Paying for college: A rant of modest proportions
No.
Not now. Not ever.
Not on my dime.
I will invest nearly every ounce of my time, talent, and treasure on my children's learning adventures until they finish high school. And then, well... I look forward to following their journey --- with my Visa, my checkbook, my wallet, and my retirement plan completely intact.
This may mean that they (wisely) complete general education courses such as composition I and II, U.S. history, literature, biology, chemistry, etc. at one of the city's community colleges while they wrap up their high school studies. Such preparation will save them time and money.
This may mean that they will prepare for and take AP examinations in subjects in which they excel. Scores of four or five will translate into college credit. Such preparation will save them time and money.
This may mean that they pursue internships, apprenticeships, business opportunities, etc. that will not only (potentially) earn them money but also set them apart from same-aged peers with whom they may compete for admission into special programs and/or scholarships. Such preparation will save them money.
This may mean that, like their parents, they will work while attending college --- they will work parttime jobs so that they need not take out loans, and they will work their bums off so that they, like their parents, earn recognition and scholarships. All such preparation will save them time and money.
And it will likely spare them the devastating debt that many of today's grads face upon graduation. (See "Graduates fear debt more than terrorism," USA Today, May 18, 2005.)
We are "trained" to see college as the next logical step for bright kids --- like our kids: educated classically with heaps of individual tutoring and time to learn and grow. But the truth is, many of our teens are already better educated than freshmen in our "good" state schools. They (our teens) are better read, more capable, and almost in a class of their own when it comes to writing, thinking, and drawing parallels between the disciplines of history, literature, philosophy, and science.
A big-tag college education may not be their ticket.
And that's okay.
Not now. Not ever.
Not on my dime.
I will invest nearly every ounce of my time, talent, and treasure on my children's learning adventures until they finish high school. And then, well... I look forward to following their journey --- with my Visa, my checkbook, my wallet, and my retirement plan completely intact.
This may mean that they (wisely) complete general education courses such as composition I and II, U.S. history, literature, biology, chemistry, etc. at one of the city's community colleges while they wrap up their high school studies. Such preparation will save them time and money.
This may mean that they will prepare for and take AP examinations in subjects in which they excel. Scores of four or five will translate into college credit. Such preparation will save them time and money.
This may mean that they pursue internships, apprenticeships, business opportunities, etc. that will not only (potentially) earn them money but also set them apart from same-aged peers with whom they may compete for admission into special programs and/or scholarships. Such preparation will save them money.
This may mean that, like their parents, they will work while attending college --- they will work parttime jobs so that they need not take out loans, and they will work their bums off so that they, like their parents, earn recognition and scholarships. All such preparation will save them time and money.
And it will likely spare them the devastating debt that many of today's grads face upon graduation. (See "Graduates fear debt more than terrorism," USA Today, May 18, 2005.)
We are "trained" to see college as the next logical step for bright kids --- like our kids: educated classically with heaps of individual tutoring and time to learn and grow. But the truth is, many of our teens are already better educated than freshmen in our "good" state schools. They (our teens) are better read, more capable, and almost in a class of their own when it comes to writing, thinking, and drawing parallels between the disciplines of history, literature, philosophy, and science.
A big-tag college education may not be their ticket.
And that's okay.
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