Freshmen Orientation

Today, I spent the day at SWOSU with Brittni. Actually, Brittni spent the day with some people getting her enrolled, giving her details and showing her around. I spent the day with some people telling me how little information I was actually allowed to have about Brittni at college, how much things were going to cost, and yada yada yada. I went to SWOSU, twice really. Once as a true freshmen in 1987 and then again as an older student in 2000. Things have certainly changed.

The Dean of Students told us that most of us would be between areas on the chart of losing a child to college. One, their rooms had already been turned into a scrap/craft room and they were sleeping on the couch. Or two, their rooms had been turned into a shrine and we cried everytime we walked by. Well, I guess I am smooth in the middle. I am proud of Brittni and her accomplishments, but I never really thought about her going to college.

I remember setting at the bowling alley in El Reno before she was born. We were still unsure of her middle name and we were wasting an afternoon. I remember us talking about her walking, talking, potty training (won't she love that I put that in there?), going to school and driving. I don't remember talking about graduation and college. Maybe we did and I don't remember. Anyway, I am going to miss her. I am very, very glad she will only be 4 minutes away.

Oh and by the way, the other thing that has changed---the price of tuition. Even on scholarship we owe $1000 for her tuition. Her scholarship was for 14 hours of tuition. She took 16 hours and we have to pay all the fees. Then we have books, room and board. Wow, it is more expensive than I realized.