This may seem like an odd topic to introduce on a parenting for college blog. But it must be said. Sometimes college just won’t do. If you are one of those parents whose child isn’t thrilled with the prospect of college, I’m here for you. Not every child should go to college—there, I said it.
No college doesn’t necessarily mean your child is stuck in a low-paying job for the rest of their life. They have options. These options can provide your child with a bright future and many who pursue these paths often outpace those who went to college.
A recent study found that 76% of parents want their children to end up in STEM-related careers. And with an ever-growing number of jobs requiring knowledge of new technologies, it isn’t very hard to see why. From manufacturing to marketing, most jobs today are dependent on computers for their success. And computers are dependent upon code. That’s probably why so many parents are hoping to get their kids into coding.
As many as 85% of parents are encouraging their children to learn to code, according to one study. But despite wanting their kids to learn, many parents are at a loss about the best resources available to help kids to code. Where can a parent start when they want to help their child dive into this new field, especially if they don’t know much about coding themselves? We’re here to help! We’ll help you narrow down the options by explaining the different categories of resources out there. Then, you can decide which resources best meet your needs.
Research shows that parents have a strong influence over their child’s college or career path. That influence may be subtle, and beyond the conscious awareness of the child, or often not so subtle. Parents have been known to push a child into a career path for numerous reasons, most have nothing to do with the child’s interests.
Parents are the number one influence in the career and college major choices made by their children.
Growing up, my parents had some friends who insisted their children and even their son-in-laws follow the father’s career path as a doctor. They all attended college and medical school following in his footsteps. They all became doctors, but not all were happy in their careers. Most were miserable and floundered around until finally giving up and leaving the medical profession. Not only did they waste years on their education and a medical degree, but they have never recovered from what they perceived to be a failure.
You might think teenagers have it easy, after all, they have no real responsibilities – what could they possibly worry about?! However, teenagers actually feel a lot of pressure. They are expected to figure out what they want to do for the next X amount of years in their education, as well as have a good idea of what they would like to do in their professional lives once education is over. It’s a lot to think about for a brain that isn’t fully developed yet (and for a person that likely doesn’t 100% know themselves, and is not free from the pressures/expectations of friends/family) to handle.
It can be really difficult for them to figure out what it is they want to do, but as their parent, you can help them. Remember that no matter if they want to become a Massage Therapist, chef or a writer, it is your job to support and guide them wherever you can. Below, we’ll go through some of the things you can do to help them figure it all out.
Making the most of a college degree requires a knowledge of the career path your student will be pursuing. This post is one of many I have provided to help parents and students make an informed college major choice.
Utility engineers are highly specialized professionals who usually work with public utilities that provide gas, water, power or sewer services to communities. Most utility engineers have a background in mechanical or civil engineering.
Utility engineering consultants work on how to improve the delivery of utility services to homes and businesses. They often are employed in public works activities that offer new utility services to communities. Utility engineers also work to improve current services with new technology and best practices.
Common utility engineer tasks include:
Devise plans, designs, and operations for utility systems, including gas, water, and sewage systems.
Identify and resolve any failures of utility systems and oversee preventative maintenance.
Direct utility project groups and offer guidance on how to install or improve utility systems
Gather data on utility processes, monitor utility system effectiveness and material usage.
Manage construction projects involving utilities, devise utility project scope, specifications, and budgets.
During times when there are utility outages, utility engineers are engaged in directing and managing work crews to restore services as quickly as possible.
Utility engineers also are involved in boosting service quality by reducing service interruptions. This is done by enhancing infrastructure and working to reduce any existing problems. For these types of projects, the utility engineer works in planning and execution.
Example of a Utility Engineer Project
For example, a utility engineer may determine that a plot of land with dozens of old trees is a high risk to power lines. He or she will design a project to run electric cabling underground or to reinforce current aerial lines and electric poles. He or she would collaborate with work crews to ensure these utility projects are properly carried out and thoroughly inspected for effectiveness and safety.
As a utility engineer, you may work on many different types of projects for different entities. Some may work for a city that is designing a new energy distribution grid. These utility engineers may act as consultants to provide guidance on the power requirements of a growing urban area. Others might work at smaller utilities that keep power going in all buildings, and also work in installing backup electrical generators for any power outages.
Some utility engineers also work at manufacturing plants and job sites outdoors overseeing the construction of electrical turbines and other types of equipment that produce power.
Utility engineers work on infrastructure projects that are vital to the continuing growth and viability of our society, and therefore are engaged in work of great importance.
We all have dreams in life, and these often start when we are young.
When you were at high school, you may have had visions for your future, of the places you wanted to get to, and of the person you wanted to be. Hopefully, your dreams were realized.
So, let’s think about your teen. What are their dreams? What do they want in the future? And what colleges are they considering to achieve their future ideals?
As the parent, you need to be in a supportive role – the person who encourages their dreams, and not the person who crushes them.
In your role, these are some of the things you need to focus on.
Don’t be dismissive of your teen’s choices
Remember that your teen’s dreams may not necessarily equate with your dreams for them. Too many kids end up in colleges and careers they didn’t want, and that is because their parents have pushed them in directions they didn’t want to go. So, don’t be that parent who forces them down a path they are resistant to. If you catch your teen looking at the preflight checklist for pilots on the pages of an aeronautical university website, or if you hear them talking to their friends about colleges for the performing arts, be supportive. Don’t tell your teen that such career choices are pipe dreams, unrealistic, and not for them. Show them you support their choices, and if the colleges they look at really aren’t beyond the realms of reality for them, encourage them to take the right courses at high school that will meet the requirements of the colleges in question.
Encourage them in their education
As we suggested above, help your teen make the right choices when it comes to high school courses, especially if getting grades in these courses will qualify them for admission into the colleges they like. And when they are taking these courses, encourage your teen to work hard. If they need to study for tests, and if they need to write essays, remind your teen of their college goals every time they slacken off. Help your teen with their courses when they are struggling too. Be there when they need your help to study for tests and exams. Be there when they need your advice on a paper they have written. And be there whenever an obstacle arises that could potentially cause them to fail their course. The more help you can give them at high school, the greater the chances of them getting the grades they need for college.
Make their dreams become a reality
You can do this in all kinds of ways, from helping them find the right colleges for them, to helping them fill out their college applications. Take a look at the advice we gave on our site about what you can do to coach your college-bound teen too, as there is much you can do to prepare them for the next stage of their academic life. You can teach them some of the skills they will need at college, for example, and you can help them prepare for the pre-college tests they might need to take during the application process. The more you can do to support your teen, the better, so while you shouldn’t be overbearing within your responsibilities, you should still steer, gently cajole, and encourage your teen to ensure their dreams can come true.
The late teenage and young adult years have one thing in common, likely one thing we, you and many more have experienced. That’s insecurity. It’s not easy to consider where your place in the world should be, particularly as you also have to have your direction somewhat considered before you even put a step out into the world. This is where self-limiting beliefs can come from and hinder your teen from pursuing their dreams.
But unfortunately, a lack of wanting to try or a fear of going for our dreams can leave us feeling extremely regretful, even by the age of 30. While you cannot force your child down a certain path, nor should you, you can certainly help them alleviate some of the symptoms of this insecurity, even if you can’t completely stop them from feeling that way at all.
It takes a little care, compassion, and empathy. If you can understand that, then you never know just how they could bloom, or how your bond could grow.
Can & Cannot
It takes a little care, compassion, and empathy. If you can understand that, then you never know just how they could bloom, or how your bond could grow.
When you say you can or cannot do something, you’re usually right both times. It’s important to never dismiss something just because it seems hard, or because someone else might have done it better, or simply because you have a disadvantage. There are people who are born into terrible circumstances who still manage to pull their lives together and graduate from high school, or get into a school of their choosing. It’s important for you to allow your child to know this, and to talk them through it. What are their dreams? How do they regard their ability? Do they know what they’ll need to do to get there? On top of that, where are their ‘can’ and ‘cannots’ coming into play? How might you persuade or dissuade them from that advantage point? A little encouragement can be very worthwhile here.
Inspiration
A little inspiration can be a true help in giving a young adult the tools to see where possibility lies. For example, they might be very interested in attending a certain musical college. However, they might feel insecure about pursuing this. Only when having that experience personified through someone profoundly inspiring, such as learning the Bishop Briggs story, does it click into place. This will help a young person see themselves achieving something similar. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Trying Again
It’s not failing that produces failure. It’s giving up and accepting the failing as an end consequence. If you can help your child learn this kind of tenacity, through sports, through cleaning the house, through any other activity, chore or job they might be involved with – you can help them see that even if things go wrong, they can always try again, and will be better off for the effort. Often, removing self-limiting beliefs is best helped when teaching our children that a mistake is no great terrible event – it can be learned from and moved past.
With this advice, we hope you’re able to provide a sense of security and encouragement to your child as they decide their next steps into the world of adulthood.
If your student is in the stages of deciding which degree to take at college, you’ll likely know that this can be a testing time. Some teens seem to know exactly what kind of career that they want even at this age, others are still unsure- and that’s okay too. This is a big decision that will affect your child’s future enormously, so if they are questioning their choices or feeling unsure, then this is just a completely healthy part of the process.
You’ll naturally be looking to support and help them as much as you can and so being clued up on some excellent degree options will help you to provide better advice.
For instance, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a degree level program which requires four years of study. The main curriculum on these programs includes the study of all aspects of nursing practice and theory; from adult and maternal to newborn and pediatric. At some colleges, areas such as community, gerontological or psychiatric health will also be covered in the curriculum. As well as nursing practice and theory, courses will also include studying leadership and professional practice.
Benefits of study
While some other routes into nursing take less time to study, the BSN degree is a longer and more detailed course that is considered advantageous for a number of reasons. Firstly, taking a BSN means more options to progress further career-wise in the nursing world, and thus the salaries as one moves forward will reflect this. Holding a BSN will grant entry into masters courses or set the student up to progress by taking a Doctor of Nursing program. Some DNP programs are available to study online; for instance, Bradley University offers such opportunities. As well as this, graduates of these courses will enjoy the chance to take on specialized nursing based jobs that exist outside the traditional role. Students could end up specializing in something that they are really passionate about, for instance, a psychiatric nurse, nurse anesthetist, or neonatal intensive care nurse. In addition to this, leadership roles are on the cards if these are what candidates aspire to.
Job satisfaction
Nursing is the ultimate altruistic professional that helps others and gives back. A number of essays and studies have linked being an altruistic person to being a happier person, so nursing candidates could find a career whereby they experience real joy, even though the work can be challenging. Finding something that you love to do is great for the mind and body both, yet sometimes it can be difficult finding out just what that thing is! If your kid is keen to discover if the nursing world is for them, why not suggest that they spent a little time volunteering in supporting role and see if this helps them reach a decision? Spending enough time researching and discovering as much about a potential degree program as you can will aid in making a properly informed choice.
Teenagers can feel pressure to plan their future as the end of their time at high school approaches. Being encouraged to apply for college or to find a job as soon as they have graduated can be difficult, especially when it starts early and they feel like they have to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. If you want to help a teenager work out what they want to do after high school graduation, you can offer them assistance and encouragement in a number of ways.
Encourage an Open Approach
High schoolers can often feel pressured to make important life choices as soon as possible. They might feel that they need to start choosing colleges and thinking about what their major is going to be before they’re anywhere near finishing high school. But if you want to help a teenager work out what to do after graduation, you can encourage them to keep their options open. There’s no need for them to have a set plan for the future or a solid idea of their post-graduation plans long before they graduate. If they keep an open mind, they could be more likely to find something that suits them.
Explore Options Outside of College
Many teenagers feel that there is pressure to attend college straight after high school. However, more graduates are being put off going to college by high tuition fees and other factors. Educator Dr Jerry Jellig believes that high school students need to be presented with other options, including alternative career paths and routes into college. There are various paths to explore, from vocational schools to employment opportunities after high school. College doesn’t have to be something that is completed straight after high school, if it is a goal at all.
Understand the Current and Future Job Market
It’s worth thinking about what the job market looks like today and what it could look like in a few years. Parents and educators of teenagers today might not be as in touch with the current job market as they might think, especially when it comes to opportunities for people who are just beginning their career. To help teenagers discover a career path that could work for them, you should be aware of what types of jobs are out there and how the skills that teenagers learn today can help them find the right opportunities.
Find Opportunities for Experience
Work experience can help teenagers explore their career options and discover what sort of work they might be interested in. There are a few ways to find work experience, including a short week or two shadowing someone, summer internships or part-time jobs. Work experience might not show high schoolers the exact career that they want to have, but it can reveal to them some of the skills they might want to use or industries they want to explore.
High school graduates don’t have to know what to do for the rest of their lives, but they should know what their next step is. You can help them decide.
