Sending your child to college

A Columbia mother shares her thoughts on sending her daughter to college. This may be reminiscent of your thoughts and feelings just 2 months ago. How are you handling having a child at college? Tips for staying in touch and keeping connected? What's the best way to support a child who is living away from home? Feel free to post your thoughts below.

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I remember that as I left the Columbia Convocation, my heart ached a bit and my arms felt almost useless. They wanted to carry my little baby girl, now a college freshman. I flashed back on all those years leading up to this moment and wondered: how could they have gone by so quickly? I also worried about my daughter’s adjustment to life at Columbia. How would she handle the challenging curriculum? Could she possibly do a load of laundry? Would she be able to manage her daily finances? I wondered about our relationship. Would we remain as close now that she was starting a new chapter of her life while I would remain behind?

In the weeks, months, and now years that have followed that day, I can honestly say that my daughter has handled every challenge and exceeded all my expectations. She adjusted to life at Columbia fairly quickly and has since achieved a great deal of academic success. She has been involved in many clubs and rewarding extracurricular activities. Instant messaging and cell phones have enabled us to speak very often, and Columbia’s location in NYC has provided us with opportunities to enjoy concerts, operas, picnics in the park, and great restaurants. If only I had known there was no need to worry.