Make College Count: A College Degree CAN be Worth the Price!

There are many compelling reasons NOT to send a child to college these days as Sarah Steward holland’s blog “I Might Not Send My Kids to College” in the Huffington Post suggests.

But a college degree can be worth it, if a student makes college count. 

Even before the SATs and the grueling college application process, students need to do some self-exploration to figure out their unique gift.  This is not their talent in music, for example, or their strengths, whether it is in languages or numbers.  Nor is it their passion.  It is the particular lens through which they see the world, finding out what comes naturally to them – whether it is making connections between people, seeking peace or always being able to see what’s missing from the big picture.

Once they know that instinctive quality, which they can uncover through a  coaching program like oneTRUEzone (www.onetruezone.com), they can marry it with their talents, their passions and the ever-changing job market.   It is a constant that will be with them for the rest of their lives and will drive them to careers where work feels like play because it is so natural.

Back to college.  Totally true – few are the freshman who can intentionally choose the right classes or pick a major that both suits them well and will lead to a career they will enjoy and at which they will be successful.  All that uncertainty adds up in additional tuition costs and debt as students switch majors and add semesters to their college bill.

Delaying college can be a solution, if that student can become totally immersed in internships – even short ones – that expose him to the real work world and help him discover what excites him.  There is nothing more important than  real life experiences of internships and job shadowing, as well as developing mentors who can help guide a student and open up doors to jobs and careers. 

It’s a strange new world we are living in when the value of a college education – which used to be a given – is increasingly being questioned.  College can be a time of great experiences and exploration. However, we can no longer send our students off and hope for the best. They need a road map to ensure the investment is worthwhile. Self-exploration is the key first step so students can approach college with the intentionality and focus on their need to succeed from school to a fulfilling career.

Helene Naftali, CSW, Founder, oneTRUEzone and Author, Own Your Zone: What Students Need to Succeed from School to Career.