Beware of College, Post #3

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Barb

Many college administrators believe that stopping alcohol and drug abuse is the responsibility of the student, not the college.

A recent study finds that not only is alcohol and drug abuse increasing on college campuses, but a majority of college administrators believe that controlling such abuses is the responsibility of the students, not the college.

That may sound good, especially in light of the idea of personal responsibility, but the truth is that parents send their teens off to college to gain maturity as well as learning. Immaturity and personal responsibility are often mutually exclusive. Ultimately, parents expect that their offspring will be safe at college, and that the college or university to which they’re paying thousands of dollars each year will make sure of that.

How do you find a college where law enforcement and the protection of students are priorities? When you’re visiting colleges with your teen, ask questions about campus safety, as recommended by writer Paul Lloyd Hemphill. The type of response you get should speak volumes.

Next: So colleges aren’t what they used to be. Does this mean you shouldn’t send your teen to college?

Beware of College, Post #2

Posted on May 9, 2009 by Barb

Colleges and universities are more than willing to take your money in order to prepare your child for a career in which he probably won’t be able to find a job.

This article made me so sad because I was once a journalism student. While I don’t believe I was as idealistic as some of the students quoted, I enjoyed every bit of my journalism education, and looked forward to a career in journalism. A lousy economy at the time of my graduation ruined that dream for me back then.

Today, these kids are graduating into a lousy economy and a deteriorating journalism scene (note some of the comments after the article from recent journalism grads who can’t find work). The rise of the Internet and the clear bias of American media have resulted in newspapers dropping like flies. Yes, there are far more writing opportunities online than in print, but they pay less, too. It’s much harder to make a living as a journalist now than it was nearly 30 years ago when I graduated during the Carter years.

Yet the professors quoted in the article let the students believe that “it’s all going to be ok” when they surely know better. Gotta keep those paychecks coming in, I guess. (Same reason so many colleges and universities inflate grades these days, but I digress…..)

The moral of this story? Just because a college offers a specific major does not mean your child will be able to find work after obtaining that degree. Help your child make a wise career choice. Check out specific careers and their predicted futures at www.bls.gov. Most of all, don’t believe the hype of colleges that need to keep a certain number of warm bodies coming through their departments in order to maintain their own employment.

Next up: Many college administrators believe that stopping alcohol and drug abuse is the responsibility of the student, not the college.

Beware of College, Post #1

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Barb

College and university staff sometimes lies to parents in order to push a certain social agenda.

The mother of a Stanford University student is dismayed to learn that her child is living in a “gender neutral” dorm, which means co-ed within the room (i.e. sleeping in the same room as members of the opposite sex).

To make matters worse, university administration not only neglected to inform parents of this possibility in the residential hall info given to parents, but later lied and said it was only going on in four dorms when it was really going on in other dorms, including the dorm this woman’s daughter lives in.

This mom has met with the university’s president but has not found a resolution to this problem. Learn what she did find out (to her dismay) by reading her story.

How could she have avoided this problem? She did thoroughly investigate the university’s residential policies ahead of time, but could not have known that they were misrepresented. Perhaps the only way to really avoid this type of problem would be to avoid secular colleges and find a committed Christian university instead.

Next up,

Colleges and universities are more than willing to take your money in order to prepare your child for a career in which he probably won’t be able to find a job.

Homeschoolers and College

Posted on May 5, 2009 by Barb

Homeschoolers and college have been an item for quite some time. As soon as the first crop of homeschooled kids burst on the scene in the 1980s, astounding bystanders with their intelligence, diligence and social skills (!), homeschooling parents gained the confidence to expect their children to go to college without a public high school transcript.

And go to college they did, many doing so well that colleges began to (and still do) seek out homeschooled kids. One of ours went to college and graduated with honors, so I guess we’re part of that trend.

But I think homeschooling parents should be aware that it’s not just a matter of sending your child to college and watching him or her thrive. College has changed. There are things going on at colleges and universities today that we parents never would have dreamed could happen. Knowledge of these things is necessary before you and your child make the college decision.

I’ve got three examples of why you must be extremely knowledgeable about colleges:

College and university staff sometimes lies to parents in order to push a certain social agenda.

Colleges and universities are more than happy to take your money in order to prepare your child for a career in which your child probably won’t be able to find employment.

Many college administrators believe that stopping alcohol and drug abuse is the responsibility of the student, not the college.

First off, colleges sometimes lie to parents.