids - specifically freshmen, and most of them are great.  I see them in the morning when they'd prefer to not to be up at the crack of dawn, and I've spent some time with them when they're super hungry in the evening.  It doesn't matter if I have a headache, I smile any time of the day.

As much as I'd love to spill the beans on the name of this college, I'm contractually obligated to keep my mouth shut for once in my life, but no one said I couldn't blog about it!

If you think a kid who's a freshman has miraculously grown up now that he or she has left home for the first time, you'd be sadly mistaken, except in a few instances.  Most are still checking out young men and giggling, the men are fixated on young girls' butts, and I'm still surprised that very few are talking about anything remotely college related.

The group that is absolutely the worst when it comes to manners and respect to their elders has to be the football and basketball teams.  Now let me say that this doesn't apply to all colleges, certainly, but as I've been up close and personal with these kids on weekly basis, something is definitely a little off.

Sports stars tend to travel as a pack, and believe me, when this happens, they are much more difficult to reign in, but if you catch one them alone, you'd actually see a different person!

"John" is a gorgeous Social Services major who wants to work with kids, God bless him, and he has a clear career path, but once he sits with 2 or more people, he becomes "Johnny", that little kid who jumped on the couch when you told him not to, and pretends like you are the alien.

Surely, these kids cleaned up after themselves when they ate at home, so why in the world are they throwing paper from straws over to the next table, or using peas to make a trail on the floor, expecting someone else to be their maids?  The dining hall is open until 8pm, so if they arrive at 6:30pm, why is there a need to risk suspension from the team by trying to pile extra food in their pockets which hasn't been paid for?

As I tried to figure out this bad behavior, I realized that these kids feel a sense of entitlement because they are gifted, true, but more because women and men want to be their friends and they often get special privileges and perks that we can never imagine.  I don't think this gives a right for rudeness or dishonesty, and allowing the behavior to continue sends a mixed message to our young people who are preparing for adulthood.

My next pet peeve - college students who walk across the street all the time and NEVER look at other cars that are driving toward them.  What the heck?!

How come students can't keep track of their ID Card which allows all types of privileges and cool stuff?  If you forget this, there is no access into the halls of light or whatever.

Kids, do you know that you should probably wear clothing that doesn't totally expose everything we may or may not want to know about you?

Parents have paid a great deal of money to send their children to school, so why do kids feel it's okay to use their meal plan to give access for dining privileges to all of their friends?  I can see 1 or 2 times, but what are they going to do when the money from mom and dad runs out, and you're no longer able to eat in the dining hall?  Will these people still be your friends?

Ice cream cones are for ice cream, not guided missiles.

Don't get me wrong, some of these Freshman are perfectly well-mannered and fun to speak with, but it only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch.

Do you know what your child is really doing in college?  You may be truly surprised...

Hugs...

IN THE KNOW WITH RO: CELL PHONE OR DEODORANT - Which would you choose?

IN THE KNOW WITH RO: CELL PHONE OR DEODORANT - Which would you choose?: Some things in life never cease to amaze me, so imagine my surprise when a recent survey targeting people between the ages of 18-24 stated t...