Summer Respite

It has been a few days since my last post so I thought it would be good to check in and let you know that I’m still here and more new content will be posted on My College Wisdom in the coming days.

To be sure, there is a lot going on in late July and early August related to the college experience. Rising high school seniors are getting serious about their college searches. Students on break will be wrapping up summer jobs, internships and research positions and will be trying to squeeze in a week or two of R&R before heading back to campus for their sophomore, junior, and senior years. And, as the days start to get shorter and the late afternoon shadows grow longer, the reality of starting college is starting to really sink in for soon-to-be first-year students; to say nothing of their parents. I understand well the importance of these issues and will be doing my best to share thoughts and insights in this space that will prove useful to you.

By way of explanation, I will confess that the interruption in my MCW output was the byproduct of a much needed, very welcome, and far too brief family get-away in Southwest Harbor, Maine and Acadia National Park. I recognize that the vacationing habits of the Terhune family may not be of particular interest to you. So, I will spare you the details of our full contact Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit throw-downs (Marnie won both – we’re pretty sure she cheats), our failed effort to find a restaurant in Bar Harbor that serves a respectable vegetarian black bean burger, or who won the annual mini-golf outing (hint: it was me). But, I mention our vacation in this space because as college wisdom goes, the significance of family time with your college student children cannot be overstated.

Yes, it is hard to send them off to school and to have them away from home (especially the first time). But there is nothing quite as heartwarming and wonderful and rewarding as coming to see your child as the thoughtful, funny, mature, kind, smart, amazing fully formed person they are becoming. Besides, it’s just nice to wake up under the same roof and share meals and spend time with them – even if you do end up picking up randomly discarded socks and busing a ridiculous number of used drinking glasses to the dishwasher every day.

Anyway, our vacation is over. We’re headed back to work and I will be posting new pieces on My College Wisdom over the next few days. Thanks so much for reading and please be in touch if you have questions or there are topics you would like to see addressed on MCW in the future.

Note: If you would like to share comments but would prefer not to have them posted on the site just say so in your comment and I will make sure it stays private. – JST

 

Author: jterhune

Jim Terhune is an educator with over 30 years of experience as a senior administrator and dean at top colleges. Jim is founder and principal at James Terhune Consulting, LLC (JTC) - an educational consulting firm that provides counsel, strategic management assistance, and practical advice to colleges, schools, and students aimed at enhancing and enriching the student experience. Before launching JTC, Jim spent 11 years at Colby College as vice president for strategic initiatives (2016-2017) and vice president for student affairs and dean of students (2006–2016). Prior to Colby, he worked for 15 years at Colgate University in a number of leadership roles including director of student activities, dean of first-year students, associate dean of the college, and dean of student affairs. Jim began his career in higher education at Middlebury College in student activities and the dean of students office. He has an A.B. in English from Middlebury College and an Ed.M. in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *