Let’s review our pre-college lessons so far:
No. 1 Do your best.
No. 2 Start now.
No. 3 Choose friends wisely.
No. 4 Keep an open mind.
No. 5 Get up!
Going to college, by definition, puts you in a different world. You are surrounded by new things and new people. Your world expands as fast as you will let it. As we previously discussed, you will have more than ample opportunity to make new friends and create new relationships. New contacts and adventures are always a good thing, as long as you remember what is important.
In the old days, contact with family and friends from college was more difficult. If you were able to call, you had to use a calling card or call collect. Other than that, contact was made by letter. As you are probably aware, there were no cell phones, texts, or emails. There was a lot less contact back then. Luckily, you will be armed with a cell phone and any number of ways to stay in contact with home.
Now that we are only a couple of weeks away from your departure, the realization that you are going to be gone is starting to hit home. While we have grown accustomed to your absence as you have grown older, I do not think your mom is ready to be cut off from her baby boy. She will need plenty of contact with you so she is able to make this very difficult transition. She needs your help. She needs you to stay in contact with her. Staying in contact with the ones you love helps keep you grounded and provides you with more support for what will be exciting but trying times.
At this point, you might think that staying in contact will be easy. The problem is, when your world expands, the time you have to take care of your business and maintain contact with those that you know and love does not expand with it. In fact, it seems to shrink. In college, your need to manage time and set priorities will be more important than ever. While I have nagged you about the need for good grades all summer, there might not be anything more important than maintaining that daily contact with your mom.
Ultimately, this weeks’ lesson is the simplest of all: Call your mom! It will mean a lot to her. As far as dad, you don’t have to worry about me. You see, your mom and I pay for the cell phone that you carry. That means that I expect you to answer it when I call you every morning to make sure that you are up and getting ready for class. You don’t have to worry about calling me, because I will be calling you. The one thing in life you will learn is that everyone needs a wake up call every now and then, even those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway and Fayetteville, Ark. His primary area of practice is criminal defense. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com.