Throwback Thursday – College!

04.24.2014 | HMMH |

I’m spending the week touring colleges with my daughter and spending a lot of time thinking about colleges, career choices, etc.   It’s interesting to see how things have changed since I did this nearly 35 years ago, and how much they really are the same.

Back then, I visited two campuses (well, actually only one, since I told my mother not to bother stopping at the second – I was decisive even then). Molly and I are visiting six schools on this trip, and she’s already looked at four others – and she’s considered typical (one of her friends is collecting water bottles from each school – now at 20!).

The focus of most of our tours seems to be on three things: (1) technology – “look, we have wireless throughout the quad”; (2) whether or not the bathrooms are shared; and (3) the blue lights (this one, I’m sure, is directed at the mothers). What I recall is: (1) everyone has a phone in their own room; (2) “the food isn’t bad, really” (actually, it wasn’t); and (3) there aren’t so many political demonstrations anymore (directed at the parents, I think). The parents still ask all the questions; the kids still roll their eyes.

What I’m hoping for Molly – as I’ve come to believe is true for most kids (having watched most of my siblings and friends precede me in this adventure) – is that she’ll end up where she belongs. She already got “the vibe” at a couple of places. Now we just need to focus on SATs and essay writing (those haven’t changed, either).

BTW, here’s my freshman dorm.