Almost adult teenager and studying - or not!

Macca83_2

Sounds like myself. I sailed through my standard grades. Spent my study time messing about on my computer. I still ended up getting 8 2's with absolutely no effort involved. Took my highers at the same pace and failed miserably. I had to resit several subjects and learnt my lesson.
Sometimes the road that takes us there isn't the most direct. But I had to learn that under my own steam.

Person_one

ognum wrote: »

the good thing about life today is that you do not have to know at 18 what you are going to'be for the rest of your life.

There are plenty of opportunities to change direction and walk a new path if your chosen one is no longer right for you.

I believe all you can do is talk with your son, then it's down to him. many young people are not ready for University at 18, they would be better going out and finding out about life, working or traveling as long as they have to support themselves.

They do need to find their way with a gentle guiding hand not a prod.

I agree in principle that you don't need to have your whole life planned out at 18, however its really important to bear in mind that you're only allowed one 'false start' at university.

You can drop out after a year on one course, and still receive funding for three years on another degree, but four years is all you get.

If you do two or more years at uni and then realise you want to do something different, you'd have to pay the tuition fees and living costs yourself.

motherofstudents

The four year degree course with a year's placement will be the making of him I'm sure. He will learn more during that year and it will open doors to him for the future. It will make all that academic learning real and give him the motivation to do well.

ognum

Person_one wrote: »

I agree in principle that you don't need to have your whole life planned out at 18, however its really important to bear in mind that you're only allowed one 'false start' at university.

You can drop out after a year on one course, and still receive funding for three years on another degree, but four years is all you get.

If you do two or more years at uni and then realise you want to do something different, you'd have to pay the tuition fees and living costs yourself.

But university is not for everyone.

Person_one

ognum wrote: »

But university is not for everyone.

No, but there are also people who realise too late what degree they really want to do when they've already used up their funding allowance.

Its good to be aware of all the facts.

ognum

exactly the reason we should not be pushing outpr young people to go to university until they are sure of what they want to do and are ready to do it.

For many it would be better to work before they study again.

Kynthia

I think doing a four year placement degree is a fantastic idea. It will make such a difference to be a graduate applying for jobs against thousands of others, but with a years relevant work experience.

You can present your argument for doing a general maths degree instead of the more specific Business & Accountancy, but it needs to be his decision in the end. The two are very different in what you spend your time learning, and he needs to be motivated and he might not be if he feels he was forced to pick your choice. Also you don't want him blaming you in the future if things don't pan out.

ognum

Kynthia wrote: »

I think doing a four year placement degree is a fantastic idea. It will make such a difference to be a graduate applying for jobs against thousands of others, but with a years relevant work experience.

You can present your argument for doing a general maths degree instead of the more specific Business & Accountancy, but it needs to be his decision in the end. The two are very different in what you spend your time learning, and he needs to be motivated and he might not be if he feels he was forced to pick your choice. Also you don't want him blaming you in the future if things don't pan out.

Just to warn you that my nephew went on a four year placement degree and was advised at the start that the college would help find year long placements.

In fact it is now his third year and none of his year have placements, due to the current economic climate apparently employers are cutting back on placement funding.

All his year are now doing their final year and it has become a three year course. Food for thought!

ragecake

For all you know, he just doesnt want to do that kinda thing right now, put yourself in his shoes, choosing something he thinks he wants to do for the rest of his life.

College is a pain, and the last year of mine was a clusterf*** of depression, and tutors just not being on the ball, I had to take a few years, and for the same reasons, Im having to intermitt this year at uni.

I for one, am really not a fan of telling teens that they need to choose a career at 14/16 etc, because plans change

Lifeforms

I never did get into the position of knowing what "I wanted to be when I grew up". I never had direct callings, I never found that I wanted to excel in one direction or another, just that I liked Biology, and got bored with general science. This meant I had to fight to get on the Biology standard grade, as my science in Y1, Y2 weren't good enough. Pulled out a 3 (highest I could get on my exam levels) in the end, but it still gave me no direction of wanting to go. Having to potter for an extra 5th year due to being a whole year younger just killed any desire for school/education.

University was the ultimate goal in the family for me and my brother. He did it, I did not, and I am glad I did not go because it would not have suited me, however it's always the case now -> Our son went to uni and now has an awesomely paid job. Illness screwed up stuff from 18 anyhoo, so it's almost like that is the excuse for me now.

Uni is not for everyone, and sometimes with parents pushing it, the teen in question feels railroaded into trying for it. I gave up caring about grades, because I knew the ones I got were not satisfactory for the ultimate parental goal of getting kids to uni. Bad attitude to have, both on parents and my part.

Whilst something looks like ideal for you, doesn't mean it is for your child. Taking a year out, doing a few re-sits over the next year, instead of taking 2nd best, or any degree might seem like a failure, but they mature and can experience something completely different. In a round about way it can reset them onto the ahead path, but maybe not the direction that was there a year or two before.