It’s a big week in the Angleton household. Son number one is preparing to leave this weekend for his first college move-in day.
I’m okay. Mostly. I’ve never been one of those moms who wanted to keep my kids from growing up because I just enjoyed them so much when they were babies. I did, but to be honest, every stage has come with its own frustrations and moments of joy. I know this one will, too.
I look forward to seeing what this smart, funny, loving, messy eighteen-year-old with the whole world open to him does with his independence and how he will change and grow over the coming weeks, months, and years. And yes, I’m a little scared, too, to watch it all unfold.
![](https://sarah-angleton.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/endicott_college_stoneridge_hall_empty_dorm_room.jpg?w=796)
licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
I still get sort of misty eyed when I think about the first time I dropped him off at preschool and he came home with knowledge someone besides me put into his little head. Driving away from him at college will be kind of like that, I imagine, only harder because I won’t get to pick him up three hours later.
So, we’ve spent this week organizing and packing, making sure he’s equipped with all the things he will need—extra-long bedsheets, a brand-new computer, and the best advice I have to offer. I did not, however, think to tell him what not to do in college. That is until I stumbled on a little book that pretty much covers it.
The book is The College Freshman’s Don’t Book by George Fullerton Evans, published in 1910. If you have the time and inclination, it is a pretty delightful read. As you might imagine, some of the advice is a bit dated, and I feel quite certain is fairly tongue-in-cheek. I doubt, for example, my son needs to be told to leave his fine china and Turkish rugs at home, and it’s unlikely he would choose to carry a cane or wear an excessively tall hat, which are frankly, pretentious things for a freshman to do.
But it contains some highly useful don’ts, too, such as:
- “Don’t imagine that you own the College Town from the moment you strike it.”
- “Don’t think that Exams can be passed without any preparation.”
- “Don’t put off that long piece of written work till the night before it is due.”
- “Don’t be surprised or disappointed, if you find you have neither time nor inclination to keep up with everything you thought you would, when first coming to College.”
- “Don’t hesitate to hear other people’s opinions. The World did not begin, nor will it end, with you.”
I especially like that last one, and I sincerely hope it is a lesson my son will carry with him into the wider world.
There are two more pieces of advice in the book’s long list of don’ts that I find particularly important. They say this: “Don’t forget to receive your visitors as if you were glad to see them,” and “Don’t forget to write home once every so often. Mama and Papa are always glad to see the College-town postmark.”
Of course, I do stand a better chance of getting a text or call or even an email than an actual letter, which outside of mandatory thank you notes, I doubt he’s ever written in his life. But any contact at all would be nice. I hope a little enthusiasm when I occasionally visit isn’t too much to ask, either.
What I do know is that for all the don’ts that I hope he won’t do, my young adult son is going to do and discover and learn amazing things. It won’t be long at all until he doesn’t miss me nearly as much as I will still miss him. And also, I’m okay. Mostly.