am I the only parent that doesn't care if their kid(s) goes to college?

[JackieLyn]

I think it's up to them, I want them to do what makes them happy and what they are passionate about. If college is part of that, then they should go, absolutely. If college isn't part of that than I will help them make that dream become reality in other ways. You do not need college to learn more about the world, there are a lot of interships and such that require no degree and can take you places all over the world. As long as you know your resources and take advantages of all the opportunities out there you can learn a lot and see the world and learn new world views.

Having said that, we are already saving for our kids' adulthood (be it college or something else). I don't want them to go into debt if they do decide to go to college, so we will be teaching them the value of saving for the future and also we are putting money into an account and encouraging grandparents to contribute (if they want).

[ajane]

Originally Posted by mjg2043 This is spot on. There are so many intangibles to higher education that have not even been considered here. What I learned at college went well beyond my career. I really cannot emphasize the importance of that level of independence and exposure to diversity enough.

Agree!

[jen_batten]

I totally don't care if my kids want to go to college. If they choose to go, so be it, they can and that would be just fine. If they don't want to go, they don't get any pushing from me. I did not go to college and DH does not have a degree. I don't care if my kids spend their whole life long career at McDonalds just so long as they are happy.

[zandj]

Nope! Coming from New Zealand a lot of my friends went on to do apprenticeships before or after finishing highschool, went to polytech to learn a certain skill or just started at the bottom and worked their way up. I have no problem whatsoever with my child learning on the job how to be say a plumber or hairdresser... or garbage collector... if they're happy with their life and able to support themselves than that's far better than some college degree they felt they needed to get but is really quite useless and leaves them with a bunch of debt and no real leg up

[jc12551]

I don't care what my children do! I just want them to be gainful members of society. DH and I are both well educated, with multiple degrees, but we barely make minimum wage as missionaries. I add degrees so that I can do my job better, not to make more money. As teachers we both love learning for the sake of learning and to better ourselves.

I make it very clear to my students that they must have a plan after high school, but that plan can be anything: college of some form, a job, the military, etc.

[BunnyMcFluff]

I have to be honest and say I would be disappointed if they didn't complete 4 year degrees at the least. Graduate degrees would be even better.

These are very bright kids, raised in a home that emphasizes academic achievement. Education is a major family value and I don't want them blowing it off. Not for any reason.

[Cdra]

I agree! I only went to college for a yr and dropped out. While working I was making more money than people with multiple degrees. Now a days experience counts for a whole lot. I still plan on graduating some day but that's only to better myself. I really like school. I tell my 11 yr old son he should go to college but when the time comes I won't push him at all. What's the point of getting into such serious debt to pay for a piece of paper that still can't get you a good job.

[pumkinsmommy]

Originally Posted by gaia06 oh I care very much if they go to college...not only for the job/financial aspect but for the enlightenment/education aspect as well...I think this world is a better place when we have educated people in it

I agree very much with this. My grandfather graduated from the University of MD in 1932. He worked harder than you could ever imagine when he went to support himself. He knew he was going to be a dairy farmer when he finished but wanted the experience and everything that comes with learning at that level.

The student loan problem is just a symptom of our greedy culture. Most of it is unnecessary unless one is getting an advanced professional degree such as medical school. It is better to go to community college and then transfer to a university. Most people should work to support themselves. So many young people think they are entitled to live the high life while in school and complain that the loans that they used to go to spring break, party, buy new cars, change majors 3 times with actually have to be paid back. Plus everyone expects to get out of school and make $50,000 right away.

Having a degree gives more choices in general.

[wordbox]

I think it's too far away for me to know for sure. It's hard to say what higher education will be like, what my kids will want to do, and what the economy will demand at that time.

I think part of the problem lately is that there was a huge push for EVERYONE to go to college. When I was in high school (graduated in 2002) it didn't really feel like anything else was even an option, unless you wanted to join the military. Everyone was going to college. They pushed it big time.

So everyone went. And now everyone has a degree... so it's pretty much become the equivalent of a high school diploma (at least where I live). So it's hard to find a job without one, but it's hard to GET a job because everyone else you're competing against also has one. So you have to hope you were somehow able to gain experience while in college, or that you chose a field that would have a demand when you graduated. I graduated college in 2008 (with a Bachelors) and struggled to find a secretarial job. Sure, I didn't choose the "best" field with the biggest demand for our area, but still. Every young new receptionist either needed a degree and some experience, or a TON of experience. Or to know the right people, haha.

I do hope that my kids go to college, since I think an education is really really important. Heck, I'm a stay at home mom but I still think it was a good thing that I went to college (all debt aside, but that can be worked around and I would make different decisions if I could go back).

But if my kids knew what they wanted to do with their lives, and it didn't require them to get a full college degree (maybe just a certificate program or something) then I would support them. However, I'm not going to lie and say I wouldn't be disappointed if I felt like they just didn't have the drive to go and they were going to settle doing something menial that wouldn't make them happy.

[Sarai*]

Yes, they are going.....

Our eldest is in high school. She is a solid student, but hardly Harvard material. We have sat down together and set out a career path that takes into consideration her interests, our resources, the current job market, and training available in the community. She will go the first two years at community college, which is what we will be able to afford without having her rack up a lot of debt. We are steering her towards job related volunteer work, and she speaks some Spanish, which we are also working on improving, which will help her.

If she doesn't like this profession, she will make enough to fund whatever she likes, and it will be a good jumping off place to a number of other careers.

So yes, she is going, but our efforts, and guidance is very planned. She is not going, and majoring, in say Art history. We are very employment oriented.

Our youngest is only 9, but I think he will want to go, he is much more scholarly than his sis.