<p>Not that it really belongs here but S called to say that he had decided on grad school. He’s decided on Cornell. Between Bates and Cornell I don’t expect to go on vacation except through the virtual vacations here for a LONG time.</p>
<p>RM, congratulations on having a decision. I think he made a great choice.</p>
<p>DTE, hope you are doing well.</p>
<p>RM, of course that news belongs here! You shared with us his various acceptances as they came in and I’ve wondered about his decision. This is great news! Congrats to you and to S!</p>
<p>Congrats, Rochestermom! Go Big Red!!!</p>
<p>Congrats, RM! Grad school, yikes…we’ve already told DS that we’ll pay 100% of his undergrad costs, but anything after that is up to him. Another 3 years and we’ll be investing in our retirement knowing we’ve fully invested in his education.</p>
<p>Congratulations, Rochestermom. I think going for a big name at grad school has the potential to make a significant difference over time.</p>
<p>cpeltz, we’ve built grad school for both kids into our financial plan and it all works fine (according to the formulaic financial planners) assuming my income continues as is. But, who knows? I feel like I invested a lot in building my human capital but also feel like I got pretty lucky at least in some dimensions. When ShawSon was somewhere in middle school and we were talking about buying a house on a lake but weren’t sure we could afford it, he told us that he was going to make a lot of money and buy us our second house. I’m not holding my breath, but, as they say in Angels in the Outfield (a movie he loved and thus we watched many times), it could happen.</p>
<p>RM–thanks for letting us know. I too wondered. Our D is back home after 4 undergrad, 2 Teach for America, and 1 at a publishing house in NYC. She reminded me tonight that she did not come home for spring break her freshman year (honestly, I do not remember this!). But here she is. We help with a health insurance suppliment, gas, provide a car (shared with S), and food. She is in a prevet program and taking out loans. We wish we could help more but she always knew her grad stuff is on her own–esp. as her dad is 61 and S is a freshman in college.</p>
<p>Well we are HELPING. Meaning that there will still be some loans involved for probably the last year or two. That being said I think really it’s the better choice for him. I don’t like the reason that he chose it but…</p>
<p>He was leaning toward UB - cheaper and he was given money to attend; mostly it was closer to GF. GF broke up with him this week so he went with Cornell which is where he wanted to be anyway he says. I think it really was but if they hadn’t broken up I’m afraid he would have gone to UB for all the wrong reasons. Doesn’t matter now as I think he chose the right school for him.</p>
<p>4 more years for him since he’s planning on getting a combined JD/MBA degree(s). To be truthful I’m wondering if this kid will really every graduate. I’m thinking in the long run he may end up teaching at a college level after a few years of working and getting probably some other degree on the company.</p>
<p>Welcome back DTE. Hope you feel better every day!!</p>
<p>RM, while it seems amazing that his decision ultimately hinged on something like the timing of a break-up with a girlfriend, I find many of my life decisions are made in exactly this way. The morning of the LSATs, I “wasn’t feeling it” as my S would say, so just didn’t go (had paid my $50 and everything). As a result, I couldn’t apply to law school and by default attended a professional program instead that I really had no interest in but had managed to take that test and get accepted, so oh well. I’ve made a lot of these types of irrational snap decisions over the years (including enlisting at age 17; getting married at 19 to someone I had only known for a month, etc.), which is why I could totally identify with S2 when a teacher’s comment in class one day made him go nuts. My 18-year old self could have done all kinds of unfortunate things in that kind of circumstance and S2 has a lot of my personality in him. Luckily, few of life’s decisions are dead-ends and way leads onto way. However, as a mother, I bet you feel great about Cornell so just enjoy even if he didn’t get to that decision in a wholly rational manner.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>LOL, my irrational decision worked in the opposite direction. I was a teacher but couldn’t teach in Texas because I hadn’t passed a class in Texas history. So, rather than study for a Texas history exam, I studied for the LSAT instead. Why take one Texas history class when you can take three years of law school?! (Worked out for the best, however; I don’t love Other People’s Children enough to teach.)</p>
<p>Congrats, RM. And DTE, for entirely different reasons!
TheAnalyst, I have done many of the things you mention. Someone up there gets a real kick out of me, I am certain. Increasingly, I believe that our “higher” unconscious selves actually know what’s going on and set up all these crazy happenstances to amuse our future selves. At least, I prefer to rationalize my existence in this way. And I can say that I do not regret one single thing, good or ill, that has resulted as an intended or unintended consequence throughout my life – each thing has, in hindsight, had a clear purpose. And some things, like my son, (although I was 25 at the time, I’d had no intent to have children, and had medical reasons to believe it was not advisable…) have given me more than I ever could have dreamed possible.</p>
<p>So in a perfect universe, RMSon somehow caused GF to dump him just in time to get to the school he knew was the right choice ;)</p>
<p>And RM, I know exactly what you mean about S being in school…forever! My S too is in a joint degree grad program, a JD/MUP and I suspect teaching is in his future as well. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that they all find their paths, and the routes are as individual as the destinations. My S had worked for two years before going back to school, so he has had an adjustment period regarding being a student again. Congratulations on his decision, whatever the reason. Ithaca is an amazing place and Cornell is a wonderful school.</p>
<p>RM thanks for sharing and I am glad your S was able to make his grad school choice based on what was in his heart even though his heart may have been broken at the time.</p>
<p>We met with the retirement planner yesterday! I have 12 more years in the trenches. By then all three kids should be done with school for anywhere from 5 to 2 years depending on their plans. My retirement income will be pretty darned close to my working income so Yay for that. </p>
<p>missypie: funny but it sounds like you made the right choice for you. I have thought about gong to law school but wanted to share work hours with my kids and now that I am looking at 20 years down and 12 to go I figure why bother.</p>
<p>DTE: I’ve been keeping track of you–keep it up!</p>
<p>RM: such great news–congrats!</p>
<p>HistoryMom what great news!! I can’t even THINK about retirement right now. I’ve been working for almost 27 years. Probably have at least 10 more. Ugh. At one time we thought we would retire at 55 but with the economy our investments took a big hit. Oh well – guess it keeps me busy :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m really impressed with how well behaved most of us are about this issue. Starting in October of '08, many of us saw our dreams of early retirement - or retirement at all - crash and burn. But most of us seem to accept it and move on…one foot in front of another.</p>
<p>My grandfather worked at a meat packing plant. When he got too old for the heavy lifting, he made hamburger patties for McDonalds. I’ve asked our managng partner if there will be enough patty-making jobs in the future for all of us who can’t afford to retire.</p>
<p>What is it about the number, 55? We had the same early retirement age in mind, pre-October 2008. Now that H is within 6 months of 55, that seems like it was just a dream. He really is putting one foot in front of the other - “aw, I don’t really want to retire. what would I do all day?” - but I know he regrets that he didn’t get to make the choice.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Sounds like me, and the rest of us around here. “It will keep us younger to keep working.” “The intellectual stimulation will be good for us.”</p>
<p>Yup. And my answer to the “what would I do all day?” part is “you would drive me insane, so PLEASE keep working!”</p>