College
“Why are you taking my picture?” asked my 22-year-old son as I trailed behind him on a hiking path near our house. The leaves were beginning to change, and I wanted to capture the beauty of the woods and this moment with my adult son.”Because I love you,” I told…
Like any other proud family, we celebrated when our 18-year-old daughter was accepted into one of her chosen colleges in February this year. Loading audio narration… She is fiercely independent and has wanted to study outside our home state of New York since middle school.She can’t wait to move into…
Graduation is cause for celebration. At Glendale Community College, an AI-related flub made it cause for apology. Loading audio narration… The college’s recent graduation ceremony outside of Phoenix, Arizona ground to a halt after a naming mishap. Several students’ names weren’t called as they crossed the stage. Others were left…
The year was 2006. Pluto had just been downgraded to a dwarf planet. I was obsessed with my Motorola Pebl flip phone and iPod. It was also the year I started paying down my student loan balance after completing my MBA. Loading audio narration… For 20 years, this student loan…
When I graduated with a degree in journalism three years ago, I’d hoped to have a full-time, salaried job in my field by now. Loading audio narration… Instead, most of my days are a hectic blend of part-time and unpaid roles.I often find myself running to my retail job in…
Growing up, when I pictured college, I imagined Friday nights straight out of Katy Perry’s “TGIF” music video, freshman year roommates who’d become bridesmaids, and hot dates every Saturday night. Loading audio narration… As a now graduating senior, I can say that instead of the happiest four years of my…
I’ve spent the past year touring colleges with my high school senior, and I’ve found myself thinking a lot about my own college experience — and coming to a surprising conclusion. Loading audio narration… Even though my husband and I both lived at home during college and saved a significant…
One of the most common things I heard after having three kids in three and a half years was: “They’ll all be in college at the same time.” I was busy paying for diapers, and people were already warning me about college costs. It scared me. Loading audio narration… My…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with William Harper, 18, a high school student living in Dubai. It’s been edited for length and clarity. Loading audio narration… My dad was blowing out the candles on his birthday cake when streaks of light lit up the sky above us.We…
When my daughter told me she was running in the 5th-grade track meet, memories rushed back from a time in my life when running meant everything to me. Loading audio narration… In high school, I ran varsity and was captain of my track and cross-country teams. Running was my life.…
