For many of us, the path to college is not clearly laid out. What are all the forms, how do I know which college to choose, when to apply and how to pay for it? What am I going to be when I grow up, anyway? These are common questions and College Common Sense provides some answers to get you going in the right direction.
We were recently given the opportunity to review an online subscription called Going to College and Paying for it Online Video and Workbook. This is 12 month access ($25) to videos and a workbook to guide you through the whole college process. These items are available as a physical copy as well (DVD + workbook $55 including shipping). If you are waiting until “almost too late” to start, this will be invaluable to make the most of the time you have. If you have only younger children, there are some great tips and planning things you can begin even now.
You may be wondering just why you would use something like this as the parent of an elementary student. There is a lot you won’t be utilizing, but you do want to be familiar with it. It will help guide your thinking towards some of the things you can be doing now that will be a big help once your child is high school age. Denise also has a free newsletter and free lesson plans. These lessons plans (delivered weekly right to your e-mail inbox) take the often overwhelming information in the online course and break it down into smaller “bites”. The activities are divided by age, so elementary students aren’t expected to be taking the SAT or filling out the FAFSA. (Are those letters Greek to you? Check into these resources!) Great if you are working with younger children and have more time to get this all figured out.
The goal is for your child to be prepared to get into the college that best fits them with a major for their studies and the financial plans to pay the bill. Ideally, this should not come from mom & dad or require student loans. But how do you find those scholarships and grants? There are numerous sources, the sooner you begin this search, the more successful you will be. While the course does not direct you to specific scholarships, it does provide you with information on where to look. What sorts of activities and interests your child has that might lead to more prospects — both in paying for college and the career possibilities afterwards.
The course, Going to College and Paying for it Online Video and Workbook, consists of video in six parts. This video is directed at older students or parents of younger students. In speaking to high school age students, the tone is authoritative so it was a bit odd that the camera was not the focal point. It looked like an informal conversation with someone off screen, but sounded like a presentation directed at the viewer. I found myself listening more than watching for this reason. This wasn’t through all the video segments, but enough that it was distracting — at least for the easily-distracted me. There is an accompanying pdf file (the workbook pages — only without page numbers) for each video to be printed and read ahead of watching the video so you can take notes as you go through.
These workbook pages have questions to narrow your thinking on broader topics, to organize your thoughts or guide discussion with younger children and worksheets for financial information. The different types of aid are discussed (need base, merit based, etc.). There are activities throughout that would be great to do in a co-op setting of high school sophomores and juniors. Evaluating scholarships, brainstorming answers to essay questions found on applications, etc. You are instructed to keep all of your information (scholarship applications, information from colleges, etc.) in a binder. Ideally, you would apply for one scholarship a month — easy when you begin soon enough!
We have begun just the basic of starting a notebook (called the “All About Me” spiral) and being aware of career possibilities. Our oldest daughter (currently in 6th grade) has no interest in attending college — at this time. By having her begin the process of keeping a notebook about her interests and jobs that might relate to them, she may change her mind. Her main interests at this time are studying birds, cooking/baking for fun, and reading. The course workbook has questions to ask someone working in a field you have interest in. What education did their job require? What did they do to get where they are today? Through these sorts of activities and “thinking on paper” as I call it, she may find that a college degree is needed for her future.
Our next oldest daughters change frequently what they think they want to do. Just the experience of noticing different jobs and career options (being a homeschool mommy is a great one!) is great for this age and something I hadn’t made a point of with any of the children. Besides the big picture plans for our children to know and serve their Lord and Savior, Jesus and to be happy in their endeavors, we don’t have expectations for them. I don’t want to just let them “figure it out when they get there” either. We can guide them and help them to see what God’s plans are for them.
As I was growing up, there wasn’t much guidance into what sort of career or field of study I was interested in. It was always the plan for me to attend college and assumed I would sort out “what I wanted to be when I grew up” once I arrived and had taken some classes. This may have worked for my parents. By the time I was preparing for college, we quickly learned that I should have had at least some direction to be preparing for. Depending upon extra-curricular activities, scholarships were available, but we often didn’t know about them until the entry date was around the corner or had passed. If we had known how to better prepare, we would have been better prepared.
The information within this course is wonderful guide to prevent experiences like my own. I certainly never thought I would bring student loan debt into our marriage. I don’t want my children doing the same. I do differ with seemingly most people on the expectation that a college degree is an absolute necessity. Perhaps because we come from families that have started their own business or chose a skilled trade, I don’t see college as the only option for our children.
The lesson plan information and workbook pages is an important part of the whole process that will be helpful regardless of what your children want to be when they grow up. I appreciate that the creator of this program, Denise, is trying to fill the gap she has seen in preparation for college enrollment. This program is not a formula to fill in but a guide for a process. At first, I thought this information was not something I needed. Homeschool parents often are involved in their children’s lives and activities in a different way than other parents. Many of the suggested things we have already been doing. But I found a focus a did not have before going through these materials. Signing up for the free newsletter and free lesson plans is a great way to get a feel for this course.
