DS is off and is now a Basic Cadet at USAFA - 10 days of Basic completed! We just received two letters from him yesterday, written on consecutive days. The first was a bit sad - being yelled at is no fun. The second was incredibly optimistic - DS found hot sauce in Mitch’s. 😂 It sounds like he’s making the shift, and pics we’ve received clearly indicate his spirit is not dampened in the slightest. Best to all of you in the prep zone. I found the days/weeks of anticipation far more difficult than life after drop off in some ways. It’s just a really weird time!

@skl Glad the orientation went well and yall are getting pumped for college! Anyone else feeling these days at home are a verrrry weird place emotionally? Tbh, I think DS leaving in 9 days is an odd relief. It really does feel some days like I’m just sitting here staring at him with a lump in my throat! 🥹

Thanks @chiguirre Sandbox is on my to do list!!!

DS reports to USAFA in 3 weeks. No phone for about 6 weeks. We have a packing list that is pretty simple for those first 6 weeks of basic training and then we'll bring him more personal items in August.

Low cal weight loss plans did not work for me after 45. Emphasizing protein and fats and limiting carbs did.

Stories of the A-10 and close air support hooked him. 🙃 Then there’s the F-22… and the list goes on! 😂

A late appointment came through for DS to the US Air Force Academy. He thought he was all set for West Point - but USAFA was always the dream. So, a tough decision awaits and he has 5 days to make it. ETA: USAFA it is!!! Woohoo!

The OP said the student has good scholarships and grants, "so there's minimal debt." This may be a reasonable assumption, but debt comes from a lot of directions that none of us can accurately assess from outside of the situation. I prefer to assume parents are trying to give some good advice, but stink at it.

Debt is the issue, not the dream. When future freedoms are being leveraged against present fulfillment, the choice will necessarily undergo more scrutiny. Not because the dream is a bad dream, but because of the cost to a future you. I have to believe this is what most parents are about when the issue of choosing a program arises, though they may not articulate it well.

But from a parent's perspective, she's taking on debt to become a teacher. She's taking on debt to become a teacher in the midst of a teacher shortage and educational crisis in our country. And, she is going into a field that gets cut first when budgets need tweaking. I dislike a purely utilitarian approach to college education - I have my MA and am thankful for it - but I agree with Maize. The landscape has changed significantly and is forcing this issue. N.B. That anyone should have to take on debt to become a teacher right now is wild to me.

I'll play a bit of devil's advocate here b/c there's a brand of Super Senioring on the rise in my community and I only hear the benefits, not the cost. Here's what I'm seeing - in/around the spring of a high school student's 10th grade year, a family decides to pursue a super senior year. Immediately, some academic pressure is relieved, but socially it creates difficulties kids/parents aren't anticipating. The assumption is that everything stays the same for the student and there's just an extra year to enjoy friends, athletics, and do all the academic stuff. But, the social landscape changes dramatically in high school as seniors leave. Moving through those goodbyes and first-time college experiences with your anticipated class is a huge support. This is the time of year the reality dawns for many students that life is moving on and *their high school experience* has an expiration date even if they stay an extra year, b/c nothing stays the same. I also have concerns about the pressure Super Senioring places on the parental/adult child relationship. Families with the best of intentions can slip into enabling a young adult's comforts and preferences to a point that is not in the young adult's best interest. The general concern I have with Super Senioring is the increasing mindset that there's some inherent value in extending high school and adolescence - one more year at home will give the child what they need to succeed. Without substantive goals and a plan that the young adult is genuinely committed to, the natural drive to discover personal responsibility/independence suffers.

Kids! 🙃 DH and I have no military background and this kid started telling me at 13 he wanted to go to USAFA (still waiting on news there). But USMA is an incredible place with an awesome program DS is keen on. It’s so wild!

DS was just appointed to the US Military Academy at West Point!!! He’s hoping Air Force Academy may have good news in a few weeks, but looks like he’s definitely going to basic this summer!

I think doing some fourth year math is helpful esp where ACT is concerned - it keeps the math brain primed. DS (senior) pulled out two extra points in the math section this past Oct and I don't believe that wouldve happened had we dropped a fourth year math.

Hi, there! Im on my phone and can’t type well, but wanted to offer encouragement. I am mom to an only and am at the end of our 14 year homeschooling journey! I wouldn’t trade it! It was wonderfully special. I have found many families in homeschooling who may have large families, but a caboose kiddo, or large gap between siblings, which created an “only” dynamic. So you’ll find more people than just one kid families trying to solve the same puzzle. Social relationships are going to be important for you and your dd. And, they take work. However, keeping that need in perspective is important. Social relationships should not come at the expense of a child’s safety, family culture, and education. But, they will cost you time, effort, and convenience - a cost well worth paying! We joined a once/week coop I wasn’t completely sold on academically, but which met the need of the moment with the least cost to other spheres of family life. You make it work. I have no regrets! My kid is happy and well adjusted. I hope that is encouraging to anyone with an only considering homeschooling!