I only have one dc, so when she goes off to university in August, I am in charge of an empty(ish) nest. I still expect to need to support her here and there, but assume that will dwindle as she becomes increasingly independent and aware of how to access various resources herself. So...I think I might like to pursue a career in disaster response and emergency management when I grow up. I recently updated my CPR and first aid, my SkyWarn weather spotter training, and am just about to finish my basic CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training. I got invited to attend a local EMA training exercise today and was able to meet several folks and make some connections. In the past, the general path that has been the most effective for me is to become a volunteer in an area/industry in which I would like to work, meet key people, learn what is what, and then after a few months, people knew me and recommended me for an introductory job in that field. After a while, I have always been able to watch for openings and translate that introductory job into more of what I really want. I am kind of thinking about the eventual possibility of combining the emergency operations stuff with DNR protection/management of endangered, threatened or protected species. I have a degree in public relations and Spanish, have worked as a marine biologist, freelance writer and homeschool teacher! I also have a strange ability to make practical use of obsession and come up to speed fairly quickly in a totally new area. I have to watch or I can easily get in over my head. It has always amazed me how many times people have said to me, "Okay, you're in charge", when they should have been asking, "Have you ever done this before?" So any way, that is the direction I am leaning for now. Who knows, I may decide to become a museum docent or possibly a trainer for police K9 working dogs... Time will tell. What are the rest of you considering?

At the university where dh works, there are more work study positions than students wishing to fill them. The jobs pay minimum wage or slightly above and workers are allowed ten hours per week. Dd qualified for a certain amount of work study. Dh explained to her that there are "fun" jobs that are busy and pleasant to do, but that are fairly competitive to land. Things like working at the student recreation center or chauffeuring visiting dignitaries and celebrities to and from the airport. There are also the "boring" jobs, that are easy to get but not much fun. Examples would include working the reception desk and answering the phone in a relatively out of the way, low key department. He pointed out to her that the fun job is its own reward, but will keep workers hopping the whole time and can cut into your study time. The boring job may not be a thrill a minute, but employers usually don't mind if you use the time to study and do homework, so long as you answer those few calls that come in, so a paid study hall for the most part. Many of these jobs can convert into summer employment, if the student wants to stay. If approved for another year of work study and by the employer, the student usually has the option of continuing on in their position. However, by junior year, most students have internships, so most of the campus jobs are only "locked up" for a couple of years. Dh tells his work study kids that it is fine if they want to study or browse the internet, so long as they answer the phones and are willing to work hard for the approximately 30% of the time that they are needed to pitch in on a big project. He tries to clue them in to the intricacies of the industry and gives them tips on how to get ahead in it. He also is very flexible about allowing them to shift their hours if they have a big test or paper due. Over the years it has surprised me how many of them make a concerted effort to stay in touch or come by and see him if they are traveling through town. The work study/employer relationship can be a very rewarding one for both parties.

Didn't you get the memo - it's the shoes and the snazzy underwear for courage. The leopard print blouse is just the first layer!

I try to keep hold on the mantra I have repeated since we started kindergarten, "Comparison is the death of contentment." It really doesn't matter who is going to a top school, or even who is going to college at all. What matters is that we work just as hard to pursue what is right for our child. My dh works at the local, state university. So DD gets free tuition. Therefore we have always planned that she would go to college. But honestly, if it weren't for that, I am not sure she would choose college at all. She is one of those super content/low motivation kids who is happy with a few friends and a low-key life. Dh and I have discussed this at length and decided that she should go for at least one year and then she can decide whether to continue. That is the opposite of my personality, more like dh. However, one thing she is really set on is living on campus. Which costs MORE than tuition! She didn't receive much aid from the school due to the tuition remission situation. So I have been scrambling like crazy, helping her to apply to every outside scholarship we can find. I often wonder, as I nurse one more paper cut while clearing yet another stapler jam, will she actually get any of these or am I wasting my time? Will we have to take on thousands of dollars of debt just for her to live on campus? It is important to us that she have that opportunity, since she is an only child, currently living at the end of a dead-end road, who was homeschooled before going to the community college for dual enrollment her junior and senior years. Dh and I feel that she needs the opportunity to experience the company of her peers. So more hours of slaving over a hot copier for me... So yes, I am anxious, sad, worried, ambivalent and more about all this. I think/hope it is perfectly natural to feel this way. My kid is not top tier bound. She is barely college bound. Her grades are strong (3.95/4.0), her ACT average. So I have to keep my blinders on and focus on just this next year and just my kid. Congrats to all the others who are following a different path. I hope all our DC will find equal satisfaction with their choices.

It may be different in other areas, but in my area the American Red Cross seems to be imploding. Their beautiful chapter house has been for sale for the last eight months and seventeen counties have been grouped together rather than a chapter in each one. I have heard of problems with overzealousness in their blood collection operations here also. I fear they are overworking their blood drives as they try to right themselves financially. You might alert a national association of college administrators or something similar, so that perhaps they would focus a closer eye on the blood drives on their campuses.

When these kids are considering possible jobs after graduation, don't forget to peruse government ones. I worked for a state's Department of Natural Resources. I often worked in conjunction with my counterparts who were with the federal government. There are research jobs (mostly focused on population assessments or human interaction impacts) in addition to the regulatory ones. Regulatory jobs can include permitting for capture, transportation,sale or maintenance, but may also include law enforcement if the species is protected or endangered and is often encountered by humans legally or illegally. Many states hire inspectors to verify that anyone holding an animal permit is following the rules for care and maintenance of the animals. An example might be an inspector to check up on dog kennel facilities or cow/goat dairies. This can be very interesting, challenging and rewarding work. Sometimes states even have "nuisance removal" positions for exotics or dangerous animals that have become numerous. It may involve merely relocating the animals, but could in some cases involve killing them. Although many people "love" animals, IMO, most animal professions require people who are able to channel that love into being able to do hard things and make hard choices that may cause pain or even death to an animal to prevent further suffering or to preserve the larger population (killing those infected with or exposed to a deadly, contagious disease, for example). Obviously, this would be site specific, based on the habitat where a particular species flourishes. For example, although Virginia is coastal, there are not enough manatees there to justify a governmental person dedicated to just that species, however, there may be a position for a person to monitor protected marine species there.

Regarding wildlife research, when I was working as a marine biologist, I averaged 21 days in my office to every 1 day in the field. I had to spend a lot of time on crunching the data gathered, interpreting it, writing it up, presenting it, answering questions about it, and then writing the grant applications to fund my next project. In my experience, because there is so much interest in careers dealing with animals, jobs within this field that actually pay a living wage are fairly competitive. That doesn't mean they don't exist, just that it may take more time maneuvering through several less-appealing jobs to finally reach the one you really want. For example, I started out doing marine science public information, then moved to marine mammology public information, then to state inspector for captive and wild capture marine mammals, then finally to marine science educational coordinator. However, IMO, domestic animals can be just as fascinating as the more exotic, wild ones. For example, I find a dog's sense of smell just as impressive and fascinating as a dolphin's sense of echolocation. Perhaps these animal-loving kids could start with a more traditional, animal-related business, such as grooming, pet supplies, boarding, etc., and develop true expertise on the side that interests them in an area that is not known for being able to generate "full-time incomes" (amateur breeding/genetics, training for special applications, etc.). One friend of mine made a decent living as a boarding facility. She specialized in long-term boarding for pets whose owners were deployed with the military. It was obvious that she loved the animals and they loved her. She had specialized facilities for dogs, cats, reptiles, insects and birds. I always took my dog to her when I had to be away. She had play groups of compatible dogs, they had recess and got to splash about in shallow kiddie swimming pools, they got to lounge around on old furniture she provided, she would come in and watch tv with them for a bit in the evenings, she had a closed Facebook page where owners could check in for updates and to see daily photos of their pets interacting with other boarders and staff... She had several paid employees and usually had a couple of interns who were paid but also working to build their resume with experience caring for a variety of animals. But don't get me wrong - while it was a fun and lucrative business, it was also a huge amount of hard work and her life was pretty much consumed with it. She was on call 24/7/365. It was very hard for her to take vacations. Obviously, this type of career did not require a post secondary degree, but one in animal behavior, biology, or even business would be very helpful. I believe the US pet industry earnings in 2015 were around $60 billion (that's Billion, with a "B"), the veterinary industry only accounted for about 25% of that total. So there are plenty of other career paths in this area. I would suggest these kids try to find someone who has a career that resembles what the kid thinks they want to do as closely as possible, then go shadow that person for a few days. See what the job really entails and adjust their interests accordingly. The more inside information they can glean, the better to target that particular application that would suit them the best. Then talk to people in that particular career to find out what college degrees they feel would be important to have. Get an idea whether it would make a better vocation or avocation. Learn what related businesses or careers would readily pair with it to bankroll the fun stuff, if necessary. HTH

Housing applications and deposits could be done as early as January 8 at dd's school. The earlier you get your deposit in, the better your position in line for actually reserving a specific room in May. She got her deposit in within 30 minutes of the page opening, hopefully that will be enough to secure a spot in the dorm she really wants. OTOH, although her gpa and class rank are very strong, her ACT score is average and she thinks that with the math skills she has polished and is using in a current class, she could better it by a point or two. I have asked her repeatedly whether she wanted to retake it on the April date (deadline to sign up was yesterday). She hemmed and hawed, said she would check her work load to see if she had major tests or papers due at that time... Friday came and went. No decision=no April ACT. I did not intervene. The only reason she would need the higher ACT score would be if she decides to change majors and try to get into one of the more competitive colleges at the university, only an outside chance of this happening.

I will add my vent. We were part of the supposedly 33% at dd's school that had to provide additional verification of our FAFSA numbers. Which were not available from the IRS online yet. Which if we had waited for the IRS to release would have put us past the deadline for the first round of financial aid awards. Gee, I wish I had scrambled to do my taxes as early as humanly possible and had filed the FAFSA as early as possible...oh, wait, I did. So anyway, I found an IRS office in the closest city to us and the nice lady there printed out what I needed from her files. Dh took it to the financial aid office the next day. He said the Secretary didn't want to take it, that she said no one could get that information so quickly. So now that that train car is back on the rails, I am back to helping DD with the outside scholarship scramble. (Her school does allow stacking)

What makes you say that BFA programs generally expect kids to spend 4 years on campus? One of the colleges at the university dd plans to attend has the slogan "Out in 4, if not before!" Since she did a lot of PSEO classes, she will be entering with about 60 credit hours of general requirements already completed. This will take care of all but 2 of her gen reqs, one junior level composition class and one calculus class. So she will be able to complete a single major in about 4 to 5 semesters, however, if possible, she would like to stay for 4 and pursue a double major. Can your ds register as a freshman with the preferred 4 year college and then take 12 hours of required classes online from your home, while working or volunteering in theater and stage venues there? That would give him a chance to ease into college level work and professional level socialization within his desired field while you are still able to monitor, advise and guide him.

I am not sure if she will be able to find any legitimate marine science programs that don't include a significant amount of info on the theory of evolution. That said, I'm not sure why she would want to. Evolution is a belief that is held by by huge percentage of the population. I would think it important to understand what the belief entails and how that colors and influences the application of marine science. Knowledge and understanding of does not require agreement or belief. I am a fundamentalist, evangelical Christian yet worked quite happily in the field of marine science for many years before leaving to stay home and raise my child. Sure, I heard a lot about evolution during those years. I just rolled my eyes internally, retained a polite exterior, and went on about my business. I was happy to share details about my faith to any who asked, but God did not call me to be confrontational about evolution or earth age. It was helpful for me to understand the concepts and terminology that others believed about these things, but their acceptance of these theories did not require me to compromise my beliefs at all.

With the aging of the population, medical issues have started to command more and more attention. New rules, new research and new treatments come up every day. A journalist who had a firm grasp of this subject and some serious credentials in this area would be able to present their work with much more credibility, which is a real buzz word in media these days. It would make them more attractive to media outlets, with a backup, and often more lucrative, option of becoming a spokesperson for a particular corporation within the healthcare industry.

My dh works in the broadcast media field. I asked him what he would suggest a student pair with journalism to enhance employability. In his opinion, biology or health/healthcare, environmental science or a particular language from a culture the student enjoys would all be good options. Although he is looking at it from a broadcast journalism view point.

We did dual enrollment for dd's jr and sr year of high school. There was a nice page available on both the state university she plans to attend and the cc's website that gave specific names and number of credits transferrable for many basic classes. Dd will be able to enter her 4 yr college with all but 3 of her general requirement classes already out of the way. I think she has about 60 credits to transfer. She may be one class short of an AA degree, but that could be remedied fairly easily. As I see it, an AA is a good thing to have to fall back on, just in case the student discovers that a bachelor's is not for them after their first semester. Also, since dd was able to do the dual enrollment program for free in our state, the savings are enormous. It will also clear the way for her to do a double major and still graduate from the University in 4 years, should she choose to do so. OTOH, I have definitely noticed that the professors at the University turn up their noses at the mention of cc or an AA. And I have noticed that the professors at the cc are quite reluctant to embrace the addition of high school students in some of their classrooms (although the cc admin seems overjoyed to cash the checks the state sends to cover their tuition). So within the world of academia, it may be rather looked down upon. I would definitely take a close look at the general requirements at your student's 4 year school and see how many you can take care of at the cc. However, I would save as many of the classes as possible in the intended major for study at the 4 year. I would also be very careful to get in writing information from the 4 yr regarding which classes/credits they will accept. In my dd's case, she will be one class short of an AA degree. However, she will be able to transfer credits from one of her 4 yr classes back to the cc to finish off the AA after her first semester at the 4 yr. I guess the bottom line is that if you are casual about it, you can end up with a situation where few, if any of your cc credits will transfer, where your student ends up taking many of the same classes within his major department at the 4 yr, and where you have a hodgepodge of credits that don't add up to an AA nor all the general requirements at the 4 yr. If you are intentional about it, you can cut two years off of the time needed to get a 4 yr degree and also have that AA in your back pocket in case something goes amiss at the 4 yr.

Thanks so much for your incredible post! I will read it carefully (several times, I expect). And I will contact the financial aid office Monday to see how they handle outside scholarship money. Thanks again.

I just got my FAFSA submitted and now am turning full attention to searching out various scholarship opportunities (from sources outside the university) to help boost dd's coffers. Any suggestions or ideas from those who have gone before me? As best as I can tell, it seems like it could get really crazy, confusing and distracting really quickly. Any major do's or don't's I need to know about?

Be sure to check the details. Dh took dd to a financial aid seminar at her choice of schools and they gave away approximately $18,000 in scholarships as door prizes! Most were for $1,000, but the last three were for $2,000 each. Sadly, we didn't luck into any of them. Dh said that there was a huge crowd of attendees, many coming from several states away.

Dd's cc has some classes that allow it and others that don't. I definitely recommend those little, colored Post It flags to mark pages containing important information. The open book, open note tests may be harder but DD approaches them with more confidence because she has the security blanket of her notes or text.

Dd jokes that she may try to play the legacy card there. One of our ancestors was in the class of 1730 at Harvard and his son graduated from there around 1747. Wonder if an Historic Legacy would carry any more weight than a more recent one! :)

Could he talk to area teachers he feels are adequate and ask them for suggestions? Perhaps he could carpool with another of their students who lives n ear his school, or exchange some advanced classes for teaching some of thestudio's beginners. Is there any way his participation in a dance studio could be packaged as some sort of independent study? Then scholarship money might cover class fees, perhaps even help cover transportation costs. IMO, he should stick it out and get the degree, then venture out. In dance, as with so many other physically demanding careers, the risk of injury is a factor and it could turn out to be a blessing later down the road to have the degree as a fall back position.

If you only need the camera for one class, can you borrow one from the art/visual media department? At the large university where dh works, they have about 30 nice cameras available for student use each year. Students sign them out for specific amounts of time.

Trying to avoid making a political statement also, but IMO, all students will need to familiarize themselves with gun basics if they will be on campus. They need to understand what safe gun management consists of and what constitutes unsafe handling so that they can recognize and leave unsafe situations immediately. (I'm talking about everyday situations, not active shooter scenarios.) There is a world of difference between the level of danger from a gun that is properly and safely stored and one that is left carelessly lying around. I think all students there will need to learn to identify which is which and how to respond properly in each case.

My DD is considering a major in retail merchandising, perhaps in conjunction with a double major in psychology. What types of majors are your DC pursuing? I am new to this whole college thing, but is it possible to just contact companies the DC want to work for and ask if they have paid internship positions available? I would think if it is acceptable to do that,it would be important to do so a bit ahead of the time when most other college kids apply. Perhaps it would be good to ask to shadow someone at the target company first and then ask them about internship possibilities there.

Are you limited to only the benefits of having him on campus? If not, what about incl ding the asset he will be as an alumnus. How might he represent the school well in his profession, to his peers, to potential students? Any possibility of him authoring research papers which would list the school among his credentials? Regarding benefits he could bring to the campus while still a student, what traits does he have that could help fellow students succeed, that could encourage a professor, or that could help represent the school to prospective students or the local community? Can he represent the school in a favorable way to other schools or professional organizations? HTH

I think therapy dogs would be great study buddies, but fear that active little kittens might be too rambunctious to stay still long enough. They could be a fun interlude to take the student's mind off things for a bit, but not such great lap warmers IMO. I grew up on a small farm. When I went away to college, it was the animal companionship I missed the most. I used to say that I could talk to the people I missed on the phone, but that didn't work with the animals.