College was a no-brainer for me-or at least the decision-making process about where I was going to go to college was; it so simple that it didn't require any special effort. My brothers and sisters and I grew up with the expectation that we would attend the university that was about 15 minutes from our house, that we would live at home for the four years until we graduated, and that our parents would pay for our education. That was the plan laid out by our mother and father and my four siblings and I stuck to it.

However, as the parent of a 20-year-old son who's going to be transferring from the JC to a four-year college and a daughter who's a high school senior, where our children go to school and how it will be paid for isn't pre-determined like it was for me. The uncertainties of our kids' college educations present a challenge for me; I'm someone who feels a lot more comfortable when everything can predictably be tied up in a neat package.

A lot of the reason that my college experience and that of my kids is so different is because we live in a different place and time. I certainly wasn't the only student who didn't consider any other options than the nearby university. The vast majority of my high school classmates conformed to the same plan as I did; they continued living at home and automatically attended the "U." And from what my sister who still lives in my hometown tells me, that is still the case.

But the mindset of students here is much broader. There aren't any assumptions that you're going to choose a particular college. It could be starting at the JC, applying to a UC or a State school or hoping to go to school outside of California. I think it's wonderful that kids have lots of options about where to go to school so they can find the one that is the best fit for them. But having a lot of choices also means a lot of variables which adds to the stress of the process.

And just because you like a school doesn't mean you'll get accepted-or be able to pay for it. Our son got in at the college that was his first choice and the following week we got an invoice for $25,000 for the first semester. As if. Fortunately, he says he is going to be just as happy going to a State school. But even though the tuition there is reasonable in comparison, how he pays for it and his living expenses is yet to be determined since we're not in a position to foot the bill.

And then there's the current dismal economic situation. The newspaper says that Cal Grants may be axed in the Governor's budget cuts. Plus, credit is tight so student loans are harder to get. Hand me another Pepto-Bismol.

What this all is pointing out to me is that I need to have some flexibility and creativity in the way we approach college with our kids. Gone are the days of assumptions and expectations about starting at Point A as an 18-year-old freshman and following a straight line to Point B at graduation four years later.

Perhaps in 2018 - that is the earliest that our eighth grade daughter could graduate from college - I'll look back with the perspective of experience and wonder why I ever thought sending your kids to college was a challenge. At least that's my hope.