Who Are Required to Go to College
Parents how to know whether your child needs higher education
Let us take a moment to remember back to our senior year of high school when we knew, even with some doubts, about our post-graduation plans. After we walked across the stage, building our future selves in our minds began at our day one of our new chapters, whether that was our:
- First day of college (traditional/community/vocational/technical)
- First day at a job
- First day enlisting in the military
Our decision was likely influenced by whatever our career aspirations were at that time.
If you went the college route, what was your career aspiration? Hold onto your thought.
Are you working or have worked in that career?
If you can recall, were there any education requirements (licensing, degree, certifications) and were work experiences a substitute in that career?
How you responded is key and by the end of this story, you may agree with the following statement I am about to make.
You went to college so you are a doctor, lawyer, nurse, dentist, pharmacist, teacher, or another professional.
These are examples of certain careers that it is impossible to do without going to college and earning a bachelor’s degree. The only reason in my opinion to nurture your children to attend college is for “gatekeeper” careers. Careers that you cannot do without following the set rules.
These rules are commonly
- 60 or more credit hours earned that include prerequisite
- Or a bachelor’s degree that includes prerequisites
These are the requirements to actually get into careers such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and others. For these certain careers, attending college is not optional, it is a must.
I am not a parent yet, but this is something I will have in mind as my future children grow and make a decision on what they want to be. I hope you may find this helpful, too.
Thank you for reading my perspective!
