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College Tailgating:  A Sport for the Young

College Tailgating:  A Sport for the Young

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I spent this past weekend down in sunny (and wet) Florida, visiting family and also attending the parent’s weekend at my youngest daughter’s college – the University of Central Florida. Back when I was a Florida resident, UCF was just a small commuter school (think the size of Hagerstown Community College), but over the past twenty years, it has grown by leaps and bounds, now boasting the largest university population in the state with over 70,000 students.  The construction on…

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It’s “Back To School” Time – Even for Me!

It’s “Back To School” Time – Even for Me!

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The end of August signals the annual trek back to school for students all over the country.  My youngest has started her fall semester at college, and I now get to navigate all of the daily school bus traffic on the local roads twice a day (be careful out there). My youngest is taking a Microeconomics course this semester, and I thought it would be interesting to follow along.  So, while she attends her classes in person down south this…

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Graduation Decorum:  Hard to Find

Graduation Decorum:  Hard to Find

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I recently attended my oldest daughter’s graduation from college.  It was a special day.  A milestone in her life and in ours, and while I couldn’t be any more proud of her completing this chapter of her life, I have to say I was more than a little embarrassed and disappointed at many of the other attendees at the graduation ceremony. Yes, I’m talking to you, friends and family of other graduates. I don’t mean to go off on a…

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College Move-In 2022:  The Apartment Version

College Move-In 2022:  The Apartment Version

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I was away from the writing desk last week, taking the weekend to drive back down south to move my youngest back in for another year of college.  This time, it was a little different, as she was moving into her first apartment – off-campus (her university only guarantees on-campus housing for the freshman class).  As you can imagine, this took a little more planning and research, since her university is about twelve hours away (driving time) from our home….

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The Cost of Higher Education

The Cost of Higher Education

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July and August are terrible months for me, financially speaking.  Not only are my annual property taxes and home/car insurance bills due, but it’s also time for me to man up and pay out the semi-annual tuition bills from my daughters’ institutes of higher learning. For those of you with younger children who are thinking about their college futures, I have three words of advice. Start saving now. Seriously.  I had the good sense to open up 529 college funds…

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College Football Fan? Uhh, I Guess So….

College Football Fan? Uhh, I Guess So….

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So we’re now finished with Week 2 of college football, and I have watched more games in the past two weeks than I have in the past twenty years. Why, you may ask? Well, my youngest is going to a premiere SEC school in the south (all I’ll say is that Forrest Gump also went there), and since she is going to or watching games every week now, I feel almost like I HAVE to watch them – just to…

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Two Kids – Two Sides of a Coin

Two Kids – Two Sides of a Coin

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Well, after five days, six states, and around 2,000 road miles, we successfully dropped off both of our kids at college this past week.  One is relatively close (about a 90 minute drive), but the other is located a bone-crushing twelve-hour drive away (one way) in order for her to attend the college of her dreams (and who’s university is a sprawling mammoth of Southern charm and powerful football heritage). For our oldest, this trip and move-in process is now…

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Prepping For An Empty Nest

Prepping For An Empty Nest

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As August is now upon us, our family is preparing for a monumental event this coming week. Both of our kids will be off to college, leaving my wife and I as “empty nesters”.  The missus and I haven’t had a lot of downtime from family life since waaaaaay back in early 2001, so I’m sure it will be an adjustment for everyone. For one thing, our grocery bill will be considerably less than current standards.  We’re planning on getting…

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So You’re A University of Alabama Parent Now? Well, Buckle Up…..

So You’re A University of Alabama Parent Now? Well, Buckle Up…..

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So with my youngest daughter making her collegiate commitment to the University of Alabama this past week (sorry, Maryland Terrapins, but you snooze – you lose), I’ve found that I am now part of a parent guild and collegiate fan base that quite frankly shocks and scares me a little. Let’s just start with the following that the school cultivates.  To say that the parents and fans of the university are fanatical (almost bordering on cult-like) is an understatement.  Don’t…

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College Visits in a COVID-19 Era

College Visits in a COVID-19 Era

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My youngest is entering her senior year in high school this year, so that means that we’re well into the planning and preparations for gearing up for her post-high school education.  SATs have been taken (multiple times), high school classes have been chosen with care, and it’s now time to start narrowing down the field for colleges.  I’m a big proponent of physically visiting a college BEFORE signing one’s name on the dotted line.  Sometimes, a campus will just click,…

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