SteelersChamp88

The King of College Parties Becomes the King of College Studies

2009-03-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

For the last 13 years of my life the guys and I have been getting together for Poker night at least two to three times a month. We pick a house, retire to the "man cave", enjoy a few beers and lose sorely. That about sums up the evening. This past week we met up at Carl's place. He was a roommate of mine in college and let's just say he'd be the most memorable of our group of guys.

The guy always thew the best parties at our business university in Indiana. Half the block would come over and of course the cops would be called every once in a while by Mrs. Palmer – an 80-year-old woman who had no business living in a tiny space surrounded by college rentals. So when we finally did walk across the stage and grabbed our diploma, my roommate vowed he would never set foot in a university again. Don't get me wrong he was a smart guy, but we perferred the university to be a place with "recreational activities" not projects and homework.

Anyway, we are at Carl's place in the "man cave" ready to lite up a stashed cigar when he comes right out and says, "I'm going back for my MBA fellas." The cigar dropped out of my mouth. We are were stunned. "I'm going to sign up with an Indiana business school to get my MBA. I've wanted to do this for a few years now and to be honest this economy is just convincing me now is the right time."

He told us that he'd wanted an MBA to get further in his career and started to research potential Indiana business schools for the past year. His wife is completely supportive of this MBA idea and has helped him search for the right Indiana business school for months now. He found one that offered the program he wanted and with his work experience, would waive his GMAT requirement. That was definitely news to me.

My buddy is starting his MBA without having to take the GMAT – that has got to be nice. One less thing he will need to do to jumpstart the next phase of his career. Because of his work experience over the last 10 years he is able to just start up with classes. No GMAT and a flexible schedule will keep him busy, but still hanging out with us guys and of course the Mrs. and young ones. To be honest the more I think about it the more I am reconsidering going back to a university for my own MBA. It would be a tough choice, I did just recently pay off all debt, but maybe I should talk to my wife about it as well.

The evening wore on and soon enough we were starting our delayed poker game with cigars lit and of course a couple of jokes that Carl will now become the "bookworm" of our group, but he took at the kidding in stride. Maybe the guy's finally growing up. We always wondered what he wanted to be when he grew up, apparently it's an MBA degree holder.

Done paying for college... only to start back up in a few years.

2009-02-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

I feel the biggest weight lifted after ten years. I officially made my last student loans payment yesterday after paying for college for the past ten years! Knowing that the twins are only seven or eight years from the accrual of their student loans just made it so important to get my student loans paid off. I cringe to think how much I paid in interest, but we just never got around to paying the student loans off in one big chunk like we always envisioned. We had Ben and Kate and it always seemed like the money was needed elsewhere.

I feel like I want to buy a car or something big! It's just a feeling of freedom.

I attended an affordable university, but my parents didn't make enough to cover paying for college so I was left to take out student loans. Kelly and I are saving up some funds to help our kids in paying for college, but with having them both in school at the same time, no matter how affordable it is, I don’t think we’ll be able to pay for it all. They’ll end up accruing their own pile of student loans though I know Kelly and I will help steer them on the path to an affordable university to ensure they aren’t stuck paying off student loans as long as I did.

It can be very stressful with student loans hanging over your head. With Ben talking about Architecture school and what he wants to do when he grows up, I can’t help but wonder what’s going on in Kate’s head. She’s always been more reserved than her brother and always more concerned with Kelly’s and my feelings. I am sure if I asked her today what she would like to do for college, her response would be pick the most affordable university and I’ll go! She would even offer to live at home. I am sure high school will change her perspective a bit once all her friends start picking their colleges.

I am always a little curious to know how other parents budget for paying for college. It’s not really something I openly discuss with people – our finances, but I do know a few couples we get together with occasionally have already begun the search for an affordable university as their oldest kid is a junior or senior in high school. We at least have a few more years with Ben and Kate before we start researching student loans and paying for college.

With having complications conceiving, our twins are a few years behind most of our friends. When we were younger, we did vacations with friends and all the kids would play together. Ben and Kate kind of look up to the other kids, but now that they are getting older, the other kids don’t come around as much. Don’t get me wrong, there are some benefits to having our kids later on, we will able to see how our friends start to handle or complain about paying for college and research student loan options with their juniors and seniors. I just hope we feel more prepared when it’s our turn to think of student loans for our twins and hopefully find some kind of affordable university.

May still be an Architect in the family after all

2009-02-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

Ben had career day at his school today and the father of a boy in his class came in and spoke about getting his Architecture degree and his time in Architecture school. I wasn’t able to attend because things have been rough around the office lately so my wife went in my place. Well the guy must have really made an impression on Ben because he came home and talked the whole night about how he wants to go to Architecture school and get his Architecture degree.

My wife and I just smiled to hear him so enthusiastic about getting an Architecture degree. I met my wife in high school and had taken a few Architecture classes, but was never the top of my class. I always told her that attending Architecture school was something I would love to do, but never really felt the support from my parents to pursue an Architecture degree so I just went for Business. Of course, over the years I had somewhat forgotten about my desire to pursue an Architecture degree, but hearing Ben bounce around the house today blabbing about what his life will be after Architecture school made my wife and I both remember what I once wanted.

I actually dug through my old school papers this evening after Ben went to bed and found some drawings I had done in my Architecture classes. I thought I would show him tomorrow. It’s kind of fun now that Ben and Kate are getting a little older because they are considering their futures and what they would like to do. It’s a little exciting for me too that Ben was so drawn to Architecture and pursing an Architecture school here in Michigan. I’m a little too old to go back to Architecture school now, but I want to encourage him to pursue an Architecture degree in the way my parents did not.

An Architecture degree just always seemed like it would be a fun career. The creativity and thought process behind designing something not only functional, but that would make a statement about design for years to come was so thrilling. There were a few guys that I graduated from high school with that I found out pursued an Architecture degree. I only talked with them briefly at the last high school reunion, but the all seem to have had great success in Architecture school and beyond.

Ben's still a little young for his career to be set in stone, but he does have a tendency to put his mind to something, stick with it and see it through so I will be curious once he enters high school himself if he signs up for any Architecture classes. The middle school may even have a few Architecture offerings. A nice little trip down memory lane. Back to reality tomorrow when I head back into the office. Wonder how different things would have been had I gone to Architecture school to pursue an Architecture degree.

The Twins are 10!

2008-10-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Ben and Kate are turning ten next week. I never thought I would be one of those people who reflects back and says where has the time gone, but I think having them turn ten has reminded me I am slowly approaching my mid-to-late 30s.

Kelly and I always knew it was going to be difficult for her to have children, so as soon as we got married we started trying for a baby and began researching fertility services in Grand Rapids. After about six months of trying, she made her first appointment with a fertility clinic and we started the whole process. It was very emotional for her. Well for both of us, but she took it extra hard.

We found out she was pregnant shortly after her 23rd birthday. I had gotten her new leather gloves and we went to eat the night she found out. She was so excited, she left them at the restaurant. She loves telling that story.

We were in shock when we found out it was twins, but it's been wonderful watching them grow. Kelly and I have always tossed around the idea of trying for another baby, but I think we've settled on two. We were extremely happy with the fertility services in Grand Rapids, but are happy with the family we have.

A Nascar family tradition.

2008-10-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

I remember my first trip to a Nascar race. I was ten and my dad got tickets from a guy at work. We stood in the stands and I could feel the power of the cars as they went around the corners. The stands just vibrated. My dad says I had the widest eyes as I just stared around in awe. I think that's the moment I became a true Nascar fan. We didn't make it to the races often, but it became a tradition for my dad and I to watch the races on TV. My son is just about ten now and I am hoping to take him to his first Nascar race. It will be the three Andrews men - my dad, me and my son.

My son is a huge Dale Earnhardt, Jr fan. He probably gets that from me - go #88. He is constantly online searching Nascar fan sites for pictures, live footage or whatever he can find. We've actually had to limit his web time because he is on so many Nascar fan sites. His room is covered with posters. He even has an old one of Dale Earnhardt that hung in my room when I was his age. I come home from work and he's downloading photos from the last race or reading what other Nascar fan's think about the race. It's amazing how much he knows about computers!

While the next race around here isn't until 2009 now, but I am already planning to get tickets. My son will help carry on the Nascar family tradition.