Author Topic: How often do you see your parents? (Read 5832 times)

anakinsolo · « **on:** November 16, 2006, 06:16 PM »

Hey guys

I know this sounds weird but I'm kinda attached to my parents, yet I still want to go out-of-state to JHU. I live in Michigan so its pretty far from JHU. How often do you get to see parents if you go to JHU?

JHU_Toni-Marie · « **Reply #1 on:** November 16, 2006, 06:27 PM »

So, this is a really subjective question, some people go home all the times, others never go home. This all depends how often you want to, and if you have the money to do so.

Personally, I was like you, very attached to home, and I still am. I go home once or twice per semester (I live in RI) plus breaks. It is really easy for me to fly because southwest has such great deals, so check that out.

JHU_Jermaine · « **Reply #2 on:** November 16, 2006, 07:16 PM »

Speaking from personal experience, fears of being far away from home should NOT deter you from coming to Hopkins (or any other school for that matter). College (for me at least) is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone, even if that means you have to leave the nest (pun intended...Hopkin's mascot is the Blue Jay). You'll realize, once you get here, that EVERYONE'S far from home (except those few people from the Maryland, D.C.-Metro area). I've met people from places as far as California (Californians are kind of a big thing @ Hopkins), (my suitemate is from Ohio...just wanted to share) and people who are from places as far as Turkey.

I actually felt the same way before coming to Hopkins, and to be honest, I was home-sick for a week or so, but after Orientation I started exploring Baltimore, meeting interesting people and being a Hopkins student.

peace

JHU_Stefanie · « **Reply #3 on:** November 16, 2006, 07:21 PM »

It really is subjective. I don't go home too often. I still love my family, but I'm used to being away from the 'rents (I was never home in the summers, for example).

Last year, I went home for Christmas and then after school was out for the summer for about a week. I spent my summer in Baltimore actually. This year though, I'm going home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and probably two weeks after school is out. I'll spend my summer again in Baltimore! :)

Oh, I'm from TN, btw. BUT this really does depend on:
1. How much time you have.
2. How much money you have.
3. How much you really want to go home.

Rachel, who is also from TN, seems to fly around more than anyone I know. :) But like Toni-Marie said, check Southwest Airlines. They probably have great fares for MI so it shouldn't be a problem. (And your feelings may change once you get here and meet everyone!)

JHU_MichelleT · « **Reply #4 on:** November 16, 2006, 09:27 PM »

I think everyone has been right so far - it really depends on your own situation. I'm from Wisconsin, so I was sort of in the same boat you were. My travel-visit patterns have changed a LOT since freshman year:

* Freshman year, I went home about once a month (a lot, I know! - but not quite as bad when you consider that most of those were fall break, thanksgiving, winter break..) mostly to visit my boyfriend.
* Sophomore year, I went home just for the big things - thanksgiving, winter break, spring break
* Junior year, I did the big holidays back in the midwest, and spent the summer in Baltimore. I expect to do the same this year.

Like Jermaine said, at some point you really come to view Hopkins as home...so you don't want to leave as much, even though you miss your family. Most people set up a regular call system, so that they can stay connected without feeling strangled by too-often phone calls from parents. Now, my friends are like my family, and I don't want to be away from them for a weekend more than once in a great while. But I have to admit, the allure of home cooking and parent-funded shopping at home is pretty great. :P

JHU_Jackie · « **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2006, 09:31 PM »

It really depends. While I miss seeing my parents, I talk to them almost everyday if not more. I haven't gone home to visit them yet, but they came up for my birthday and we are still really close. Even though I really miss them, the phone is what works well for me. It really depends on what you want to make of it. If you want to go home, it's definitley possible or if you want your parents to visit that too is possible. It all depends on what you want to do and how you want to maintain your close relationship.

JHU_Juinting · « **Reply #6 on:** November 16, 2006, 10:34 PM »

Yes it depends. And yes, Southwest is amazing. (They just started flying Denver-BWI!) But also remember that there are other ways to keep in touch with your family. I have friends that call their parents on a daily basis. And if you REALLY miss them, you can do what my roommate does. Her parents got her a webcam, so they video conference about once a month, which is funny to watch because her parents are technologically inept.

Oh, and then there's parents weekend sometime in October so they can come down here and visit you too!

JHU_Kate · « **Reply #7 on:** November 17, 2006, 01:14 AM »

Really, it does depend. For me, so far this semester, I was able to see my parents when they came on a Sunday in early October and then my parents and my younger brother on Family Weekend in late October. While family members may visit at any time, try to have them come during Family Weekend! The campus feels quite family-friendly at that time, since there are so many families present, and it can be fun to meet many of your friends' families at once. As for going home, I have yet to do so myself (that will change next weekend for Thanksgiving), but it's perfectly normal for people to go home on various weekends for different reasons. Of course, the farther they live from Baltimore, the earlier they have to make arrangements.

JHU_Blake · « **Reply #8 on:** November 17, 2006, 04:22 AM »

I'm actually from the great state of Michigan... the distance is there, but it is not unmanagable. I have not been home yet because of personal preference, but my other friends from Michigan have been home on frequent occasions. A certain airline (if you do your research) has $49 one-way daily from Baltimore to Detroit. If you want to go home you can... the flight is only about 2 hours... hope this helps. :D

JHU_Phil · « **Reply #9 on:** November 17, 2006, 02:36 PM »

I'm from New Jersey, and it's a car trip of two hours, door to door.....so, I can't exactly sympathize, but I have a friend from Ohio who goes home every big home game for Ohio State Football. I have another friend who goes home to California every small break we get off......so.....going home isn't a big deal...if you plan it correctly.

JHU_Andrew · « **Reply #10 on:** November 17, 2006, 09:30 PM »

I see my parents about once every month and a half, but I talk to them every day on the phone.

JHU_Roxi · « **Reply #11 on:** November 20, 2006, 06:47 PM »

It really does depend on your situation, but the really cool thing about being from out of state is how much you learn from all the new people you'll meet,

I"m not gonna lie, I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be missing Texas, but since I've been here, I've realized how much my home state has influenced who I am and I'm proud of my pseudo-heritage :)

As for going home, it all depends on your situation. Some people go home all the time (my friend from Cali just spent last weekend back home, came back today, and leaves again Wednesday for Turkey Day) and some won't be going home until Christmas, opting to spend this first set of holidays on campus.

As far as I'm concerned, and the upper classmen have bascially backed me up in this, your travel patterns are going to change as the years go by and as you A) familiarize yourself with Baltimore and get accustomed to calling your dorm "home" and B)start feeling more independent and less homesick so how much you travel is all up to you.

Especially your first year (and I'm feelin' you on this right now I've been away from home for 3 months!) a lot of people go home. Plus there are weekends for your parents come to visit (like my dad came up for Parent's Weekend with my brother). There are plenty of opportunities for you to go home and visit as long as you can plan it and get all your work done and if you want to and if you can more power to you: the rest of us will be envying you and your home cooked meals :)

JHU_Liny · « **Reply #12 on:** November 23, 2006, 01:13 AM »

well i guess i'm not going to be the biggest help in answering this question since I'm from Baltimore County (like 20 min. away from Hopkins campus)...

freshman year i went home once a day every weekend...not only because i'm so incredibly attached to my parents, but i guess living so close it felt wrong not going home all the time

this year though i kinda cut it down to only every 2 weeks...why? because you'll notice when you get to hopkins there's so much to do! especially after you start getting involved with alot of different clubs and so forth you'll notice that even your weekends are packed with stuff to do!

there are some people here that are like me, from maryland, and go home all the time, and there are others who are from the west coast and even international students who hardly ever get to go home except for breaks...but they seem to have adjusted to it perfectly fine!

i even have a friend from new york who's been so busy with things to do here at hopkins that she hasn't been home in six months

JHU_Beverly · « **Reply #13 on:** November 23, 2006, 04:16 PM »

Just like Liny, I may not be able to relate since I am also from Baltimore County. But I only go home for breaks and special occasions. I see my parents occasionally, since they drop off things that I need and sometimes take me, my roommate, and suitemates places since we don't have a car. Coming into college, I already had the mindset of trying to be "independent", but I still like to see them once in awhile.

And as Liny said, there are soooo many things that you can do on and off campus, that you may forget how much you actually miss your parents.

The phone can become your best friend when it comes to keeping in touch with your parents....just not too much phone, so you can keep up with your schoolwork :P .

JHU_Adam · « **Reply #14 on:** November 27, 2006, 04:42 PM »

Hey, Im Adam and im from California. I am extremely close with my family (to the point where i get at least 3 calls from my mom a day and i talk with my brother and father at least once a day). It was tough moving out here to Hopkins but once i got here I realized how important it was for me to go to a college out of state. I get to see my parents when the fly me out, when they come and visit for parents weekend, over thanksgiving, and finally after finals for a long christmas break. The thing about hopkins is that when you get here, you're bombarded with so many things that your worries about missing your parents kind of subside a little because (especially your freshman year) you're enjoying the whole college atmosphere. In total i get to see my parents once when i get moved in, twice durrin the semester, and lastly when i go home from christmas break. I promise you its not bad. And (if you're like me) you can also buy a webcam to hook up to your computer and that way you can see your family any time you want.

Elya · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2007, 07:16 PM »

Kind of related to the topic..... is anyone(not a student) allowed to stay in your dorm room during the night, like a parent or sibling (of course by consent of your dormmates)?

JHU_Michael · « **Reply #16 on:** February 13, 2007, 07:31 PM »

Absolutely. If you have the consent of your roommate, you can have a friend stay over. It's great to have friends from home come stay for a while.

Elya · « **Reply #17 on:** February 13, 2007, 07:41 PM »

Thanks Michael for answering,
I felt wierd asking a question like that, but my parents speak almost zero english, so leaving them alone anywhere would just stress me out more :D .
Can't wait to join you guys next year, these forums make me more excited than I was when I got accepted.

Elya

JHU_Dominique · « **Reply #18 on:** March 03, 2009, 06:50 PM »

Ha, I live about 20 or so min away, and I have not been home this semester! :ph43r: lol.... It's not that I don't love my parents, but I am so busy here, with all of my clubs and classes {I overloaded on credits this sem..youch :P } I don't really have time to go home nor do I desperately yearn too, at least not yet. Last semester I went home maybe 4 times not including breaks and I found that to be too much. What can I say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. This way when I go home for break in 2 weeks I will appreciate home more. Maybe. lol.

Plus I talk to my mom a few times a week and talk to my sis on fb sometimes. i think because I live so close I don't feel homesick AT ALL because I know I can go home literally whenever I want to.

JHU_Josh · « **Reply #19 on:** March 10, 2009, 12:42 PM »

I wish I could see my parents more, but living a few hours away keeps me at a distance from them. I go home on breaks typically (Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring) which allows me to go home and have time to travel back and forth. I know that some people to go back and forth a lot more often (especially people who live closer), but like Dominique was saying, she lives very close to campus but still hasn't managed to visit home yet this semester.

Sometimes students just get swept up in college life and it's hard to find time to get away, but don't worry parents, they still love you.

JHU_Saznin · « **Reply #20 on:** March 11, 2009, 10:20 AM »

I come from Washington, D.C. so it's super easy for me to see my parents. They're only an hour and a half away by train and metro. Still, I only really go home during the major breaks. Occasionally, I'll go home on select weekends if I need a break from Hopkins. As easy as it is now, it'll be a lot harder for me next year because my parents will be moving to Africa. I'll only be able to see them for an extensive period of time during Winter and Spring Break!

I've found that Skype is a great way to keep in touch with my parents when they're traveling, so I definitely recommend downloading that if you'd be cool with video chatting with your parents every now and then.

JHU_Tabitha · « **Reply #21 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:45 PM »

Well, i'm excited because my mom is coming today, so i thought i'd respond to this topic!

I definately see my parents at winter break and for a bit over the summer. Those are the only times i go home due to the fact that i live in England, and it's a little expensive and time consuming to go home regulary!
Then, at Thanksgiving my mom will come over and we'll go somewhere for thanksgiving, and for this spring break i've made my mom come see me, as well.
Also, a couple times in the school year my dad has been in New York for business, and he's driven here for a weekend to see me.

So, i don't get to see my parents a huge deal, but we email a lot, and i know that i can talk to them on the phone whenever i want to.
When i first came i was really worried about how much i'd miss my mom, but it turns out that emailing almost every day, plus the fact that time really flies, it doesn't seem bad at all.

I do wish i could go home a little more, just to see my friends and cats, as well as my parents, but i do see them enough, and i'm not really sure i'd have the time to go home more anyway.

JHU_Rohit · « **Reply #22 on:** March 15, 2009, 07:19 PM »

So, I'm from the area around Washington DC as well, and I usually go home frequently because it's so close. First semester, I would go home at least once every month, sometimes two because it was so close by.

This semester I haven't gone home as often, but like the other bloggers have mentioned, if you live far away and have the money, Baltimore Penn Station has Amtrak stations that run pretty much anywhere.

JHU_Brian · « **Reply #23 on:** March 16, 2009, 04:22 AM »

One thing to keep in mind when creating your schedule is if you want to go home on weekends. Certainly don't let it be the guiding force in picking classes, but maybe a class that meets 4:30-5:45 on a Friday afternoon isn't the best choice.

I am lucky this semester, because my only class on Fridays is from 8 to 9, and I don't have class on Monday until 1:30. The one weekend I did go home, I got back way late on Sunday night (Amtrak is never early!), but it wasn't a problem since I didn't have class until late.

JHU_Julia · « **Reply #24 on:** March 26, 2009, 10:38 AM »

Brian has a good point, I always try to make a schedule with no classes on Fridays so I can either go home for a weekend or go down to DC to visit friends....or just sleep in.

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Author Topic: How often do you see your parents? (Read 5832 times)

JHU_Rohit