2012 college night volunteers - Tulare County Office of Education

TULARE COUNTY COLLEGE NIGHTwww.tcoe.org/collegenightHELPING YOUR CHILD PREPARE FOR COLLEGEMost students attend college because they believe that it will lead to a good career and more money. The best predictorof potential income is the level of education attained (chart 1). Parents and educators must continually teachstudents that the college preparation and completion process involves continuous decision making. The idea thateducation leads to greater income potential will not keep your child motivated if he or she is not connected to someultimate goal. This goal building and decision process will be shaped and defined by your child’s interests, experiencesand maturity.A college education builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier years. It is not too early to begin planningfor college in the seventh or eighth grade by encouraging your child to take challenging courses in academic subjectsand to set goals for good grades in school. As your child enters high school, start to discuss your child’s skills andinterests. Encourage your child’s participation in service organizations and school activities, and arrange for yourchild to meet a variety of people with different careers.In high school, you should begin to help your child make independent decisions. Students who don’t think aheadmay have difficulty completing all the required or recommended courses that will help them qualify for college. Ifyour child is interested in a specific career area, they may want to supplement some of the courses with vocationalor technical courses within an area of interest. They can also visit local employers.Interests and goals are important for college preparation. Reflecting on the classes and activities that your child hasenjoyed most will help them focus on college and career options. Contact your child’s high school career center formore information and resources on potential career and majors.Projected job growth varies widely by education and training requirements. In a report released by the govern menton education, it was reported:“The road to riches is paved by education- or so the data suggest. As [chart 1] shows, medianannual earnings… increased with educational attainment. There was a substantial earnings differentialfrom the highest to the lowest levels of attainment; the median earnings of workers who had aprofessional degree were more than 3 ½ times those of high school drop outs.”Chart 1/ Tabla 16