Siblings - College

Well parents day is over and what a pleasure it was. Maybe not the 4 hour drive, but having both my kids at the same school. It wasn’t planned that way, but sometimes things just work out. I think the thing that is great is that they are at the same place, the driving was a bonus, and that they have each other. Its interesting that age makes more difference when you are young. They are 3 grades apart so I am sure my daughter always looked at my son as her little brother. Funny how math works, the age difference between a freshman and a senior in high school is far greater than a freshman and senior in college. I guess thats “New Math”. We always told all our kids that eventually they would all be close, or so we hoped. Again, this time it worked out. 

My son picked Maryland because he felt comfortable there, having visited his “big sister” a number of times and also having gone down with us on family visits. Much to my surprise, the first weekend he moved in, his sister took him to some parties with her friends, and the next weekend to some tailgates before the football games. They have dinner together and he even helps her with some of her technical issues with her phone or computer. Most recently, on parents weekend, they went to dinner the night before i arrived because the other kids were out with their parents. While they may not be best friends, yet, it is a great comfort for us to know they have each other to lean on and that this will serve as a base for their adult years.

Our kids are lucky in that we live close to my wife's brother and while they did not get along as kids, are close now. This has enabled my kids to become close with their 1st cousins. 

So the point of all of this is twofold, it is great to have your kids at the same place if it works out and more importantly, it is amazing when they finally realize that they are siblings and that it is okay to get along...... 

fast forward to Spring 2012

Its been a while since I have posted and I have committed to myself to post more frequently.

A lot has happened and first I need to catch you up. My daughter who was the topic of the first post is now in her senior year. It seems like just yesterday that i wrote the first posing here in 2009. Since then we have moved her in and out of college numerous times and yet none feel the way the first one did. My baby girl is no longer a baby, at least to the outside world. To me she will always my little girl.

She has studied abroad, she has interned for jobs and now is on the verge of beginning her post college years.. As much as I want to protect her from everything, I have to let go and let her fly on her own. Luckily I have 3 more kids to pester about all their stuff before I let them fly on their own.

My son now also attends college with her. He choose the same school and now starts his freshman year, so the story continues but the cast is changing, in at least this setting....

So I have now committed to writing a little each week or two about just something as it related to the kids and the family. Its still called "college as seen through the eyes of a parent" but it really is just "as seen through the eyes of a parent"

The beginning

Where to begin....
I guess the first thing would be do explain what I am doing here. I am sure it is not a new idea for a blog but I am doing it anyway.
The college freshman year as seen and heard from a Dad. Its just my way to memorialize this year in my daughters college experience. I am sure that what I post will be the same things that other Dads are and will be going through.
It began over 18 years ago when she was first born.....now lets skip 17 years into the future and talk about the college process.
Junior Year
It was far easier for us than most, my daughter pretty much knew what she was looking for in a college and they were pretty much right on as far as academics. A few safety schools, a few target schools and a few reach schools. They were scattered all over the country from Colorado to Arizona, Indiana, Wisconcin, Georgia. You get the idea. No real desire to stay real close. But given her ability to be independent, we were ok with it.
Senior Year
We had gotten amazing advice from a friend that we should apply early and pick one rolling school that she would get in to. The early application you would think would be a no brainer, but you would be surprised how many folks wait until October and November to apply. We had them all in by Sept 15, and actually heard from the first one in mid October. Yes the rolling application worked, and she was accepted. What a relief for her and us to at least now know that she could go to somewhere she really liked. The rest of the year was a waiting game, checking the mail, checking on line status. The end result, she was accepted to almost all her schools and did not sweat the process.
We did not visit any schools before the application process. She felt that why go and fall in love with a school and then not get in. Smart girl.. So in March with the list narrowed down to 2 schools, she and my wife went school visiting. They hit both in one week and by weeks end we had a winner. And now the fun begins.....