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Elena
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| Posted: Oct 12 2007 at 4:59pm | IP Logged
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I think I've known this all along but my oldest son is not college material. I'll be happy if he makes it through high school! But I he does not enjoy academics, he doesn't do well with academics, and he has no interest in even looking at schools.
So...
tomorrow my husband is going to accompany him to our local fire department's Career Day. I saw it in the paper and I asked him if he wanted to go and he sort of shrugged, but now it turns out he has been telling his friends that he's going to see about being a fireman and that he's a bit excited about it!
I hope this gives him some direction and goals.
Anyone else with a kid like this?
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Elena
Wife to Peter, mom of many!
My Domestic Church
One Day at a Time
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LLMom
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| Posted: Oct 12 2007 at 6:07pm | IP Logged
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Yep. My ds probably won't be going to college, although he has a few more years. I am sure he will get involved in a trade of some sorts. He is interested in welding or woodworking.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: Oct 12 2007 at 7:51pm | IP Logged
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I get so excited when I hear of guys like this. There is such a shortage of "trade-workers" (or whatever the term is)...you know what I mean. And, they can be SUCH great jobs with good pay, training and advancement.
DH works in the contracting, utility, industrial sector and SO MANY employers and manufacturers are VERY WORRIED abou the futures of their companies b/c of the lack of skilled workers in industrial fields. Everyone wants to do computers/IT, high tech, business, law, etc......but no one wants to learn a business from the ground up, starting by diggin' in the ditches or going to trade school!
Some of the GREATEST guys I ever met never went to college! I have a very good friend who wasn't college material and he become a plumber......and now owns his own, small company.....has a great wife and family! He is my favorite person to run into when I get home.
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Suzanne in ID
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8kids4me
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| Posted: Oct 12 2007 at 8:18pm | IP Logged
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I have two kids who did not take that route. My dd Emily, became a hairdresser, and my ds Rob joined the Army. This is what they wanted to do, and in spite of my dh telling them over and over(even now) that it isn't too late to go to school(  ), they are happy with their decisions. I believe they made the best choices for themselves.
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Cindy B, mama to 8 great kids, and 5 grandbabies!
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JennGM
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| Posted: Oct 12 2007 at 8:24pm | IP Logged
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My son is nowhere near this age, but I found it fascinating when I talked to my local plumber that you learn through apprenticeship.
I think you do the same for steamfitters and such. There are many areas that are good, solid careers without getting a college degree.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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KackyK
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I read this great article (in the Washington Post nonetheless) recently that said an unfortunate thing about public school is that it convinces everyone you must go to college to "be somebody"...but that there are people in the world who are not college material and society does a big disservice to them pushing them to college.
The article went on to say that slowly vocational schools seem to be making a comeback. And along with this the rise of the community college's popularity is going up too.
My friend said her sister is the best example of this problem. She made really poor grades her whole school career. Then she felt pushed to go to college, and she went to what my friend said was one of the easiest SUNYs and there she was always on probation. Somehow she managed to get a degree...she is now a 5th grade public school teacher. And as my friend said, now her sister is teaching 5th graders subjects she could never get right!!! My friend wishes someone would have told her sister it was okay not to go to college and she could have done something else.
Anyways...just a few tidbits.
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KackyK
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mariB
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My brother is a firefighter on Cape Cod and it has been an amazing career for him. I am so proud of him. There are many times when he is with a person at the hour of their death and is able to pray for them and give them comfort.
I don't have any advice except for if your son follows God's plan for his life then he will be doing what he is supposed to do. What great blessings come from following God's will.
And who is to say he won't be doing college later on? My brother(age 40) who is a firefighter and who was never fond of school is taking classes at college to eventually become an emergency room nurse!
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marib-Mother to 22ds,21ds,18ds,15dd,11dd and wife to an amazing man for 23 years
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SusanJ
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I'm glad to see others feel similarly about college. Most of the generations before me have been successful without college (though many did the military) but they really, really pushed college on myself and sister and brother. It was really not a good fit for my brother. He did one semester then dropped out. He managed an Eddie Bauer for several years (great for my wardrobe!) and he just started a new job with great advancement opportunities that recognizes his skills apart from a college degree. The family won't leave him alone about going to college, but he's doing really well.
College really shouldn't be for everyone. This isn't a popular opinion but I think that far too many people get far too much education. I wish there were more positive influences for apprenticeships and tradeschools.
Susan
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SuzanneG
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If a guy is:
A good communicator
Positive/happy/encouraging/helpful
Ethical
Hard-working
Well-groomed
There is no telling WHAT he can do. Employers would bend over backward to get men with the above, no matter WHAT their level of education.
My girlfriend's family owns a medium-sized import-food business in Seattle. Twenty years ago they hired an 18-yr-old high school drop out who worked his bum off driving a forklift. They put him to work doing other things....driving truck, office work, warehouse...after a couple years he was going to trade shows, making sales calls, purchasing, security, computers/system mgmt, retail, advertising. He now practically runs the place and is the go-to-person in the company, even if he's not family. He will never own it, but he has a very challenging and exciting job, earning a great living.
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Suzanne in ID
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nissag
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I think our society often places way too much importance on a college education. I've been watching homeschooled kids of friends of mine (who are older than my own children) and what I noticed is that for every child that goes to college, there is another who has quite imaginatively created a career for him or herself. They are finding that their careers are not only personally rewarding, but also a blessing to others. They are seeing needs and meeting them with their talents and interests.
I've noticed that among homeschoolers there is an openness to apprenticeships as well. By that I mean that adult tradespeople are open to apprenticing kids. I have also known homeschooling parents who made dramatic career changes as a result of home educating their children. One family in particular comes to mind. She was a chemistry and biology grad, and he was a business admin grad. They wound up in midwifery and construction respectively. And are happier for it.
Not that their college educations are or were worthless. Not in the least. I'm sure that their background educations helped. But I bet that neither of those career paths were explored in academia for either of their concentrations. I guess what I'm saying is that home-schoolers live outside the box. They have powerful imaginations to do important things, and they don't need a college degree to do it.
Many prayers for your son, Elena, as he finds his way!
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Nissa
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MacBeth
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When I think of the family in general, my father is one of the few with a college degree in his generation. He has 7 brilliant siblings, but only two others (an RN and MFA) went to college. What do the rest do? Engineering, floral arranging, small business management, sales rep. for a major cash register company, and a wine taster.
Further, my brother never went to college, yet he is a phone systems engineer. In fact, he designed and installed the phone system currently in use at the Hoover Dam.
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MacBeth in NY
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: My son is not headed to college
