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DFW

(60,211 posts)

36. Europe must sound so far away

Fri Jul 17, 2015, 03:22 PM

Jul 2015

Here's a funny one:

Our girls were born and raised in Europe (Germany), lived there all their lives until age 16, speak German as their native language. Both went to college in the USA, but one has now returned and lives in Frankfurt. The younger one, while going to college in Washington, DC, wanted to spend one semester of her junior year in France. Her college sent me a mountain of paperwork to authorize it, and one of the questions was "Do you hereby certify that you believe your child has the necessary independence and maturity to spend four months in Europe?"

I wrote back, "seeing as how my daughter had the necessary independence and maturity to be born in Europe and live most of her life there, I hereby certify my belief that she has the necessary independence and maturity to come home for a semester."

To their credit, the school program wrote back to me apologizing for going over her application too quickly, and not taking the time to go over her personal information, such as where she was born and raised, or the fact that she was a German citizen. Her application was granted.

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22-year-old college student blows her $90,000 college fund and blames her parents [View all] KamaAina Jul 2015 OP

This message was self-deleted by its author petronius Jul 2015 #1

I bet this is fake. Seems like trolling for attention / anger. Oneironaut Jul 2015 #2

I believe you are not correct dballance Jul 2015 #12

I got $48,000 insurance settlement and spent it in less then 6 months. vinny9698 Jul 2015 #19

Not all investments, but a lot of durable goods in that list. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jul 2015 #43

I agree with you - there are many who don't start with $90,000 karynnj Jul 2015 #20

She used some of the money to pay for a trip to Europe. jeff47 Jul 2015 #31

Right - and her parents, though they legally may not have been able to stop her, karynnj Jul 2015 #58

Yeah, but sometimes the kid has to "skin their knee" before they'll listen. jeff47 Jul 2015 #60

yep. if it's a UGMA acct the kid gets it all at 18 elehhhhna Jul 2015 #79

Siiiggghhh . . . . HughBeaumont Jul 2015 #3

Didn't even bother to read the link. The real problem is tuition costs, not Kim. n/t demmiblue Jul 2015 #4

She had enough money to cover tuition Matrosov Jul 2015 #5

No...the problem is Kim Rebubula Jul 2015 #7

No, no you can't. demmiblue Jul 2015 #8

OK...fine Rebubula Jul 2015 #9

No, the problem is whoever thought it was a good idea to give that kind of money kcr Jul 2015 #13

Yep. Hard to imagine that going well. I actually think making it three years is pretty good for stevenleser Jul 2015 #27

My stepdaughter at 19 would have had no problem managing that money. Maedhros Jul 2015 #28

My eldest daughter would have done well too, she's almost scary responsible. But that isn't typical stevenleser Jul 2015 #33

Good for your daughter. I don't believe I said all. kcr Jul 2015 #38

At eighteen, a child becomes an adult. Maedhros Jul 2015 #44

If that's your parenting philosphy, hey. Whatever floats your boat. kcr Jul 2015 #53

I dislike how we, as a society, have started treating college students as if they are children. Maedhros Jul 2015 #68

I think the problem starts long before college. cui bono Jul 2015 #85

Have you ever read Samuel Butler's novel tblue37 Jul 2015 #42

I've not read it, but kcr Jul 2015 #55

Yes but when I was reading that book low info coworkers accused me of reading porn Person 2713 Jul 2015 #63

So it's her grandparents' fault for being so generous? mainer Jul 2015 #66

Not necessarily kcr Jul 2015 #74

BTW, U of MD cost per year is $24,587. demmiblue Jul 2015 #14

That is all costs estimated, not just tuition, which is under $10k. bluedigger Jul 2015 #21

$60 K went to tuition in three years leaving 10K per year to live on. What's everyone yarping about Monk06 Jul 2015 #61

The grandparents should have put the parents in charge of the fund. Obviously its the kids fault for stevenleser Jul 2015 #6

I know at that age I would have spent most of the money on fast women and raucous parties . . . Journeyman Jul 2015 #11

;-) +1 nt stevenleser Jul 2015 #34

Keep this in mind. Igel Jul 2015 #23

Yep. And you can see why the loans are given out one semester at a time. stevenleser Jul 2015 #26

Kids have to screw up sometime. jeff47 Jul 2015 #32

I'm sure she's a real person. Brickbat Jul 2015 #10

It was foolish to put her in charge of that much money. HappyMe Jul 2015 #15

Where is Geraldo when you really need him? nt bemildred Jul 2015 #16

I'm not listening to her tale of woe. Paladin Jul 2015 #17

The footnote to the story I wanna know.... dixiegrrrrl Jul 2015 #22

I'm of the opinion that the purpose of University education is to become educated, not trained. Maedhros Jul 2015 #29

By that standard, she has gotten her education already, then. dixiegrrrrl Jul 2015 #40

Education comes from many sources, not just books and institutions. Maedhros Jul 2015 #46

I agree to a certain extent. HappyMe Jul 2015 #41

But it takes a special type of ignorance to get into a mountain of debt TexasMommaWithAHat Jul 2015 #48

My degree is in Geology, with an advanced degree in High Temperature Geochemistry. Maedhros Jul 2015 #49

And I'm sure you had no intention of doing the work you are doing TexasMommaWithAHat Jul 2015 #50

Well, we need teachers and social workers. Maedhros Jul 2015 #67

Yes, we do. TexasMommaWithAHat Jul 2015 #70

Your finances, your call. :) Maedhros Jul 2015 #71

I support tax-payer funded junior college and technical college for all TexasMommaWithAHat Jul 2015 #75

yep. my kids a 4th yr theatre major elehhhhna Jul 2015 #80

I have a B.A. in History, one of those 'worthless' degrees. Made a pretty good living as a lawyer. Shrike47 Jul 2015 #59

Would have answered you sooner, dixiegrrrrl Jul 2015 #72

Hey, thanks. My trip through educationland was damned strange and I wasn't offended. Shrike47 Jul 2015 #76

Same here. dixiegrrrrl Jul 2015 #84

Her story is extreme. Igel Jul 2015 #25

She didn't LOSE her education. She just has to get a loan for the last year Yo_Mama Jul 2015 #39

Europe? ....EUROPE? Warren DeMontague Jul 2015 #18

Europe must sound so far away DFW Jul 2015 #36

Poor pretty pretty princess. NT B2G Jul 2015 #24

So she will only have about 20k debt JI7 Jul 2015 #30

She should apply for a Federal Stafford taught_me_patience Jul 2015 #35

My 20 year old niece Nicole was left $42K by NY mother TexasBushwhacker Jul 2015 #37

smart grandma. elehhhhna Jul 2015 #81

She knew that was the only way she could go to college TexasBushwhacker Jul 2015 #82

too close to home for me to comment olddots Jul 2015 #45

I am not sure how good I would have handled money at age 22 Liberal_in_LA Jul 2015 #47

I was great at it! Phentex Jul 2015 #56

I would have spent it faster than a fire could have consumed it. jeff47 Jul 2015 #62

lol. Liberal_in_LA Jul 2015 #73

Most college aged kids can't manage money for shit. Warpy Jul 2015 #51

That's what trust funds are for. KamaAina Jul 2015 #52

$30,000 a year for tuition, books, incidentals and living expenses Warpy Jul 2015 #54

The total yearly cost for my youngest daughter's university was a bit over $38,000 Adsos Letter Jul 2015 #69

Why didn't her parents teach her how to take better care of herself? snot Jul 2015 #57

They might not have. They might have. jeff47 Jul 2015 #64

Not a new story. I saw it when I was in university in the '60s, NCjack Jul 2015 #65

I can sympathize with her situation, but not blaming her parents. Shrike47 Jul 2015 #77

Sounds as if she may have been left the money outright, SheilaT Jul 2015 #78

It's not her money mismanagement that irks me; it's her attitude mainer Jul 2015 #83