Going to College

About a year ago, my oldest daughter declared to me, "Mom, I am going to Clemson for college." I said "Okay." She was second grade. So periodically she will talk about going to Clemson. I listen and I humor her.

In school this semester she is learning about South Carolina geography and the different regions in the state. Last week she came home and sat down next to me on the couch and seemed really concerned. "Mom, why didn't you tell me Clemson is in Greenville? Now I can't go there." I was confused. I didn't see why this was a problem. She doesn't like Greenville? I asked why. "Greenville is 4 hours away! That is too far from you guys!" I laughed, "It really isn't that far. I would come visit you and you can come home for holidays and breaks." I saw that she had already made up her mind. She continued, "I am thinking about going to USC. It's only an hour and a half away and it is a good school too." 

"You know, Clemson and USC are not the only colleges in the world. You might decide to go to a different state." "No, they will be too far away." My husband jumped in, "What about Winthrop?" I gave him a dirty look. Does he think money grows on trees? "What about College of Charleston?" She thought for a minute. "But isn't that downtown?" I told her it was. "NO WAY! Downtown is one of the most haunted places." I paused. "You are only in 3rd grade, you have a lot of time to figure out where you will go to college. You don't need to think about it now. Have fun! Be a kid! You have a lot of time to change your mind." She thought about what I said for a moment and replied, "I'll just go to USC." Whatever.

I don't understand why she is so concerned about college. We talk about the kids going to college but in a very vague, abstract kind of way. My husband and I both went to college so I think it's a natural expectation.   My oldest is very much like me. She is into planning out her life. She knows what she wants to be for the next 5 Halloweens. She makes plans and she executes them. I don't see it as being a bad thing but I just don't want her to be as neurotic as I am. If she is only about 1/2 as neurotic as I am then she will be okay. The truth of the matter is that plans change and goals change and life sometimes doesn't turn out the way you planned. I want her to be flexible enough to realize that. Maybe she will go to college, maybe she will join the military, maybe she will start her own business, maybe she will marry an attorney and be a stay at home mom of 5 children. If she is happy and living up to her potential, I will be proud of her. 

There IS a huge upside to her going to USC, though. I can buy a bumper sticker that says "Big Cock Fan" and I will giggle to myself every time I see it. She planning college, I'm planning bumper stickers. I love this stage of my life.