- That’s where the social life/partying/drinking/fun will be.
- My parents will pay my way. Otherwise, I’d have to earn a living.
- It is the only way I can get out of the house and stop living at home.
- All of my friends are going.
- I’ll be labeled a failure if I don’t go.
- That’s where I’ll find a husband/wife/partner.
- That’s where I’ll make connections to get a good job in the future.
- It’s the only way that I see to get out of my home town.
- I have no idea why I’m going to college. It just seems like what you do after high school.
Obviously, if your student’s reasons for heading to college are all on the list above, you may want to have a serious conversation about whether college makes sense right now. Your student may need to consider alternatives such as taking a gap year, or post-graduate year, considering a vocational or trade school, or getting a job instead.But perhaps your student has given more thought and you both agree that there are better reasons to head to college.I’m heading to college because . . .
- This is the way I’ll get a good job later. College is job and career preparation.
- I’ll earn more money later if I have a college education.
- I’ll have more options later with a college education.
- I’ll be able to network and make connections. Other students may be the people who will hire me someday.
- I’ll gain experience through programs such as study abroad or internships.
Obviously, some of these reasons are more thoughtful, and are often the reasons given for why the expense of a college education is worth it. They may be very good reasons for many students. But if students don’t value the experience of college as well as the end result of a college education, they will miss an important piece.We’d like to suggest that some of the following reasons for heading to college will help your student make the most of all college experiences. Try to help your student understand some of the less obvious, deeper benefits of a college education.I’m headed to college because . . .
- My experiences will help me discover what drives me in life. I’ll find and explore my passion.
- I will have an opportunity to explore my personal identity. I’ll discover more about who I am.
- I’ll have a chance to study a field that is interesting to me — even if it doesn’t directly lead to a particular career.
- I’ll learn more about how to learn so I’ll be able to learn new things all through my life.
- I’ll learn life skills that will help me throughout my life such as discipline, confidence, social skills, the ability to express my opinions clearly.
- I’ll have a chance to practice being ”grown up” in a relatively safe environment where I can learn from my mistakes.
- I will be learning how to think by increasing my critical thinking skills.
- I’ll be exposed to diversity and people who are not anything like me.
- I’ll learn to be a better citizen of the world by being exposed to great thought leaders and learning about civic engagement and how I can contribute to my smaller and larger communities.
The experience of attending college can be a wonderful and rich experience if your student is headed to college for the right reasons. As parents, we can help our students think about their reasons and broaden their thinking. It’s worth asking your student, ”Why are you headed to college?”