I haven't been here for a while, but I think some of you still remember me. My dd is graduating from Cornell with a biology degree. She is missing the ceremony since her job started already. She is now a research assistant with The National Audubon Society and spending the summer on the islands off the coast of Maine. My ds is graduating from the local cc with a business transfer degree. He is going on to Houghton College in the fall and then on to a 4+1 MBA program. He will be carrying the flag in to graduation tomorrow night since he has a 4.0. Pretty proud of my kids!

I agree with what others have said. It is the economy. It isn't just at the grad school level either. My nephew just defended his thesis and obtained his PhD in English Lit and Rhetoric. He had a tough time finding a position because most of them he applied for weren't really positions at all, they dried up as schools cut the new opening due to the economy. (He did find one though) Perseverance is key as is being top in your field. Of course, connections count too. It seems English departments are shrinking right along with the economy. Hopefully it is only temporary.

Carole, the new 700 million dollar biology building is amazing...... Best of luck to your ds. I'm sure he will be there in a couple of years. From that list of courses he is taking, he certainly seems up to the task. ;)

Brenda, this week I am on Easter break, but most weeks by this time on a Friday night I am asleep! It is tiring to go back to full-time teaching in a classroom at age 46. But, the Christian school environment is great (even if the pay isn't) and the kids make it worth it. :) I am also the yearbook adviser. We just finished that and hit the send button to Jostens. That was a load off my shoulders! What a huge project a yearbook is. Next up is a large art show that we participate in in our community. The biggest challenges have to do with money/supplies/space shortages because we are not a huge school and because we are not state funded. I must say that it is nice to have a steady pay check again, especially with two in college. I think the first year at a new job is always the hardest. I have had to learn everything and everyone. I had no trouble stepping back into the classroom. The students seem to like the art program and are flourishing. I have made many new friends and have a more active social life. It seems as though "my" life has begun again. A homeschooler tends to be focused on others and ready to go the extra mile to achieve the goal, forsaking her own wishes and dreams for a time. Now, I have had to readjust to thinking about my needs first. If I didn't, I would have burned out part way through the year. Eight hour days of "on time" in front of classes take their toll. All things considered, I was ready for the change and it was what my family needed as well. They didn't need me to be at home anymore as a full-time facilitator/guide. They needed me to be a financial contributor and they needed to see me as an individual, separate from my role as a hs mom. Now, I am a role model to my kids in terms of career. My dd still wants to hs her kids someday even though she is off to an Ivy League education. I must have filled that role sufficiently. Now, she gets to catch a glimpse of the professional me. It is a pretty good mix. I hope you are successful in transitioning when it comes time. Just be sure to delegate enough of the work at home so you don't burn out trying to be superwoman! I tried that. It doesn't work very well, especially since I have a dh who travels a fair amount for work. The things that I have taken away from our hsing experience that are helping me in my job are: lofty goals, planning ability, more well read than I used to be, improved grammar skills, and broader knowledge base. These skills we hone as homeschoolers translate well to our careers afterward. I hope this was helpful in some small way. :)

Hi everyone. I haven't been here for a while since I am basically done with hs'ing and am teaching full-time this year. But, I did want to pop in and share out college experience so far. Dd, 20, will be graduating from our local cc this spring with a degree in science. She will be attending Cornell University this fall as a junior majoring in molecular and cell biology. All of her credits transfer and her cc profs have prepared her well, found scholarships for her, and written her amazing recommendations. While at the cc she has had the opportunity to work as a paid lab assistant and tutor for bio and chem which has been a wonderful experience for her. She is in the honors program and in Phi Theta Kappa, which affords her scholarship dollars as she moves on. Now that she has had the experience of being a big fish in a small (though academically good) pond she is feeling very confident about moving into the vast and fast-paced atmosphere of Cornell. The road she has taken has truly been a blessing for us all. My ds, 18 has been part-time this year at the same cc. He is a hs senior taking English and math courses there and doing history independently at home with TTC courses. He will be full-time at the cc in the fall and has just declared his major as business administration. Just wanted to share our successes so far and the route we have taken since it is not the one everyone chooses to take. Blessings to all and best wishes as you walk the path from hs to college. :)

I have several favorites which include: The Red Wheel Barrow (William Carlos Williams), The Ballad of the Harp Weaver (Edna St. Vincent Millay), Jabberwocky (Lewis Carroll), and Home (Edgar Guest). The Red Wheelbarrow William Carlos Williams so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.

I went to a smallish, Christian college and had a good experience. It seemed "safe" going in because my room mate-to-be was someone my former minister knew and recommended. Also, I requested a study floor so that it would be quiet and tame. Lastly, I kept a part of me separate from school, going home each weekend, working, and attending my church. I did well in college and enjoyed it for the most part. I continued on at the same college to earn my masters degree as well. It is my understanding, having done a significant amount of reading about my type, that INFJ's gravitate toward higher education and seem to thrive there if the environment is suitable. We tend to find more and more like-minded people the higher we go in education and we enjoy the mental challenge. I agree with the previous poster who stated that she lost interest in trying in some of her courses because they weren't challenging enough and were less challenging than her high school equivalents! Same thing happened to me. lol So, be encouraged, don't let your dd be afraid of life. As an INFJ yourself, your first instinct is to empathize with her and protect her. That won't help her to grow as much as encouraging her and then having the expectation that she will go to college. It's doable and even pleasurable once you are past the initial fears. I would have gone on to a doctorate if there were one to pursue in my field of art education! I feel I can never learn enough. That need is always there. Perhaps that was why homeschooling was such a good fit.

Why not buy dried milk? You can drink it of course, but you can use it to add protein to many meals. Reconstitute it and cook your oats in it when you make oatmeal and it will add protein. Use it and a little cheese to make a creamy sauce to top pasta with. Use it to make french toast with your bread and eggs. Sprinkle the cooked toast with a little sugar instead of having syrup. Use the milk to cook rice in, sweeten it a touch, add an egg yolk to the finished dish, and you have a rice pudding dessert or breakfast dish.

I am one. There were a number of us here, but I think some of them are frequenters of the hs board and some, like me, are finished homeschooling and only pop in from time to time to say hello. We are a rare breed that does seem to be represented here more than in the world at large. Perhaps if I post and bump this back up to the front, more will come forward. BTW, your idea to write a homeschooling book based on personality type sounds very intriguing. Of course, it would, since INFJ's are the type most interested in personality theory :-)

I'm on facebook. It is a good way to connect with relatives and friends who we don't live near. Also, I play Scrabble on facebook with teachers from school and send messages to some of my high school kids from school. It has been a positive experience so far for me. It has not been about reconnecting with people from my high school or college.

Sheesh, Anne, now everyone will know when you are going comando...:lol:

The Best Question Ever, by Andy Stanley is by far the best study book I've done. I wouldn't call it meaty in the sense of learning a lot of Biblical info, but the impact it's message makes and the thought processes it forces you to go through are really worthwhile.

I would eat out about half the time. Dh and I would grab a light meal at a cafe or pick up a ready-to-go salad and soup from our wonderful grocery store (Wegmans). The other half of the time I'd dine on salads and chicken, steak, and fish. There'd always be plenty of fresh fruits and veggies and nuts. I would not feel the need to make heavier foods without teens to fill up!