I agree with you Doody. It was a major transition for my nephew his first year away at college, especially coming from a sheltered environment with strict rules at home. It was his first taste of real "freedom." Learning to socialize and get along on his own was his biggest concern, and his grades suffered.

I'm particularly concerned about kids who have been home-schooled. Seems to me sending a home-schooled kid away to college would be similar to tossing them into a lion's den without a spear.

I have a friend who teaches high school math on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Last year, seven students from the graduating class committed suicide. I doubt there's a large graduating class, so I'm sure the impact on the surviving students and teachers was tremendous. I know it breaks my friend's heart to lose his students. What makes it worse is there is no money to provide programs to help these surviving students.