Help for Parents of Teens Not Ready for College

“We know what we are, but know not what we may be”, is a quotation from Shakespeare that can be applied to teens. Often students do not know their potential for achieving a college degree.However, there is help for parents through the schools and guidance centers to assist their teens toward success, regardless of their choice..Some teens may have a dream of a college degree but may not be emotionally or academically ready for college. The underachievers and those who have limitations may be failing or doing average work but have the capability to achieve academic excellence. Some famous people could be role models for them.

Colin Powell earned a C minus in high school and later went on to attain a master’s degree and become a famous political figure. A student who had a C minus average and a 14 on her ACT graduated from college and has a lucrative career. Los Angeles schoolteacher, Erin Gruwell took her low achieving class from the bottom to the top in District test scores. “Freedom Writers” is a movie about the success of these students. These examples show that such students can make it to college. Many schools today only accept above average students. Parents must work with the teens who are capable of doing better to assist with their goals...

One recommendation as a help for parents is to recognize barrriers.to achievment. Among them are: poor self esteem, influence of friends, drugs and alcohol, crime and poverty, laziness or boredom, immaturity, failure to form good study habits, and lack of parental or school guidance.

Help for parents and teens include the following:

Love listen and motivate” your teens by spending quality time with them and learn what inspires them,

Consider a tutoring plan to assist with academic problems. The student who scored 14 on the ACT had tutoring help in remedial math in college. This indicates that help for teens may need to continue into college.

Be aware of any drug and alcohol issues and seek help if needed. One parent and student solved a problem by consulting a physician on the alcohol issue.

Discipline wisely to create certain boundaries and praise teen only when deserved. Showering a teen with praise may send the wrong message and be detrimental to success.

Make a joint decision about homework. The best time may be right after school.

Become acquainted with friends and parents of teens. If the teen hangs out with others who think getting good grades is not “cool”, talk with the teen about success, pointing out that being different is a challenge worth undertaking. If college is the dream, grades are so important..

Consider journaling as a help for parents and teens - Some teachers use this method as a help for teens in crime and poverty areas. Students write about bad experiences, thus releasing these thoughts from their minds. Parents could suggest this program, if indicated. Erin Gruwell used this method, as depicted in the movie “Freedom Writers.” In addition, parents can apply for the school lunch program, which helps hungry children who otherwise might not do well in school.

Maintaining contact with the school is another help for parents and teens. Working with the guidance counselor and teachers helps with high school and college planning. and determining progress and deficiences.

The successful teen may have a better choice of colleges, while the teen who has not attained full achievement might look at smaller colleges or community colleges where the requirements for admission may be lower. If all efforts fail, and a decision against college results, an option might be for the teen to work for a year and then try again or opt for a vocational or other career. Fortunately, every student could have the same chance of long-term success, especially with parental support. An important point to remember is that many successful people do not have a college degree, and, no matter what the choice, a parent can be proud of the teen’s success in life. .

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http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/site/c.kqIXL2PFJtH/b.2286937/k.5487/About_Freedom_Writers.htm

Her name is Jillian,* and in high school, she scored 14 on her ACT. .Tall and slender with long golden hair, she was in the top two thirds of her graduating class with a C- average.in a suburban school system in the southwestern United States.. Unfortunately, she had been doing binge drinking and associating with undesirable friends.r. Finally,her physician set her on the right path on the alcohol issue ,and, with guidance from her family, she became more selective in choosing friends..Jillian was a classic example of one of the underachievers in her class.

The guidance counselor declared that it was against all logic to send her to a four-year college and made other suggestions. Not wanting to give up the dream, she and her parents followed their hearts instead of logic, and Jillian enrolled in a four-year college near home. One of the requirements for conditional acceptance was that she take remedial math and pass the exam..

It was a tough four years for her. She required some tutoring, and luckily, her family had a friend who was brilliant. The tutor was young, and proved to be a guardian angel. Jillian hit the books and graduated with a BA degree Today, Jillian, works for a brokerage firm earning very good money. She has taken all the licensing exams, some several times before passing, but she persevered.

This experience taught Jillian and her family to never give up on a dream, and to believe in taking risks in life. They decided that being logical is not always the answer and the alternative might have been for her to be “stuck in a corner” in life. Jillian was an underachiever who went from failure to success.

*not her real name