Why We Should Stop Expecting Kids to Go To College

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college to get where they wanted to be in life. Both situations are fine. We did what was best for us. That’s what everyone should do.</p><p id="c090">Both of my kids attended college. They will both also go to graduate school. One is already there. One graduates next month and starts graduate school in the fall. They have aspirations for careers that require a college education and the aptitude to be successful in college. Had they decided to do something that did not require college I would have supported that decision.</p><p id="409b">Some kids aspire to careers where a degree is not necessary. Some kids are not in a place where they would be successful in college. This is all OK. I think everyone deserves a chance to go to college. I think we should continue funding for grants to help those in need attend college. I just don’t think everyone should go to college.</p><p id="fd9e">We need people to become tradesmen. We still need plumbers, carpenters, welders, auto mechanics, etc. These are good jobs. These are good jobs that do not require a college degree. Unfortunately, these are becoming jobs that are considered “lesser” and parents try to push kids away from them and into college. There is no shame in these jobs.</p><p id="65e2">We should stop trying to for

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ce kids into college just because we have all decided that everyone needs a college education.</p><p id="a8e1">We should let kids go in the direction that will allow them the most success.</p><p id="b981">Why pressure a kid into college if that is not where they will be successful?</p><p id="b529">Why not guide kids toward the path in life that is best for them instead of the path that makes the parents and the schools feel good about themselves?</p><p id="1d3b"><b><i>Not yet a Medium member? Use the link below to join and get unlimited reads for $5 a month and support writers like me.</i></b></p><div id="0e2e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://theycallmetater.medium.com/membership"> <div> <div> <h2>Join Medium with my referral link - Alan Simpson</h2> <div><h3>As a Medium member, a portion of your membership fee goes to writers you read, and you get full access to every story…</h3></div> <div><p>theycallmetater.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*xTRusRNgxTw4O0au)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

College is not for everyone and that’s OK

A blogger friend recently posed the question Do We Owe Kids College?

I think another question we should ask is “Should we encourage all kids to go to college?” I propose the answer to that question is no.

Some people should not go to college and that’s OK. Some people should go to college and that is also OK.

I am the only one of my siblings to graduate from college. It doesn’t make me better than them. It doesn’t make me smarter than them(that happened naturally). I am better looking than them, but college had nothing to do with that. I needed to go to college to get where I wanted to be in life. They didn’t need to go to college to get where they wanted to be in life. Both situations are fine. We did what was best for us. That’s what everyone should do.

Both of my kids attended college. They will both also go to graduate school. One is already there. One graduates next month and starts graduate school in the fall. They have aspirations for careers that require a college education and the aptitude to be successful in college. Had they decided to do something that did not require college I would have supported that decision.

Some kids aspire to careers where a degree is not necessary. Some kids are not in a place where they would be successful in college. This is all OK. I think everyone deserves a chance to go to college. I think we should continue funding for grants to help those in need attend college. I just don’t think everyone should go to college.

We need people to become tradesmen. We still need plumbers, carpenters, welders, auto mechanics, etc. These are good jobs. These are good jobs that do not require a college degree. Unfortunately, these are becoming jobs that are considered “lesser” and parents try to push kids away from them and into college. There is no shame in these jobs.

We should stop trying to force kids into college just because we have all decided that everyone needs a college education.

We should let kids go in the direction that will allow them the most success.

Why pressure a kid into college if that is not where they will be successful?

Why not guide kids toward the path in life that is best for them instead of the path that makes the parents and the schools feel good about themselves?

Not yet a Medium member? Use the link below to join and get unlimited reads for $5 a month and support writers like me.

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Why We Should Stop Expecting Kids to Go To College

College is not for everyone and that’s OK

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