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How do i convince my eighteen year old that he really needs a college education. he works a minimun wage job.? |
i am a single mother of two and i work two jobs to make ends meet. i am trying to convince my son that he should want to do better for himself. help! My, cleverg, you sound awfully bitter about something. We had some bad experiences in our school days, didn't we? I'll agree, though- college, just like high school, is fraught with drunken, druggie kids who are only too happy to be away from home and out on their own where the parties can happen all night long. Wanna know what happens to those kids? They get kicked out, drop out, or go on academic probation. Party people don't succeed; as a college student myself, I can attest to this. So if your son's reasons for not attending college have anything to do with him seeing it as a "waste of time," you can clear that myth from his head straight away. Find out what your son likes to do. Does he like to draw, write, play video games, read, play sports, watch movies, cook, etc.? I can tell you with absolute certainty that there is a college out there that will cater to whatever his favorite hobby is. You can get a degree in almost anything, and it's true-- college graduates make thousands more over the course of their lives than high school graduates do. But that kind of vague, far-reaching statistic isn't really going to help convince your average 18 year old they should invest their time and money in furthering their education. I agree with the suggestion that you should take your son on a tour of a college campus-- not a local community college, but a real, large college, especially if it has a major related to one of his interests-- and let him talk to the students. See if you can visit their career and alumni departments and see the sort of jobs available to students who obtain the degree he's so reluctant to get. The college will no doubt have many stories about students who came from families in your situation who have gone on to do many great things; make sure he listens to them. Ask him who he'd rather be-- the small guy working the minimum wage job, or the man with enough money and experience to hire guys like him to all the work for him. It's a blunt comparison, but it may help. And about the trade schools cleverg speaks of-- they're a viable option, sure, and the pay is good, but remember: They get paid that much because damned if they don't have some of the riskiest jobs in the world. I think your son would be a bit more likely to break bones or lose a limb working construction than he would as a sound designer or a biologist. Tell him to got to college or he'll end up stuck in Iraq. It has been proven that someone with a 4 year degree earns $23K a year (average) more than someone without a degree. It is almost impossible to tell an 18 year old anything he does not chose to believe, but I would suggest volunteering your services and his to a homeless shelter. It is a worthwhile thing to do and he will learn a lot about life and people that he may not understand yet from his own experience. It won't take long for him to figure out that there are better options for him if he has an education. A college education does not guarantee a good life, but it provides a lot more choices and opportunities. In many ways, education can be the key to freedom. Since I was about 5 or 6, I knew I was going to college. I was told I didn't have a choice in the matter. The decision wasn't whether I was going but which school I was going to. Perhaps he feels that college is a choice and not a requirement. He has to understand that going to college is a requirement to have a chance at job security in the 21st century. Degrees don't come with security but it sure helps. And if he doesn't want to go, he has to gain some advanced skills in some area (computer IT, court reporting, and other technical jobs that have large earning potential). Have you tried touring a few schools? That's what solidified the fact I was going to college as a high school student. After seeing what college looked like and talked to people who went there, that inspired me to work harder in school so I could go to a good college. Perhaps if you took him to a university and had him in the environment of the college campus, he'd understand. You may want to talk to him about some other issues about not going to college. Maybe it's someone at his job he wants to be with or that he's comfortable with his job and sees hope for advancement if he stays and works. What a lot of younger people don't realize is that job experience won't cut it like it use to. Some believe that while their friends are struggling in college and don't have any money, they'll have money unlike their broke friends in college. But he doesn't realize that when their friends get out of school, their job opportunities will be far greater than his even though he was work experience. And with those opportunities comes higher earning potential. You may also want to talk about alternatives to college such as trade school or learning a few skills. College isn't for everyone but you have to have some skills regardless. Just a few thoughts. College is useless. It's no guarentee of anything other than parties, sex and drugs. You'd be far wiser to get him started in the skilled trades. Filthy money and the work is clean. Crane Operators make $24 - $39 / hour as a journeyman and only 3 terms of 8 weeks for school. It'll keep him fit and outdoors and give a lot of variety and chances to change occupations: heavy duty mechanic, heavy equipment operators, welders (Journeyman welders can work in Ft. McMurray in Alberta for $100 and hour.) At the very least he can save money for school when he has an interest in it, maybe buy a house while he's at it. As a matter of fact, why aren't you in the trades? There are many programs to get women into them - get on it sister. That money is there to be made and chubby guys with pot bellies and a grade nine education are doing it, so can you! send me an email if you want to chat more. |
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