By Mary Beth Weisenburger

Honorary degree

Anyone who has college-aged children knows that their education does not come cheap. Our well-intentioned idea 21 years ago to have our children close together so they could be good friends resulted in two children in college at the same time today, doubling the attack on our pocketbooks. But take heart, college moms and dads: I’m here to tell you that your investment in your child’s future will pay off not just for them, but for you too, long before graduation day. They will be able to offer you invaluable pearls of wisdom that were gained through the experience of living on their own, being immersed in a culturally diverse environment and having unfettered access to the hallowed halls of academia.