A note to parents with kids off to college

For those parents who have the thought of their children going to college, I would like to share 10 of my immediate recollections over the last four years of my son attending Boise State. While this is our family's experience, students, parents, and schools are all different.

Scholarships - Our son earned a Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) scholarship due to his GPA in high school. This scholarship, about $16k/year for four years ($64k), basically made his out-of-state tuition less than the University of Washington. Grades mattered in this case, allowing him to go out of state for school. If your kid has the grades, see if they qualify for this.

Costs - Make no mistake, even with the scholarship, expenses including housing, books, and food added $30k/year. It will be your call on how much you decide to help your student, but the extras add up. Dad: "Here son, here's a $20". Mom: "Here son, here's a $50." Grandma and Grandpa, let's not go there.

Student Aid - Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) requires parents to report income annually for potential aid and scholarship, whether they qualify or not, and whether they get loans or not. Kind of a mandatory drag, but there is a webpage for it; https://studentaid.gov. If a student needs loans, talk to the loan officer on campus; they can be very helpful.

4) Majors - Graduating in four years is tough. My son changed majors three times, primarily due to being exposed to what he thought he wanted to do and not liking it. "I do not understand computer science majors; I hate chemistry; I don't want to work 75 hours a week when I get out," etc. My lesson to him is, "Isn't it nice to know what you don't want to do for the rest of your life when you are 19." He eventually figured it out, and because he had earned his associate degree in high school, he was able to finish his BS in the standard four years.

Sporting Events- If you choose to go to a football game on campus with your student, it will be fun for you. It will be less so for the student, who would rather be in the "more fun" (and more inebriated) student section.

Phone Calls - Dad did not call enough; Mom called a lot. Dad texted some; Mom texted a lot. Who knew?

Visiting - We did not visit enough, as COVID-19 kept us from traveling much. It was always appreciated when we visited, sometimes more than others. Check their schedule first. Don't be surprised if they don't reciprocate with trips home. For example, "Sorry Dad, I am going on a school trip during spring break to Costa Rica, Alaska, etc."

Jobs - My son got an internship with the Bureau of Reclamation; his girlfriend worked for a rental car agency. Things can vary, but a job builds character, teaches what you do not want to do, helps defray some of the overall costs, and leaves a little beer money.

Roommates - This is an education in and of itself. Best of friends can be torn apart if they live together. Students need to choose wisely. If they know someone is a slob and can laugh it off as friends, they should picture living together in a small space. It may be better to remain friends and live with someone else.

Significant others - My advice to my son when he left college was that there is nothing more wonderful and terrible, thrilling and lackluster, effortless and challenging than having a significant other. Choose wisely. Our son has had a steady girlfriend for years, and she is a great and intelligent person. He chose wisely.

That all being said, the pride, relief, and inherent joy when they graduate are incomparable to any other experience. Watching them grow into adults and seeing them prepare to be a part of society is phenomenal. I wish you and your child the best of luck if they decide to go to college.

Colin Ocker, a 2019 Honors graduate of Waitsburg High, completed his Bachelor of Science at Boise State University on 6 May 2023, also with honors. His Waitsburg graduating class of 17 experienced a shorter ceremony than his BSU graduating class of 2,960. Colin completed his Civil Engineering degree with a 3.65 GPA (cum laude), was a member of the Chi Epsilon honor society, participated in on campus engineering organizations and recently won a third place team award from the American Society of Civil Engineers construction competition. He will be starting work in June as a US Army intern at the Walla Walla District, US Army Corps of Engineers.