Is it about being ‘educated’ or being able to ‘graduate’ ?

Every Spring, senioritis has flooded the classrooms across every high school. They are trying to finish up the “last” of everything: daily assignments, quizzes and tests.

While being approached with the question: What will they be doing after graduation? There are many students that have a quick response, college. However, for others, they hesitate and there of the ability to dream has been disabled.

There is various implication is the cost of tuition (addition room and board if housing is needed) and career choose.

In the United States today it is a major trend for students to continue on with a higher level of education. The video “Why I hate school but love education” was made to inspire the audience to pursue a career that will expose the potential they have in many different ways.

Suli compares society and parents’ reasons for the students to receive a degree by stating,

“Let me tell you what society will tell you:
Increases your chances of getting a job,
Provides you an opportunity to be successful,
Be a lot less stressful,
Education is the key.

Now let me tell you something your parents will tell you:
Make me proud,
Increases your chances of getting a job,
Provides you an opportunity to be successful,
Your life will be a lot less stressful,
Education is the key.” (Watch the Full video here )

He wanted to show that the main voices in the lives of these young people see the benefits of education. Is it a possibility they become educated in a different way?

Twenty years ago, it was not necessary to have a higher level of education. There are many routes students can take to become educated in the specific area they choose. Vocational School, military, college and many other options to equip students to be educated in today society.

Vocational school is a place where you can help train you for a specific field. If you know you would like to be a cosmetologist, a welder, a locksmith and so much more. If you are interested something specific, I urge you to follow the trend of being educated by going to a vocational school. Click here to find out what other programs are offered and the location of a vocational school around you.

So, vocational school may not be the way for you. Are you a person who loves their country? Have you ever thought about joining the military? You can be educated by joining the military. Physically and mentally you will be equipped to serve our country.

Stew Smith wrote an article called, “10 Things you should know before you join the military.” The first things he says is, “It’s no one’s job to motivate you to serve but YOURS.” (Click here to read more). This maybe something you are considering after reading the article. I have linked further guidance if you are interested in pursuing serving in the military. If this is something you are passionate about be reminded that the trend of going to college to be educated is not the only way. Click here to find out more of how to join the military.

Lastly, you could attend a college or university. People with a Bachelor of Arts degree used to be in the top of the food chain. However, it has becoming so common for majority of people to have such a degree therefore it is recommended to continue into a Grad- school for a Master’s degree.

According to Statics Portal in 1996 there was about 15 million people who attend college. The number has increased dramatically in 2016 about 21 million people are attending college. (Graphs click here)

There has been an increase in the cost of college which might being up the problem of whether college is within your budget. There are scholarship and other resources here to help students attend a higher level of education. (Find out more about FASA, click here)

Image credit: Courtesy of Amy Henkel Photography

Homeschooler in the Real World

Emma Folts, a sophomore at Wheaton College, shares her experience about her transition into college and how homeschool has both helped and hindered her.
How has your homeschool experience benefitted you, especially in your transition into college?
I think the one thing that homeschooling did that was really helpful as I entered college was that it taught me time management. As a homeschooler I had the same freedom as a college student has to put things off during the day and go see a friend instead. Since I had that experience, I knew the cost of that.
Also, personal responsibility and accountability with assignments. I feel like a lot of the other students had more expectations for gentler grading and that the professor would give them retakes or extensions, but that wasn’t something that ever happened to me in school. That learning curve wasn’t added because I never had it the other way. I think another thing was that because I was homeschooled, I was familiar with the format of teaching and then studying on my own.
Did you see any issues with your transition socially?
I think that homeschooling had two ramifications for me socially. One was helpful, one was hurtful.
It was really helpful because as a homeschooler, I had spent a lot of time realizing and developing who I was as a person and learning to recognize people who were being themselves, and those were the people I sought out as friends. Friendship as a homeschooler takes a lot more investment. I knew I was choosier with my friends which made me a lot less anxious and a lot more content.
The only real negative impact of the social bit was that I was really used to getting to choose the time I got to spend with people. As a homeschooler I spent a lot of time with people, but that time was controlled by me. As a college student, I found that you can’t really control the time you spend with people and alone time is not really available. Learning to deal with that was a lot harder than anticipated.
Any last comments on homeschool and how it has affected your college experience?
I think homeschooling is really helpful, however it does take a slightly increased amount of advocacy with your peers when you’re entering into college. I think a lot of people come in with certain assumptions about homeschool, especially students. You’re going to get a lot of, ‘oh my gosh, you don’t seem like a homeschooled person!’ [You can’t] take that too personally and explain your experience so that friends can understand it’s an important piece of you, though it might not look like the homeschooling that they’ve seen.
My encouragement to anyone who is a homeschooler transitioning into college is to realize the benefit that you have having been homeschooled, and to realize that the bit of advocacy and explaining that you need to do with your peers is totally normal and that it’s not a big deal. Once they understand your experience, it’s not something I’ve experienced being looked down on for.