PLANNING TEEN EDUCATION

Going to college and getting proper education is very important for ensuring the security and success of your teenager. Planning proper education for your teenager is a crucial step you have to take and help them know what is best for them taking into consideration their interests.

Benefits of going to college:

• Education is a must for getting better job. Because the world is changing rapidly, and many jobs rely on new technology, more and more jobs require qualifications that are essential for the post.
• Education is a must to earn more money.
• Education is a must to get a good start on life. A college education helps your child acquire a wide range of knowledge in many subjects, as well as advanced knowledge in the specific subjects they are most interested in. College also trains students to express thoughts clearly in speech and in writing, to make informed decisions, and to use technology--useful skills on and off the job.

One of the major benefits of acquiring a college education is having more jobs to choose from. Parents and students should talk about what kind of work interests the student, and find out more about the kind of education that specific jobs require. For instance if your child is interested in engineering or medical field you can concentrate on those subjects and pursue his career in that field. As students mature and learn about different opportunities, they may change their mind several times about the type of job they want to have. Changing your mind is nothing to worry about -- but not planning ahead is harmful and might create problems for his future.

For more information on the educational requirements of specific jobs, see our section on Education and Career.

Some advice to all parents

We have become a nation obsessed with the idea that not only is a college education a must for everyone, but that to have a truly successful life, one must attend the very best college possible. This myth, yes it is a myth, not only creates unreasonable stress on students and their families, but it almost destroys the future of the student. It doesn't really matter what college your child goes to. What matters is that a bright, intelligent, motivated person has the same likelihood of success irrespective of the college he or she attended. Choice of college tends to influence the first job because there's not much else for an employer to go on.

But, after that, it's what you accomplish in the real world is what matters and is taken into consideration. Many times it is seen that most college graduates end up in careers totally unrelated to what they majored in and thus their education doesn't really help them in the real world. Many students who struggle through college will do very well in the real world if they leave college with confidence and self-respect and are able to find something they love to do and have some skill at doing it.

Therefore what is advisable is expose our young to a well-rounded education, which has some intrinsic value. Just don't focus on the grades but rather the exposure. Try to find out what his interests are and in which field he will excel. We are too obsessed with degrees and not enough with the development of the person. In the long road of life it is the person that will mater, not the degree that he acquires. Thus it is not the college that is important but it is the person's interests and skills that matters.