Long Distance Academic Advising

We used to sit down together with the high school course catalogue, the graduation requirements, the life plan, and map out next steps. His goal? An Ivy League school. I told him to go for it, not to limit his hopes -- all things are possible with God.

Now he's there, at Dartmouth, sophomore year, mapping out his next steps. He wants to drop computer science and take another history class. The kid who aced 2 AP math classes in high school has barely gone near his left brain since he arrived at college.

I want to shake him:
This is the time to diversify! Try everything! 19 years old is too young to settle into English/History/Psych!

We communicate through facebook and text messages. If we have a phone conversation once a week, I am amazed. But this is how it works. He is on his own. If I give an opinion, or make an observation, he is likely and able to ignore it. Do they have great academic advisers at Dartmouth? Is anyone else helping him with this?

But the truth is, it is not my job anymore. Even though the decisions he makes today may have lifelong implications, they are his decisions to make. I struggle to trust God with him, my oldest child, my only son. I know that God understands about sons.