By the end of this week, I will have successfully, well depending on how my final exams go, completed my first semester of college.
I will say that college life has been an experience. From learning how to share a room with a complete stranger to figuring out how to balance school, play, and sports, I have had a lot of “things” to figure out. I have learned a lot about myself and how I am outside of my comfort zone at home. I have learned to speak up and figure out issues for myself–my parents can’t be there always to fight my battles.
But just because I’m living on my own doesn’t mean that I’m my own island and that I don’t need my parents. In fact, a couple weeks ago I went to go see a doctor outside of my regular hospital to make sure that everything was all set with my heart. Well, because I had not gone there immediately after fainting, the insurance company deemed the visit a non-emergency. Things got a little confusing, and I ended up needing a referral (which no one told me about) from my primary care doctor (who had not seen me).
My family was going to have to pay at least $200 for the visit, and then $1400 more for the follow up stress test. Everything worked out in the end, but had I not called my family and had my dad help me talk to the insurance companies and try to figure everything out, I don’t think I would have ever gotten the insurance companies to make an exception for this one time and cover the costs.
If your child ever goes to school in a state that is not yours, make sure that you fill out every form that applies to being out of the state. It will make your life a whole lot easier.
And kids? You’ll find yourself calling your parents for help more times than you think.