Category Archives: College

Fast Times

There’s no news here:  It goes fast.  The kids are growing up, and each year seems to be faster than the last.  I think most of us feel that way.  But lately, I’ve been more aware of time flying by than ever before.  Maybe it’s my oldest heading off to college 2 months ago–or her younger sister starting her own college search this fall–or my youngest starting middle school.  Or maybe it’s my own march into my late 40s?

A couple of weeks ago, my high school junior’s school had a spirit day for the Orioles’ playoff run.  She is not big on fan gear, so when she could not come up with anything orange & black, I had the answer:  in 1995, 3 months before we first had a baby in the house, I went to the game at Camden Yards where Cal Ripken tied Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak at 2,130.  I bought a t-shirt that says, “I WAS THERE!” and decided not to wear it, but to save it for the right time down the road.  It was time:  I dug it out of our keepsake collection, and Ms. 11th Grade was all set for school.

Cal Ripken Streak Game T-shirt

Cal Ripken Streak Game T-shirt

A former student–a rabid O’s fan, now in her early 30s and a Facebook friend–saw my post about this and commented:  “I believe you told me when I wore mine to school the next day, ‘I’m saving it for my kids.’ So, nicely done.”  A warm shared memory, but how in the world has it been 19 years since that game?  And how is my student already a teacher and a mom of two toddlers?

Then a college friend’s birthday showed up on Facebook earlier this week, and he made a comment that had not occurred to me:  His kids are closer to 30 than he is.  I realized this is true for my 2 older kids, as well.  30 is that far away?!  I remember teaching The Great Gatsby when I turned 30 myself, along with Nick Carraway, and the charge of sharing his feeling that “I’m 30.  I’m 5 years too old to lie to myself and call it honor.”  And now my girls are closer to that than I am.

Don’t get me wrong:  I’m not depressed.  I’m not sad.  But I am in awe of how much we’ve done and how quickly the time has passed.  And if I can’t put the breaks on time passing, at least I’ll always have this:  I WAS THERE.

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Filed under Appreciation, College, School, Transitions, Uncategorized

She’s In

As I’ve mentioned this summer and last fall, our oldest daughter always thought she wanted to go to a big college, but she ultimately found her ideal match at a small liberal arts college.  As a strong high school and club volleyball player, but not a superstar, she decided in 10th grade that volleyball would not be part of her college decision.  She recognized that the huge Division I schools she thought she wanted–the Marylands and Penn States–were not going to have a place for her on their varsity-level teams, so she would play intramural ball if it fit her schedule.

Packed for College

Packed for College

But then she fell in love with the small schools.  And then a Division III coach reached out to her to see if she might be interested in playing.  She was flattered….and interested….but in the end she chose another D III school for academics and campus climate–without having made any volleyball contact there.  She told me she wanted to focus on getting used to college life and exploring her new world for a year, but that she would probably try to walk on as a sophomore.  As a former high school and club coach–proudly, my daughter’s first coach–and as her fan through 100s of matches, I knew she would probably be able to make that happen–IF she still wanted to after a year….a big IF.

A few nights before she left for college, we had dinner together–just the two of us–and I went out of my way to remind her that she should only come back to playing at a competitive level down the road if she really missed it:  not just the rush of a big point, but also the grind of a long practice on some random weekday in October.  She was sure she wanted to play sophomore year, but I had my doubts….Anyway, time would tell.

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High School Days

Fast forward to her 8th day on campus, a Saturday–I get a text:

(paraphrased) I thought you would want to know that I met a girl who’s on the volleyball team and I have messaged the coach.

Uh, what?!  Then, Monday:

Could you send me the Youtube link to the highlights you put together from last year’s playoffs?  Coach ____ wants to see them since I can’t try out until Wednesday.

Whoa….Now she’s casually mentioning the coach by name?  And she has a tryout?

Wednesday’s text was exactly 2 words:

I’m in.

So here I am, genuinely surprised.  And proud.  And, most of all, happy that she really is making her own choices.

 

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Filed under Activities & Sports, College, School, Transitions

Big Match at a Small School

My daughter’s college search came down to a final four of 2 very large state universities and 2 small liberal arts colleges.  Since before she started elementary school she had talked about going to a big school, and her top 2 seemed to be obvious winners:  our state’s flagship university (of which I am a proud alum) and an even larger public school in a neighboring state (where she had played volleyball tournaments over 6 Memorial Day weekends).

But last summer we mixed in visits to a couple of smaller schools and she started re-envisioning college life.  In the fall, several small liberal arts colleges found their way onto her application list.  Her two smaller finalists included her mother’s alma mater (a small liberal arts college 3 hours from our home) and a liberal arts college over 6 hours away that we had never visited–but which she loved from her college guides and online research.

The Big Visit

Over spring break my daughter and I visited that final school for the first time.  Walking around in some of the heaviest rain I have ever seen, she was clearly on the campus she wanted to call home.  Halfway through our visit she asked, “Can we stop by the bookstore before it closes?”  I slowly replied, “Does that mean…?” and she confirmed:  “This is the one.”  At the bookstore she bought a sweatshirt and a lanyard, and then we finished exploring campus.

So WHY did she pick the smallest school on her list?  Here are a few advantages my daughter sees:

  • Value for humanities.  Tour after tour of big schools last summer focused on science and engineering.  But liberal arts colleges talked about their writing programs, humanities majors, etc.  And she sees herself as an English or government major.
  • Drama.  My daughter loved her high school theatre experience, but she does not intend to major in drama.  When she asked reps at the bigger schools, they told her theater majors had priority in casting.  Reps at the smaller schools openly encouraged non-majors to audition.
  • Sense of belonging.  My wife attended a school of around 2,000.  My school was closer to 35,000.  She goes to reunions.  I do not.  She can tell you the names of everyone who joined the class after freshman year or who left before graduation.  Impossible at my alma mater.  If my wife runs into someone wearing a shirt from her school, it becomes a conversation.  When I run into someone with a shirt from my school, it is more likely that it represents basketball or football fandom rather than a shared history.  My daughter has chosen the small school community.
  • Safety.  Obviously, there are dangers on any college campus.  But the smaller schools tend to be in small towns or–in the case of my daughter’s new school–in rural settings.  Her campus literally borders a river, and the nearest intersection with so much as a gas station is a 5 minute drive.  The nearest small town with a few stores is a 15 minute drive (or shuttle).

So how do her mother and I feel about our daughter’s choice?  Surprised.  But also peacefully happy for her.  It is clear that she found her match….in a place where she almost never looked.

 

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Filed under College, Safety, School, Transitions