Middle school is not to early to start thinking about college. And, as far as I'm concerned your never too young to start thinking about college. I have had elementary school students express to me what university they want to attend. That's a wonderful thing. Enhance their dream and do all you can to make it come to fruition. Before you know it your child will be a junior in high school...then it's graduation time.Ask your child what they would like to do once they become an adult. Every child has a dream...didn't you. Even as adults we are still reaching for our dreams. Here are some things that we can do to help cultivate that dream.
- Find a mentor - someone who works in the field that the student is interested in. This can be people whose services you already use: your doctor, pediatrician, attorney, dentist, minister, accountant, businesss owner, etc. Your chlid may be able to shadow that person and see the daily routine. There's nothing better than being involved first hand.
- Talk with someone who is new to that occupation - 2 years or less. Their outlook will be different from someone who is a veteran in that field.
- Use your inner network and see if any friends or family are in that line of work...your child can talk to them about their current experience. Most people are very open to talking about themselves and their career. You may never get them to be quiet.
- During the summer or even on the weekends see if your child can provide some volunteer work or possibly get an internship. They may not obtain direct experience in the field, but you will be able to network with current employees, have a realistic picture of what occurs on a daily basis, and open the door for other opportunities. This is priceless. Some companies do allow children over the age of 16 to participate in internship, volunteer, or mentoring programs. It doesn't hurt to ask.
- Go on the internet, see what length of schooling is required, what types of courses you will have to take, if there are any licensing/certificaion requirements after obtaining the degree, and research the salary. All of this data is very essential in determining if the occupation you choose is the right one for you. For instance, if you are required to be in school for 8 years and your not to keen on being in school for long periods of time then you may have to reassess your goals. If your interested occupation/major requires classes in chemistry, biology, and labs, but you hate science then you may want to do some rethinking . So, take a look at the full picture (the good and the not so good). Because, ultimately, you want to enjoy your career of choice.
- And, most importantly, see what the future holds for that field. What's hot today may not necessarily be in demand in a few years.
Once your in the mindset of attending college then you just need to start taking action. If you attended college tell your child about your experiences both good and bad. Children love to hear stories involving their parents. Sure, they may change their mind a few times but at least they will be better equiptted to make a knowledgable decision. Check out this website which steers middle and high schoolers in the direction of being college bound.
