Today is Independence Day and along with all the fireworks, barbecues and festivities, we should always reflect on the meaning of freedom. Our college bound teens would tell us that freedom means they don’t have to be under the constant supervision of parents when they leave for college. Our upcoming seniors would say freedom means they have the right to choose the college they apply to and attend.
While the freedom to choose is at the center of our independence, we are also responsible for those choices and the consequences they might bring on ourselves and others. That’s why it is extremely important that parents explain the consequences of a wrong college choice. What constitutes a wrong college choice:
- Choosing a college that you simply cannot afford causing you to incur too much student loan debt
- Choosing a college that you really know nothing about based on the choices of your friends
- Choosing a college because it’s far away from home or close to home without investigating other factors like graduation rate, course availability and student population
- Choosing a college because your boyfriend and/or girlfriend is going there and you don’t want to be separated
- Choosing a college that does not match your social interests (i. e. a college that everyone goes home on the weekends, or a college with a predominant Greek life culture that doesn’t interest you)
- Choosing a college because someone else has chosen it for you (parents, friends, teachers)
As you can see, all of these choices will result in an unhappy student who will most likely drop out freshman year and result in a large monetary loss as well as student loan debt that will have to be repaid. Teach your teens who crave for the freedom of choice that along with it comes the responsibility of making that choice. Choose wisely after you have all the facts.
Happy Independence Day! Enjoy your family and your freedom!
