Not long after we returned from Tennessee, Connor and I kicked off a fun new phase - college tours! In anticipation of a busy junior year ahead, we wanted to get a head start by visiting some college campuses to find out which ones Connor might be interested in attending. After all, his college decision would be here before we know it! I wasn't involved when Collin and Kevin began this process so it was all new to me, and it wasn't long before I realized how much there was to learn and all the considerations along the way. I started surfing college websites to find out how to arrange a visit, and the first one that worked for our schedule happened to be Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Tx. Of course, it was a LONG drive from Katy - around 8 hours - but Jeff and I decided that driving was the best option so that Connor would truly understand how far away from home he would be. We used our time in the car by researching various college questions about their facilities, curriculum, and all sorts of random things to get us started in Connor's college search. By the time we arrived in Lubbock, we were pooped! But Connor was so excited to see what Texas Tech had to offer.
We checked into our hotel and then set out to explore the campus by car. We drove all around, finding various hotspots like the sports stadiums and student center. We mapped our drive for the following morning's tour, and then we did the next logical thing that a college student would do... order some pizza for dinner! One of our friends had given us a suggestion for a local pizza joint, and it did not disappoint. One Guy Pizza for the win!
The next morning, we were up bright and early for our official campus tour. There were quite a few visiting students, and we ended up meeting another student and her mom from our area. We all attended an admissions presentation, and Connor was excited to get a goody bag with various Tech items like a sticker and pencil. From there, we split into groups to begin the walking portion of the tour. We walked all around campus, visiting spots like the student center, rec center, academic buildings, and one of the residential buildings with a decorated room to help us envision dorm life. At the end of the tour, we made our way to the campus store to use our discount coupon for some Tech merch. Much to Connor's excitement, he immediately noticed the on-campus restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut - every future college student's dream! Everything was closed during our summer visit, but we happened to see Raider Red as we walked through. Wreck 'em!
We got so caught up in the excitement of the campus experience that we almost forgot about the last stop on our visit for the day - the academic presentation for the College of Engineering. We ran across campus and made it to the Engineering center just in time, and there we were able to find out more about Connor's area of interest, Computer Science. One cool fact we learned was that all Engineering majors are required to complete a study abroad program as part of the Engineering curriculum at Tech. One of the satellite campuses for Tech is actually located in Costa Rica, where many of the students like to travel for their study abroad experience. So neat!
By the end of the academic presentation, we had learned so much information and Connor was super impressed with the opportunities at Tech. He could hardly contain his smile as he began to envision what his life might be like in college. Despite the long drive, we had the BEST time together on our trip! It seems impossible that we are already planning for college, but Texas Tech was such a great experience for both of us, and we couldn't wait to continue the college visits in the months to come.
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