Directing Your Children to be College Bound

There is a point often early in grade school where parents need to point a young mind into making a decision, a decision probable with more consequences than most other questions we face in life. Will we take a path toward a college education or will we focus on learning a trade to better ourselves in life?  The choice we make is often driven by our previous commitments to studying, earning good grades and our achievements from attacking obstacles in our way.  Let’s face it if we don’t take stock of our desires and commitments at a young age we can limit our choices. College is not right for everyone and people reach that readiness at different speeds, while some not at all. One of the first questions a student should ask is; are they a good student? Do they learn things easily or work hard at getting their grades?  Or is it that many subjects in school just don’t interest them? But what does interest them? The answer to these questions will shape their path. And maturity also plays a role of when college might fit their mindset. But just know that whatever they choose they’re not locked in, and there is not one answer. Sometimes life experiences such as family and home life upheaval can be in a spin for a period before their commitment solidifies. Life is full of choices made from changing one’s mind and heading in another direction. But if they are decided upon staying involved with some form of education they’re life will get better.

The real life choices of trade or college tend to follow a student’s earlier educational patterns. Though some trades are easier than others, the studying can be as intense and as long as or even longer than a four year college degree, like becoming an electrician. The main difference of the two is that college graduates use their brains to study facts and then create solutions, always asking what’s possible. Learning a trade means learning the facts and then addressing a problem with a proven solution for that specific problem. A college student can address many different professions with their learned analytic minds, thus opening more professions up to them, and often higher salaries.

For parents, the issue starts early on, with their influence on their child’s habits. Maybe they didn't go on to higher education themselves. But a young mind is boundless; it is only limited by the influences of a parent and the will and desire of the student to be all that they could be. Dreaming of a fulfilling life is something a young mind should be doing in spite of the fact that we are all limited by our skills. To digest material at a student’s grade level is a sign that he or she is upward bound. However if basics aren't learned and incorporated a flaw will set the student up for a setback or even worse a future grade failure. Parents need to pay attention to semester grades, teacher’s comments, and study habits of their children. If they don’t see a higher than average grade level, they should work harder at getting their child the help they need. And even still, a lot of average students could be doing better if he or she was working to their full potential. On the flip side parents should also ask if their child is bored in school, a sure sign that progression is not happening at the child’s development pace. Students flourish when their lives are easy and their problems are few, and they are being challenged.  When they worry about conditions of their home life or their relationships in school, their grades are usually the first thing to suffer.  Nourishing parents should stay on top of these signs to address any issue that gets in the way of their child’s progression. But young boys and girls should also be taught to reach out for guidance when they know they can do better, or are bothered by issues in life. Like plants, children do best when they get everything they need.