The time to apply for colleges is slowly approaching. Far from an easy decision to make, this can be one of the most stressful periods in the life of your teen. As you go about your day, you may notice that your student-to-be is growing quiet and absent, lost in worries over the decision that will impact their life.
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Why Should You Help Your Child with Deciding on a College Major?
If this is the case, you should simply remember your college days. Sure, the decision was difficult to make, but it paid off. Nobody ever repents choosing one college over another, so with this in mind, you should give your child space but offer support and understanding as much as you can. As they go about their day, try to ask subtle questions or simply have a seat and throw the topic on the table.
How to Help Teens with the College Decision?
Understand that every teen is different: they have different interests and needs and they need time to figure things out on their own. If you are a mother of a teen who should combine studying and parenting, you could offer assistance with the child until the studies are finished. It is always best to offer support and not simply leave your child just as they are preparing for the first step into adulthood. Here are the best ways to help your teen decide on a college major: 1. Encourage Them to Seek their Calling, 2. Give them Opportunities to Try Out Different Workplaces, 3. Talk about Moving and Costs, 4. Encourage them to Be Curious, and 5. Find a Good Career Advisor.
Encourage Them to Seek their Calling
Encourage your child to seek their calling. Practice mindfulness and openness with them. Let them browse different career paths and decide what they want to be. Let them explore their interests and learn about themselves. Some may even need a gap year – depending on them and you, you should let them have it. Just make sure this isn’t a form of escapism.
Give them Opportunities to Try Out Different Workplaces
As your teen is growing up, you should let them try out different careers and see how they are doing. One summer could be spent selling ice cream by the beach. Another one should be spent working in a restaurant or a bar. Yet another summer, they could be volunteering at a local bookshop. This will give them a taste of what it’s like to be working with people and in different environments.
A big part of any college experience is moving and the costs associated with it. Most teens dream of studying on a big University campus, far away from home, but that does not become a reality for all. Most students study within a driving distance from their home – saving some 12,000 dollars a year on housing, but giving a portion of it on gas. Speak about finances with your child.
Teach your child how to be critical and how to ask questions. Have them visit letsgradeit.com and see which writing service they like. Most of the services reviewed by the review service have free samples and essays on their web pages. Your teen should check them out and use these texts to ask questions and learn how to evaluate a piece of information. Once they can do it with a piece of writing, they will be able to do it with college prospects as well and avoid academic phishing.
Once your child has a rough idea or two of what they would like to be, it may be the time to start looking for a career advisor. With this in mind, you should look for aged professionals, and pay the extra buck to have an expert help your child evaluate their own abilities and aptitudes. School aptitude tests are good as well, but should not always be blindly followed, especially as everyone’s interests change as they age.
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Choosing your college major can be a difficult decision to make. For this reason, you should always be there for your child. With our advice on how to help a teen choose their major, you should be on the right track. Stay calm and focused and support rather than criticize.
Joanne Elliot lives by the mantra that a full day is a good day. For this reason, she always does as much as she can – the simple approach has helped her skyrocket both in school and after. As she catches some free time, she loves to go out with her friends and enjoy long, casual walks by the riverside.