<p>I think every parent has a different level of comfort when it comes to the distance of their child’s school. Mine is ease of traveling back and forth and usually that means a flight. I don’t care to drive that far, especially if it means driving thru CT.
I have to admit that I wasn’t comfortable with my daughter’s interest in looking at schools on the west coast , but then I made that clear when she was applying. Funny thing is , she did her last semester in LA , but by then, she was more mature and prepared being that far away. There was an emergency that required her to fly back. One never knows what could happen</p>
<p>DS’s freshman roommate had a mental health emergency. It was a couple of months in the making but came to crisis one night. His parents lived about an hour away and came and picked him up after roommate called them. This was all done by DS and roommate without RA being involved (long story). </p>
<p>I was being updated by phone/texts from DS as the events were unfolding. It was a very long 1 hour. While fortunate that parents were nearby, if parents did not live nearby, I would have had DS turn the situation over to the RA/mental health professionals so I’m sure it would have worked out either way.</p>
<p>He goes to school 2000 miles away. I’m good with that. I do derive comfort from the fact that one of my HS friends is a professor at the U and lives nearby.</p>
<p>My D is just finishing her third year at her school 1500 miles from home. We’ve never needed to visit. She was unhappy during her first year, and I believe now that the distance was a blessing in disguise (although it didn’t feel that way at the time). If we’d been closer, we probably would have gone which I think would only have made it worse in the end. </p>
<p>Only a medical emergency would induce me to make an unplanned visit, and it would have to be a pretty serious one. I’d be in contact with her doctor, her best friend and her boyfriend. If the doctor urged me to come, I would. If the best friend/boyfriend felt they couldn’t handle it, or didn’t want to, I’d come. And of course, if D really wanted me there, I’d come. Otherwise, I’d probably let her handle it on her own, like the young adult she is. Not that I wouldn’t feel the tug!</p>
<p>I NEEDED to go to S1 college (6 hours away) when he was in the emergency room and admitted for 4 days in October. He is fortunate that the school he goes to has a hospital on campus. S2 is going to school next year 12 hours away. The fact that it is further away concerns me but did not make me ask him to choose another university. (Although it is comforting to know this university also has a hospital on/near campus.)</p>