Friday, December 16, 2005
How Can I Convince My Son To Go To College?
Dear Guidance Guy,
My son works as a stereo and audio salesperson. He makes a lot of money and is very happy with what he's doing. He dropped out of high school but went to adult education and got his diploma from there.
I would like him to go to college. I think if he gets a college degree he will be able to do more things in the future. But he isn't interested. How can I convince him that college is the right thing for him?
Sincerely,
Frustrated Mother
*****
Dear Frustrated,
I understand wanting your son to go to college. Every parent wants their child to have choices for their future. It looks like your son has really found something he enjoys and is good at (if he makes a lot of money). Hopefully you're proud of him for this accomplishment.
There are many college graduates who start wonderful careers. They are excited about what they do. They make a good living and they look forward to advancing. There are many others who don't get what they hoped for from their education. Please consider yourself lucky that your son is happy with his job and has learned enough to make money. Depending on who he works for - such as a large company - there may be training opportunities within the organization in sales or management. He could be invited to take part in that training. If he works for a smaller company, it's possible they could offer college training in managment. This may be something that your son becomes interested in.If he sees upper level positions in sales or marketing that require college degrees, this could inspire him as well.
Right now the best thing to do is respect his wishes. If he just got finished with school and had a bad experience with it, the last place he'll want to go is back to school. And the more you push the idea, the less likely he'll listen to you. When he sees the value of going to college, maybe for the career path he's on right now it will become important to him.
Meanwhile, congratulations on having a happy and productive young man!
All The Best,
The Guidance Guy
My son works as a stereo and audio salesperson. He makes a lot of money and is very happy with what he's doing. He dropped out of high school but went to adult education and got his diploma from there.
I would like him to go to college. I think if he gets a college degree he will be able to do more things in the future. But he isn't interested. How can I convince him that college is the right thing for him?
Sincerely,
Frustrated Mother
*****
Dear Frustrated,
I understand wanting your son to go to college. Every parent wants their child to have choices for their future. It looks like your son has really found something he enjoys and is good at (if he makes a lot of money). Hopefully you're proud of him for this accomplishment.
There are many college graduates who start wonderful careers. They are excited about what they do. They make a good living and they look forward to advancing. There are many others who don't get what they hoped for from their education. Please consider yourself lucky that your son is happy with his job and has learned enough to make money. Depending on who he works for - such as a large company - there may be training opportunities within the organization in sales or management. He could be invited to take part in that training. If he works for a smaller company, it's possible they could offer college training in managment. This may be something that your son becomes interested in.If he sees upper level positions in sales or marketing that require college degrees, this could inspire him as well.
Right now the best thing to do is respect his wishes. If he just got finished with school and had a bad experience with it, the last place he'll want to go is back to school. And the more you push the idea, the less likely he'll listen to you. When he sees the value of going to college, maybe for the career path he's on right now it will become important to him.
Meanwhile, congratulations on having a happy and productive young man!
All The Best,
The Guidance Guy
