It still feels surreal that we need to figure out a college plan for Cambrie. A couple of weeks ago she attended a star gazing night at CU Boulder. She came home and boldly pronounced that she was going to school in Boulder and she wanted to graduate early so she could get there as soon as possible. Well, that threw Jeremy and me for a loop as we were not prepared for her to take off a year early. We had a lot of really tough discussions about it and decided the best thing we could probably do was to see if that was even possible. We set up a couple of campus visits so that Cambrie could make the best decision possible for her.
Cambrie and I visited ASU first. It was their Sun Devil Day which meant there was a full day planned of information sessions and tours. We spent seven hours on campus talking to advisors, professors, students, and ambassadors. We absolutely fell in love with the campus and the people. I honestly didn't know how I was going to feel about a school down in Arizona, but both of us were absolutely hooked. She loved it so much she spoke to an admission counselor and learned how to apply right there on the spot. Unfortunately her laptop battery died so she had to wait to do that. We learned where her dorm would be (they room freshmen by major), where most of her classes would be, where the library was, where the gym was (she can start lifting weights again), where the Institute is, how to order food from the little food delivery robots around campus, is, and generally enjoyed hanging out on campus. Our brains were so full of information that we needed to give them a chance to relax, but we really didn't want to leave.
We drove down to Tucson next to visit the University of Arizona. That night we were supposed to attend a class at the telescope with some of the professors and students. It was raining which ruined that plan, so instead we hung out at the room and tried to get our minds prepared for our tour the next morning. The vibe down at University of Arizona was very different than up at ASU. The campus felt much older, a little more spread out, and not as...cheery? I don't know, we couldn't quite put our finger on it. But we both felt after our tour that this wasn't the right fit for Cambrie. At ASU she could take advantage of the 4+1 program, which would let her earn her bachelor's and master's simultaneously. at U of A, she would actually double major in physics and astronomy, but then would still need the two years for her major. She felt strongly enough that this wasn't the one that we didn't even go check out the astronomy department. We also realized that the housing at U of A would not be a good fit for her at all. All the freshman housing is standard dorm style, which meant that Cambrie would be in a small room with just one other girl. She needs a little more flexibility and space to stay in a good mental state. At ASU her dorm would be a double suite style, (two rooms sharing one bathroom). Even the bed layout made it feel more homey. It seemed like a better idea and a jail cell (her words). She thought she would be a better student, a happier person, and have a much better experience if she felt comfortable where she sleeps. Which makes perfect sense.
Back at the hotel the only thing she could talk about was ASU. We hadn't yet made a decision about whether or not she would be graduating early, but after talking to everyone down there on each campus we realized that it would be best if she waited one more year. It would give her a chance to be with the right cohort and would make the whole experience better. We also need to figure out a way to pay for that out of state tuition. She was so disappointed about that decision that she didn't talk to me for the next two hours. I understood. She is so similar to me. Once I've made up my mind about a plan, nothing can get in the way of that plan. I didn't want her to mope all night though, so even though our legs were killing us from all the walking, we drove to Saguaro National Park to look at the cactus. I purposely chose a driving loop so we didn't even have to leave the car. Ultimately we left the car so we could get some pictures of these amazing cactus. Cambrie had warmed up to me by now and even posed like a cactus. Then she gave me all sorts of poses! We had such a great time that night and finished off our evening at a quaint Indian restaurant.
Just one more campus visit to go, CU Boulder. We drove to Boulder the day after we flew home. Since she was so excited about the program here before I was expecting her to be really happy to be on campus checking everything out from a student's perspective. After a stop or two I asked her how she was feeling. She told me she was feeling anxious and stressed. She didn't know why, but she knew that ultimately CU Boulder would not be a good move for her. The biggest strike against CU Boulder was always that it was in state. She wants to move away and stretch her wings. But after our visit, I think it ended up with more strikes against it than I expected.
Even though the decision of where she'll commit to won't happen for another nine months or so, it feels good to have a plan. Cambrie sees a bit of her future and it excites her. She can't wait to be a Sun Devil.
