<p>Being a college-bound teen is not easy… Nor is being the parent of one.</p>
<p>In your opinion, which of the two is tougher? Why?</p>
<p>I’d say the college-bound teen…</p>
<p>But I could be biased, as my parents haven’t been involved the college process at all.</p>
<p>depends on which is paying</p>
<p>I think being the college-bound teen. I mean, not only are they dealing with the emotional and financial aspect like their parents, but they’re placed in a different situation all togeather. They don’t only have to deal with missing their parents or paying for college, but doing well in college, making friends, having a good time, figuring out what they’re going to do with their life.</p>
<p>If they’re staying home and going to commute, I still think the teen has the harder time but it’s not as heavy as someone who decides to leave home.</p>
<p>WatchMe- You are missing the point. 
What oldbutannoying is getting at is this- You are supposed to say that it is harder on the parents because all of their self-esteem and value in the community depends on where their kid goes to college, and so they are so deeply invested in the whole process that it is harder on them. After all, the kid just has to sit back and let mom and dad pick out the schools to visit (making sure they rank high enough in USNews), write the essays and buy the bumper stickers. The kid can just focus on doing community service, studying, and meeting with the private college counselor (not worth it unless costs $30K) the parents have selected. </p>
<p>There you go, oldie, you can put this answer in your bank!</p>
<p>Ah man, you beat me to the punch, Mowc. Jeez. <em>sigh</em> Gosh.</p>
<p>Think about it, OBW. Who is this going to affect more? Or did that not occur to you?</p>
<p>I disagree.</p>
<p>Teen. Not only do they have all the classes, grades, extracurriculars, tests, but also the college search, financial aid, college visits, and all that.</p>
<p>And the topper? They’re going through puberty at the same time. 'Nuff said.</p>
<p>College bound teen. We have to take the tests, write the essays, fill out the applications, do all of our other AP homework from school, and still try to be a normal teenager. If we don’t get into college, or the ones we want to get into, that could ruin our futures. If a son/daughter doesn’t get in, it’s just sad but not as much of a worry as it is for the teen. When my parents were my age, they didn’t have half of these worries about college. Things weren’t as intense as they are now so they can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like.</p>
<p>Oh and the point of college is not being able to brag about where your kid goes. Be thankful your kid is going anywhere - they will get an education anywhere they go; a lot of teenagers just settle for community college.</p>
<p>Or worse, don’t even bother with any sort of education after that.</p>
<p>It’s not so easy on parents, either…</p>
<p>(a) financial concerns
(b) dealing with their child “leaving the nest”
(c) having to motivate their (sometimes) unmotivated teens who “drag their feet” with things related to the college process, etc.</p>
<p>But who is this going to affect more? The student has to deal with leaving their home, their friends, and their life as they know it. Sometimes they have to worry about finances too.</p>
<p>old but wise, if you have a POV post it. Don’t try to be subtle by asking questions and then innocently answering them!</p>
<p>lindsay- it was a joke. Sorry you didn’t get it. You would have to read all oldbugger’s threads that he starts to understand…
Of course it is harder on the teen- it’s their life!</p>
<p>Obviously it depends on the situation; many parents don’t have to motivate their children – it’s inherent. But those financial concerns, you don’t think the teen is worrying about them? All throughout the college search, the price tag hangs over his or her head. And who’s the one that’s going to be incurring the debt? The teen, of course, not the parents usually. And you think that the parents are upset about the child “leaving the nest”? What about the actual child? Completely new environment, never been away from parents, while also trying to get a degree.</p>
<p>It’s difficult for me to see that a parent would go through more stress, because usually their problems are also the teen’s problems, and the teen has those + more related to college (school, activities, etc.).</p>
<p>alright go it, sorry haha. although, there are parents like that out there!</p>
<p>Everyone’s answer is too simplistic. You have to define what point in the process you are talking about. Take my daughter’s case. </p>
<p>From the middle of her junior year through February of her senior year, she had to select schools, visit, do applications, essays, arrange for teacher recommendations, prepare for auditions in programs that have a 3 -5% acceptance rate, go to auditions, while all the while maintaining a 4.0 unweighted gpa with honors and ap classes, participating in community and school theatre, going to voice and acting coaches, dance classes and competitions, summer college programs for high school students, community service and working. All we had to do chauffeur her to the visitations and auditions which gave us a chance to visit a lot of interesting cities. Point, daughter.</p>
<p>In college, she’s going to have 26 hours a week of classes, at least 20 hours a week of homework, additional time commitments for show rehearsals, performances, crew and weekend working plus must maintain her grades to meet her scholarship requirements. All we have to do is foot the tuition and room and board, which creates some stress, but hey, we started planning for this day 18 years ago so between savings/investments, scholarships and our daughter working things should be ok. Plus, we get to make ourselves the center of our domestic life again - yippee! So again, the point goes to our daughter.</p>
<p>But then there’s this period of time from the end of the senior year until move in day at college. You parents know exactly what I mean. “Curfew, what’s a curfew? I’m an adult now. When I go away to college, you won’t know what I’m doing or when I’m coming in, you’re simply going to have to have trust in me then, so why not now? What do you mean I have to be in by 1:00 am - can’t you simply go to sleep, I’m not keeping you up, you’re keeping yourself up waiting for me. I know how to solve this, I’ll sleep over at my college friends’ apartments. You worry too much, I’m grown up and can take care of myself. Oh, what do you mean you worry because I’m hanging out with 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 year old college students, you’ve met them, you know they’re good kids.” AAARGHHH!!! Point, Parents - lots of points!</p>
<p>MichaelNkat,
The OP’s ORIGINAL QUESTION is, like all the previous threads that he has started, too simplistic. They all have the same black or white, either-or pattern to them. Suggest you not get sucked into thinking there is anything deep meant by them. You may want to take a look at parents reactions to his previous posts to see what I mean. The op is a ■■■■■, nothing more.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m aware of the “controversy” about the OP’s postings. His purpose and intent (as well as the superficiality of them which some may perceive) are irrelevencies to me. It just struck me that the topic could lend itself to some funny musings by parents about this whole process of college admissions and living with a kid, and the kid living with parents, who are entering a new phase of their lives, which are often riotously out of sync with each other.</p>
<p>To all teens out there…MomOfWildChild and MenloParkMom feel as though my opening post is a “trick question” and that I must have some sort of personal agenda that I’m trying to promote in it.</p>
<p>Do you agree with them, or do you think that I was just asking a simple question to find out what teens think about a particular issue?</p>