Teens who don't want to go to college
It is in most parents plans for their children that they will go to college and hopefully university and then get a professional job that they love and which becomes a career. Unfortunately, this is not always the dream of some teenagers. It is unfortunate, because statistics show, the better educated you are, the better the opportunities are out there and the better jobs. When a teenager announces that they are going to leave education after high school and get a job, it can be the start of serious conflict between the teenager and their parents.
The teenager may well hate high school, finding any academic work difficult and frustrating. Parents of teens who are struggling at high school may have an idea that college is not on their teens' wish list! Teenagers whose behavior has been an issue in high school, may find it difficult to get a college place, it is not just grades that count. B average students who suddenly do not want to go to college will upset their parents with this decision; all that hard work for nothing. It is a fact that college graduates earn more, on average, than high school graduates, so parents can try to appeal to their teens' mercenary instincts!
However, the discussion about college should not be left to the last minute; when grades are already bad, behavior dodgy and the teen has already given up on the idea of succeeding. Some teenagers know they have little chance of college and therefore are pre-empting potential failure by saying that college is not for them. Other teenagers are sure they will not get into the college their parents want them to, so again, to avoid the disappointment, they will dismiss college as a choice.
Parents need to be clear as to their own motivation; do they want the teen to go to college because that is best for the teenager, or because it makes them look like successful parents? Parents should have this discussion with the teen as they join high school; encourage them to believe that they have college as a choice, which they can then decide on later.
To secure that choice they need good grades, and good behavior. An alternative for teens wishing to leave high school and get a job, is to ensure they do summer work in their area of interest; this will help them to understand the qualifications needed, and the pay on offer at the different levels. If your teen decides to get a job, do not despair; many an entrepreneur missed out on college and did well.