Transitions
My fabulous 18-year old daughter is graduating high school in just a few weeks. She leaves for college at the end of August. We will still revel in the hysterics our 6-year old son brings to every day, thank goodness, but we will miss her tremendously of course (actually my son may well miss her more than any of us).
Of course we will see her every few weeks, we will visit her up there, she will come home (probably to get laundry done). But she will be gone. On her own. We have done a good job and she is ready. Are we ready? Well that's probably another story.
They say when your first goes to college it's all about the child, will they adjust, how will the roommate be, classes, social life and the like. But when your last goes to college it's all about you - the empty nest, new phase of life and so on. Well we have yet a dozen years to deal with that as my son graduates in 2020! So for now, it's all about her..
College is much different today. Laundry service, storage service, there's a service for everything we tough, hardy college students of yesteryear did for ourselves. But at the same time today's colleges are pressure cookers of competition, each angling for that extra point on a test or slighter higher GPA. Just as high school seemed all about getting into college, college nowadays seems all about getting into graduate school for most.
My hopes for my daughter: achieve and succeed academically and find that area of study that sparks excitement. But not to the point of losing perspective. Have fun. Laugh all night and order pizza at 3 am. And explore all that college has to offer from extra-curriculars to community service. And make the most of the faculty that are there - get to know them and have as much one-on-one time as you can. But also - have fun.
Most kids heading to college don't realize that college is for most people the freest time of their life. No restrictions they had growing up, and no responsibilities to a job, spouse, children and so on that await them after. My wife and I envy my daughter as we recall our college years with such fondness. But it is not always a cakewalk - one of the big secrets of college is it isn't always fun.
As I often write here - one can work hard and also enjoy life or as some say - play hard. I hope my daughter finds that fabulous balance we all hope to achieve. And I hope she calls her folks a lot.
Of course we will see her every few weeks, we will visit her up there, she will come home (probably to get laundry done). But she will be gone. On her own. We have done a good job and she is ready. Are we ready? Well that's probably another story.
They say when your first goes to college it's all about the child, will they adjust, how will the roommate be, classes, social life and the like. But when your last goes to college it's all about you - the empty nest, new phase of life and so on. Well we have yet a dozen years to deal with that as my son graduates in 2020! So for now, it's all about her..
College is much different today. Laundry service, storage service, there's a service for everything we tough, hardy college students of yesteryear did for ourselves. But at the same time today's colleges are pressure cookers of competition, each angling for that extra point on a test or slighter higher GPA. Just as high school seemed all about getting into college, college nowadays seems all about getting into graduate school for most.
My hopes for my daughter: achieve and succeed academically and find that area of study that sparks excitement. But not to the point of losing perspective. Have fun. Laugh all night and order pizza at 3 am. And explore all that college has to offer from extra-curriculars to community service. And make the most of the faculty that are there - get to know them and have as much one-on-one time as you can. But also - have fun.
Most kids heading to college don't realize that college is for most people the freest time of their life. No restrictions they had growing up, and no responsibilities to a job, spouse, children and so on that await them after. My wife and I envy my daughter as we recall our college years with such fondness. But it is not always a cakewalk - one of the big secrets of college is it isn't always fun.
As I often write here - one can work hard and also enjoy life or as some say - play hard. I hope my daughter finds that fabulous balance we all hope to achieve. And I hope she calls her folks a lot.
Labels: Musings
posted by David N. Feldman at
6/07/2008 07:32:00 AM
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