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Originally Posted by monster
*panics* College is only 2 years away for us! I'd be interested in answers to this too, please, oh monkey of infinite wisdom and finite resources.
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Swim, Hebe, SWIM!
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Originally Posted by footfootfoot
consider strongly, their taking a year or two off before college to continue growing up. the part of the brain controlling rational thinking is not developed until the age of 25. college before that time, unless you have a particularly unusually driven and focused child, is a complete and utter waste of money.
it really is. Start reading the blogs and such written by recent grads, look at what the under 29 set is doing with their lives now.
SNIP
Education is far different from having a diploma, they are entirely unrelated things. What do you really want for your kids? A diploma from Harvard or for them to be educated?
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I'm strongly in favour of the gap year (or two) strategy, especially if the goal is to be educated rather than getting a fancy bit of parchment. Having some kind of job (hang on ... thinks about US economy ... hmm...) or even better, travelling, will be at least as good in terms of learning stuff and developing as a person.
I think you're a
bit strong dissing education for the under 25s, and good quality schooling
is education - but by no means all there is to education.
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Originally Posted by Stormieweather
On a side note...I am now 50+ yrs old and spent a great deal of my past working multiple jobs while scrimping, sacrificing, and going without. A couple of years ago, it occurred to me that I was missing out on what "life" was supposed to BE. Where were the memories, the adventures, the FUN? Everything was work, work, save, save, one day we'll get there....meanwhile, an important facet of life was missing. So now, while not extravagent, we manage a few luxuries (kindle, ipad, laptop, nice car) and we go on trips twice a year. One involves hotels, flights maybe, and car rentals while the other is simpler, with camping, hiking, tubing, etc.
So while you are working towards the future, don't forget to actually LIVE while you have the chance. There are no guarantees that you (or anyone) will even get a future. Don't miss chances to enjoy each other and the marvels around us while you can.
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This is wise. Somewhere there is a balance between planning for the future and enjoying the present.
The only original thought I have here is - can you move to Australia? Send the kids to uni here, the govt picks up 80% of the tab, the other 20% or so is "HECS", a form of government managed student loan, with interest at CPI, no repayments until your income exceeds a certain threshold, and if you bugger off back the the US when you graduate, you'll never have to pay.