Sarah cooked dinner for the family on Saturday night with the recipe below being the star of the show. Our family has enjoyed this dish for over 20 years–simple, quick and delicious.
[yumprint-recipe id=’13’] As I mentioned in Friday’s post, Sarah and I spent 6 hours at Regent University. Regent has replaced Campbell University as her first choice for her college, due to its extensive offerings in the video/editing/film department but she will probably still apply to Campbell just to keep her options open. She really loved that school, as well.
The School of Communication and The Arts building (where Sarah would have most of her classes if she attends Regent) wasn’t open for the tour while we were there because Regent/CBN was preparing for Ted Cruz’ visit that evening. (They had hosted Donald Trump two days earlier.) I found a picture online so I could at least get a glimpse of the inside. Pretty snazzy, huh?
The building houses a performing arts center so this is the entry for theater/concert goers.
This is the outside of the Communications building. (Photo from Wiki.) Campuses are always prettier in the spring.
And here is my lovely little lady standing out front of the Communications Building. Big dreams; big plans!
We were taken on a tour while we were on campus. I, of course, trailed behind, snapping photos..
I had plenty of architectural grandeur to take joy in.
After the tour and lunch, they offered a breakout session where students could spend 30 minutes with professors from their field of interest. I skulked around and took photos through the window.
Of course, lovely buildings and sparkling fountains aside, part of the visit included sobering sessions about money. Happy day.
We are, of course, pursuing scholarships, and especially working on those designated for childhood cancer survivors. Thankfully, Sarah is going into her junior year of college with no debt, since her first two years were at community college and one of those years was covered by a scholarship. I may very well be writing these blog posts to you from the Poor House in the next couple of years, but at least we’ll know that Sarah is getting a good education!
And may I just mention how happy I am that Campbell University is 3 1/2 hours away and Regent University is 2 hours away? For a little while, she had considered going to Florida (14 hours away) and I’m so thankful she decided against it. I may have had to procure a little Hovering Mother Apartment on the campus if she had gone that far away. (I’m not even kidding.)
What about you? What influenced your decision where to go to college? Was it an easy decision or a difficult one? Looking back, are you happy with the decision you made?
Our family is especially interested in these sorts of questions (and answers) right now!
Some 43 years ago this Spring, I made the decision to go to University of Missouri. Looking back, it wasn’t the best decision I ever made. I grew up in a town of less than 4,000. MU had several times more students than that. I lasted a year and transferred to Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State University) in Springfield. I was familiar with Springfield, I had an aunt and uncle that lived there and their business school was every bit as good as MU’s so I never regretted transferring. An added bonus was it was only 75 miles from home compared to about 160 miles to Columbia. I was at a disadvantage by transferring as I was an accounting major and at MU, freshmen couldn’t take accounting classes. That wasn’t the case at MSU. So I started my sophomore year 6 hours behind my counterparts. I still managed to graduate in 4 years but one semester I think I had 8 hours of accounting courses. Good luck to Sarah wherever she chooses to go!
Phyllis,
I’m glad you didn’t just tough it out at your first college pick but took the initiative and made the chance. Sounds like the second choice was a great fit.
And I can’t believe you still managed to graduate on schedule. You must have done some major hustling. Good for you for making it happen! I love happy-ending college stories!
Phyllis, I lived in KC for years, those state colleges, KU and MU are so enormous, both my kids thought they would get lost and opted for smaller schools……good for you.
Dale,
There was also a very large college that Sarah was considering but she thought she might get overwhelmed by it all. She is much more suited to a small/medium size. I’m glad your kids found schools that fit them well.
When I was looking at schools, I had narrowed my choices to two – an out-of-state state school and a private university. They were both about 4 hours from home, and they both had good engineering programs. I visited the schools on consecutive weekends. The first visit was to the state school. I had some entrance testing to do. After the test, I got turned around in the building (I have no sense of direction) and went out the wrong doors. I came out on the quad full of college students enjoying the sunshine rather than out by the road where I was supposed to be. A couple of guys playing frisbee glanced in my direction and then went back to their game. I felt very much the obvious high school student who didn’t know what she was doing. I muddled through and got myself back where I was supposed to be. I wouldn’t have even remembered the incident except that the very next weekend I was at the private school. My dad and I were walking together on campus and we got turned around. We were standing together on the sidewalk studying a map when a student walked past us. She stopped, turned around, and asked “Can I help you find something?” She then took the time to give us directions. That was the difference for me. I chose the private school based on that one interaction and how different it had been from the previous weekend. I am sure I would have been happy at either school, and they both had wonderful things to recommend them. The private school just felt right.
Beth,
I love that story!
It just underscores all over again how much of a difference one small act of kindness and courtesy can make.
I’m so glad you were happy with your college choice and glad that choice stemmed from kindness.
I just made these BBQ cups last week and it is the first time Levi remembers having them in this house! Nine years old and I have somehow kept this yummy recipe to far back in the back of my mind! Sad, I will try to do them up more, at least once a year from now on! Ruth
Ruth,
I’m sorry Levi has been such a deprived child. 🙂
Of course, with your amazing cooking, he probably hasn’t missed those BBQ cups very much!
So exciting for Sarah to be looking at options. Academics aside, look to her for knowing what is the right “feel” on campus. We went back to the campuses and explored the community because the student does become part of that. Our daughter chose a smaller state school(and less financial help) over some private ones that we were hoping for just for the fact that she felt that she fit in there and was comfortable and it made her feel safe. We insisted she live on campus the first year. We also imposed the rule that there were no trips home (1 1/2 hours away) for the first 6 weeks and encouraged her to join “something” on campus to participate in, she chose Choir. It was hard on us but wonderful in the end for her. College is so much more than the actual learning. The friends she made and the experiences she had will last a lifetime. It gave her room to grow, become independent and spread her wings to become the adult she wanted to be.
Deb,
Well, I have to say I love/hate your idea of the 6-week, no visit time frame. 🙂
Sarah’s 21st birthday will be on August 23, the day AFTER college starts. The thought of her spending her birthday away from us–and such an important birthday, at that–makes my mama heart a little crazy but I think it is great advice to have that separation for awhile. (sniff, sob)
And the “community fit” is a great thing to consider to. Regent is very near an Interstate in one direction, but in another direction, there are small shopping areas, coffee shops, etc. so that’s a good thing.
Lots of decisions to make!
I lived off campus despite them having dorms! My classes were on three campuses (60-90 minutes one way) & 2 trimesters I actually had classes on all three campuses, on the same day, three days a week!
Not having the full college experience was definitely detrimental! I really wish I had lived away from home at least my last two years!
While finances didn’t necessarily play a part, I thought they did! It really came down to me not wanting my dad to pay for it if I could commute. I was so grateful that my dad was able to send me to school loan free!
I was a teacher for 17 years! However, I wish I had utilized the “college prep department” @ my HS where I would have been introduced to other “education related” fields! If I could do it again, I’d of studied to be a Child Life Specialist!
Respectfully, I have to disagree w/ those who think adjuncts are bad policy! Some of the best experiences I had in college (undergraduate & both my Masters’) were w/ adjunct faculty! In fact, they opened up extra sections of several classes because of the demand for those faculty members! On average they’d often have 300-500 people on the waiting list (classes were capped at 25)! Depending on your major, graduation date, how long you’d been a student, etc., would determine if you got in & your place on the waiting list!
I graduated, by choice, w/ a double major because of those adjuncts! And, I was able to do it in the same amount of time w/out it costing anything more (mostly because I did many general education classes @ the Jr. College!
Sarah is going to be amazing wherever she goes @ in whatever she studies! She’s an inspiration to so many! Whether she’s in VA, SC, FL or Timbuktu ? they’ll be lucky to have her!
I’ll be keeping my eyes out (as will some friends–who are looking for their own kids) for Scholarships!
Jodi
Jodi,
I can’t quite imagine 3 classes on 3 campuses in the same day. You were one busy gal, especially going for a double major! I’m glad you found adjunct professors to be such a benefit to you and the other students.
Thanks so much for the stories and the great advice. It is so helpful to hear from people like you who have done the college experience and get to glean wisdom from the things you learned in the process.
(And how wonderful you were able to graduate without debt. Such a blessing!)
Beautiful pictures. The building is awesome. I know Sarah will make the right decision. Praying for scholarships.
Ann,
Yes, we are certainly praying hard for the wisdom we need and the right decisions to be made.
Even though this whole college process can be a little stressful, I’m just thankful we still have her to make these decisions with. Such a blessing!
what a gorgeous school!
hope Sarah hits the jackpot with scholarships
Mrs. Pam,
Yes, it truly is a gorgeous campus. It made my architecture-loving heart very happy. 🙂
So, I’ll chip in. I’m a professor & librarian..
This is awesome Becky! Congrats to Sarah! I chose my undergraduate for bad reasons. It was a tiny private school and I should have gone to the mid-sized state school I was also accepted too. It would have been a better fit. My saving grace was the big gothic style library. I’m glad I ended up in land grants (University of Georgia & Utah State) for my MEd and PhD. They were better fits for me because of my electic life interests. I was lucky I had my folks to pay my undergraduate, but for my graduate I’ll be paying off student loans for a very long time. (I had health issues during my masters degree that forced me to take loans, and as I was finishing my PhD my dad died (cancer) and so I struggled with working, so I took out more loans.)..
By the way, school is so much more than the classes one takes or the university one is at. If Sarah can find community there, then that’s so important. If, on hard days, she can walk around campus and be reminded of why she is there, then that’s where she wants to be. I just moved to work at Oregon State after being at Purdue for 2 years. It was the rare moment when I walked around Purdue being grateful that I was there, but here, here at Oregon State, I’m grateful. If I’m having a rough patch, I can go walk around campus and be reminded why I’m here. I’ve only been here for 3 months, but I’m so proud to be a Beaver. I hope Sarah feels that way about Regent.
I agree with the comment about adjuncts. It’s bad labor policy for a university to have adjuncts. It’s bad for the entire university community, this move towards so many adjuncts (https://chroniclevitae.com/news/762-the-adjunct-crisis-is-everyone-s-problem). I would never do it, and I admire those who love academia so much that they do it. As someone who was raised in academia – all 4 of my parents have PhDs and they all did their careers (2 profs/2 admins) at Va Tech – and who is now in it herself, I can tell you I don’t love it enough to live the life of an adjunct.
Brooke,
How interesting to read your story and learn from your life.
I loved the phrase, “big gothic style library.” Those words together just made me smile–and also make me want to grab my camera. 🙂
Sounds like you had to incorporate a lot of determination and perseverance into your life, having to deal with your own illness and your dad’s death while in college. It would have been easy to have given up but I’m so glad you didn’t.
And to come from a family line of 4 PhDs and to earn one yourself? You guys have got it going on when it comes to education! I imagine you all have had interesting conversations over the years since you have all learned so much and lived so much.
As far as the adjunct professor issue, I have never given that much thought in the past. It’s been interesting to read the comments here and learn more.
Thanks so much for sharing part of your story with us! And kudos for accomplishing so much on your educational path.
That recipe looks delicious, seriously going to try it, which is saying a lot because I never cook. And on the college note, that college looks beautiful. And close enough to you, which is so wonderful. Sarah looks ready to take on the experience, she certainly has matured in these past 2 years.
I was accepted to a college about 1 hour from our house. I wanted to go but was not ready to live away from home. So I commuted for my first year and did well academically, receiving all As. But, emotionally I wasn’t ready for my second year. So I took a year of absence, which the Dean was not happy about, saying that most kids who leave do not return. I knew I would. So, i worked in a doctor’s office and babysat for the year, while living at home. After that, I happily returned to college and finished those 3 years, although living at home until my senior year, which was when I was finally ready to try my wings. I had a wonderful senior year, which would never have happened if I had followed the typical college track.
As far as loans, I was lucky in that department because my father was a doctor, a cardio-thoracic surgeon, an assistant surgeon general down here at the white house in DC and could mostly afford full pay. I just had a small loan to pay off. A small aside story here: My father wanted me to go to medical school because I had the medical interest and he thought I had the brains. My parents were divorced and he did not visit often (he was a genius in his field but short on communication/family skills). On one of his visits he sat me down and asked me why I wanted to become a nurse because “they do all the s*** work”. I told him that I felt that I could not be a good doctor and a good mother at the same time, and I really wanted to be a great mom 🙂 With nursing, I knew I could do both well. He just sat there and stared at me. I think i was speaking a foreign language to him because parenthood was something he was never comfortable with. But, to his credit, he accepted my answer and supported my pursuit of my nursing degrees. Life is funny, he is still alive at the ripe old age of 92. I would say when he got to the age of 80 or so, he became the warm and fuzzy father we never had. His defenses came down in his elder years and he relaxed into the dad role. What a treat to finally get a glimpse of the soft heart he always protected.
So whats the moral of this unintended lengthy post? I have NO idea. Other than to say to Sarah, follow your heart, soar as high as you can while stay emotionally close to your family, because, in the end, they’re ALL that matters. As my dad finally figured out, even if it did take him 80 years, ha!
Your story made me smile a big ol happy smile! I’m so glad your Daddy opened up and became what you needed him to be eventually! At least you get to know that part of him. Some people never find it in themselves to do what he did and then their kids don’t get to know that part. What a great story!!
Lizz,
Thanks for commenting on Leslie’s post. It makes me truly happy to see my readers inspired and encouraged by each other!
Lesley,
I tell ya, my readers leave such a treasure trove of comments. I am blessed by getting to read snippets of life!
I loved reading about your college experience because it was such a great example of finding your own path and knowing yourself well enough to understand what was, and what was NOT going to work for you. And most importantly, having the courage and tenacity to convince people around you (your dad, the dean, etc.) that you knew what you needed to do and that you were going to do it! Good for you!
And what an inspiring, insightful story about your evolving relationship with your dad. It’s wonderful to know that even late in life, hard-driving, non-emotive dads can change and become “warm and fuzzy fathers.” I’m glad he lived long enough to have made that change and that you have been blessed to be the recipient of it. Your words, “What a treat to finally get a glimpse of the soft heart he always protected” were the perfect summation of the change in the relationship. Love that.
By the way, when you referred to the “white house” in DC were you talking about the White House? Just curious! 🙂
I’m so happy you took the time to share such an evocative, poignant part of your life with all of us. Thank you!
As an Assistant Professor, one of my responsibilities is to attend the open houses. Below are some questions I have received over the years.
1. What is the acceptance rate?
– Typically, parents want to know that their child is potentially going to a competitive school and not everyone gets in. This will vary, but I would caution anyone applying to a school with a 75% or higher acceptance rate.
2. What is the graduation rate?
– This will vary, but I would caution enrolling in a college/university with a below 50% graduation rate.
3. What is the teacher to student ratio?
– This is different for each academic program, but for a private school, classes should not exceed 25 students. There might be exceptions, for example, science and economic classes.
4. How many faculty members have doctorates?
– This number should be extremely high, i.e., 90% or higher. You want to make sure the instructor in the course is capable of teaching the foundational knowledge while also integrating the theories into the professional field. Many times, part-time lectures or adjuncts do not have a strong background in foundational knowledge.
5. What is the teaching philosophy in the program?
– This will vary based on the teacher’s own teaching philosophy, i.e., Bloom, Fink, etc. But, I would look for a more active learning style and less memorization/lecture.
6. Are internships required for graduation?
– This is a must for any program. I would caution enrollment into a program where an internship is not required. Internships should be a minimum of one semester long. My program requires a full year.
7. What is the job placement rate?
– Again this will vary based on the program and the student. I have had students who do not want to leave the city or state. Look for at least a 50% or higher placement rate.
8. How do faculty office hours work?
– Each faculty member is different as well as program, department, and college/university, but typically full-time faculty must hold between 6 – 9 hours of office hours per week. I will also add, I provide my students with my cell phone number and they are free to call or text me anytime.
9. Are course books mandatory?
– This varies, but in my classes – YES! Professors should work with the student if he or she cannot afford them.
10. Will my child network?
– This will vary on the faculty member, but guest speakers should be part of any faculty member’s curriculum. Additionally, I take students to conferences and trips around the state to meet and see different people.
Hope this helps. Best of luck to Sarah and the family. This is a big commitment not just for Sarah, but for mom and dad too. As I tell my potential students and family members at each open house, it takes a village and they are all apart of it.
Another prof here, and I’d agree with almost all of this except #8 (at my university, it’s standard to hold 2-3 plus ad hoc office hours per week, and we NEVER give out our private numbers — boundaries are important; while we have a one-business day email response policy, that’s as far as we think realistic/reasonable to go).
The other thing to keep in mind is the tenure-track to adjunct or grad instruction rate (this relates, in a certain way, to the above poster’s point about terminal degrees among faculty). Too many universities are farming out instruction to non-permanent labor, and though these instructors are often excellent, it’s a mode of labor relations that puts the quality of the program at risk, precisely because it puts the instructor at risk.
In terms of my own undergrad decision, I chose the best university that I was accepted to and that I could also afford — which, thanks to need-based scholarships, meant a pretty shiny one.
Ethel,
So happy to hear great input and insight from another professor! I’m learning a lot from these comments.
And your view on adjunct professors, “It’s a mode of labor relations that puts the quality of the program at risk, precisely because it puts the instructor at risk,” is certainly insightful and thought provoking. However, I still can’t say I’m convinced that they can’t be a valuable part of the education process.
I’m glad you were able to attend a “shiny” university. That line made me smile.
Robyn,
How great to have several professors/assistant professors among my readership. I’m impressed! (And also, slightly intimidated.) 🙂
Thanks so much for an incredibly helpful post. I checked out a few of the statistics you mentioned with Regent and they came in pretty well.
I was especially interested in the several comments that have been left on this post about adjunct faculty. That is not something that would make or break our college decision but I have to say I had never given it a whole lot of thought. I looked at Regent’s site and found this information on at least one course of study involving adjuncts:
“The adjunct faculty utilized by the School of Psychology & Counseling has been carefully selected to augment, not replace, our core faculty. They bring areas of expertise necessary to provide a complete curriculum. Many of them have been teaching at the school longer than some of our full-time faculty, and most are currently practicing in their respective areas of expertise, bringing their real-world experience to the classroom
To me that sounds like a positive thing, especially the “augment, not replace” concept. I will definitely have to do some more research on this topic; I find it interesting that people have such strong views on it.
And you are certainly right: choosing and attending a college definitely takes a village. Thanks again for being part of our village and sharing your hard-won wisdom and experience with us!
I also think if she can mange it she should try to do a summer tour to England or Europe. I know the past university I worked at offered 3 week walking tours to Europe where about 20 kids went with one professor and they saw so much. Yes its expensive but its an experience she will never forget. I never studied abroad but really wish I would have done one of the summer tours to experience a new place and see amazing things.
The accountant in me says state schools are best because of cost, but the other part of me says go to a school you feel most comfortable at that offers the program you want. Hopefully Sarah can get some pretty great scholarships to lessen the financial burden. My advice is to take out student loans to cover tuition and fees and try to pay books and living through wages earned working. Then after graduation she can focus on paying down the loans by living more modestly and keeping her same car if it runs well. With everything Sarah has been through she should choose the college that feels the most right to her. Yes cost is a factor but it shouldn’t be the only factor. She has done awesome by not having loans the first two years, so two years of loans really isn’t bad. I hope she loves whatever school she decides on and she feels at home there and makes some new friends.
Rachel,
What a great idea about paying books and living expenses out of a job, not through a loan. Will have to remember that.
With Sarah and Nathan both, our intention was to help them get a first car that they could drive 5-7 years with little (Sarah’s case) or no (Nathan’s case) monthly payment. Nathan just sold his first car a couple months ago so he got about 7 years from it which was great! Both kids have watched Steve and me drive our cars until repair bills outpace the car’s value so they seem to heave learned that lesson well.
And yes, Sarah definitely wants to do some traveling while in college. Nathan went to Ecuador and Israel and it was truly life changing, especially the trip to Israel.
Thanks for your encouragement and great insight.
Oh, maybe a hundred years ago or so there was an excellent state university in my hometown and it offered a degree in my field of interest. By living at home and working in the summer, the $600 I earned was enough to cover tuition and books. Times sure have changed!
The very best of luck to Sarah in her quest to fine the best school for her needs and the scholarships to help with the expenses. She is in for the time of her life!!!!
Judy,
A hundred years ago, huh? 🙂
All jokes aside, going to college back then was sure a lot cheaper than now.Covering tuition and books with $600 is amazing! (Oh, for those olden days.)
Sarah truly is in for the time of her life!
Oh my gosh! I still can’t believe OUR Sarah is in college. I know she’s been in college for 2 years but seriously! What!?? I’m so proud of her! She is really starting her life off right. Saving all that money by going to the community college first and keeping that debt down. Way to go Sarah! She will ALWAYS be Princess Groovy Chick even if she is now Grown Up College Sarah. 😀
I’m already starting to feel your pain of having your daughter leave home. My Sarrah goes off to college in about 3 1/2 years but I find myself crying quite a bit about it already. She’s in an early college high school now so when she graduates HS she will also graduate from the local community college with her associates degree. She has her sights set on Cornell University…in NEW YORK!!!! Like seriously a MILLION miles away from us in Texas. Not to mention she’s going to have to work her booty off these next few summers and possibly even during the school year to pay for a school like Cornell. We’ll figure something out and I’m sure she’ll change her mind a few times before then anyway. 🙂
Lizz,
Aren’t those early college high schools amazing? I know you are so proud of your daughter for working hard enough to get those two years under her belt before graduation. And setting her sights on Cornell is a great goal. I know she will go far.
And thanks for calling Sarah “our Sarah.” That warmed my heart. 🙂
college is beyond expensive but I am sure that Sarah will be able to get lots of scholarships. The dinner Sarah fixed looks great. How well do these freeze and reheat? It’s just mom and I so we have a hard time with recipes for two- the ones that don’t freeze well, we share with other widows in town. have a great day.
Becky,
Well, I really hate to tell you the BBQ Cups freeze well if it means the other ladies you share with won’t get any! 🙂 What a sweet thing for you and your mom to do.
I honestly can’t answer that question because we’ve never had enough left over to freeze. But I would think they would do fine with just being made of bread, cheese, and meat, all of which freeze well.
If you try it, let me know!