I am the father of a senior in high school. Similar to the way things were when I was coming up, he is going to college. The difference between then and now is that I am way more in my son's head about college than my father was in mine.

Being so hands-on in my son's process has caused me to realize remember what an arduous process preparing to go to college is: deciding what schools you want to attend, planning trips to them if your schedule or wallet permits, getting recommendations, filling out applications, scholarships, writing essays, etc.

In the midst of all this I stumbled upon a great website that lays out the basics revolving around going to college and gives both parent and child a timeline to work with, letting you know where you should be in your pursuit of higher education and why you should be considering it, period. And the most beautiful part? It has information available not only to high schoolers, categorized by the year they are in, but also for middle schoolers. Nowadays and maybe all along college should begin to become a topic of conversation at home and school for the 6th through 8th grade set. The Olympic athletes we so revere have been athletes for a LONG time. Shouldn't the same apply when it comes to academic excellence?

The name of the site is KnowHow2Go. Like me, you may have even seen the following PSA on television during a game:




Going to college isn't nearly as harrowing nor frightening when you are prepared and informed. This goes for both parents and kids. Do it sooner, rather than later.


Thoughts? Please, let me know in the comments below. We can also talk about it on Twitter at @EPayneTheDad.

E.Payne is the author of the soon to be released DAD: As Easy As A, B, C! and I Didn't Invented Sex. For the past 3 years he has posted 600+ articles about fatherhood, marriage and everything in between here at Makes Me Wanna Holler.com. To learn more, click here.

I have been completely out to lunch. This Monday, May 9, my wife received her Masters in Business Administration. The day before was Mothers Day as well as my father's birthday and my daughter's godmother's birthday. Beginning last Friday 20+ family and friends converged on my home from differing parts of the country to celebrate all these happenings. The day before I locked myself out of my house and with the help of a neighbor and a ladder, scaled nearly 3 stories to get into my son's bedroom window. I didn't manage to post anything about Mothers Day because I was too busy making sure Mothers Day at Casa del Payne went off without too many glitches (and there were a few). After the wife's graduation on Monday I spent the rest of the afternoon into the evening grilling on the Weber. Yesterday, my week began business as usual: bills still need to be paid, the kids still need to be taken care of - school, doctor's visits, blah blah, blah, jobs still need to be applied for, articles still need to be written, my manuscript for DAD: As Easy As A, B, C still needs it's preliminary finishing touches and as of yesterday evening two family members: my folks, still remain in town. I am horrendously behind schedule on EVERYTHING.

So for now I am officially Out To Lunch and Out of Pocket here at MakesMeWannaHoller.com. I hope to have something new up by this Friday. But I figured I owed you, my readers, an explanation for the silence.

Happy Belated Mothers Day to all the moms who read this blog! Thank you for checking in on me and supporting me via word of mouth, email and social media. I hope your Day was all that it could and should have been.


E.Payne is the author of DAD: As Easy As A, B, C! and Investing In An Emotional Letdown. For the past 3 years he has posted 600+ articles about fatherhood, marriage and everything in between here at Makes Me Wanna Holler.com. To learn more, click here.