Parents often plan the child’s entire life in the first 5 years itself. They want the best for the child and the planning and saving begins when the child has barely begun school. The parents always want their kid to excel in whatever field he chooses and for this they have to prepare the kid for the challenges of life. Preparing a kid for college since school time is nothing but showing the kid the bigger picture. People often forget about the rest of the child’s life while mulling over his marks in school. What people don’t realize is that school is just a part of life and developing a child’s personality for college and further studies is equally important.
Tell them the importance of higher education – Kids will develop the same attitude towards higher education as their parents. If the parents start emphasizing from the beginning, the kid will always be particular and serious about higher studies and remain focused throughout school and college. Communicating the value of higher education is the duty of the parent and this should be done before high school itself.
Funds – Though loans and scholarships are easily available, one should start saving money as early as possible. Given the current situation, educational institutions are quite expensive and to be able to afford the fee one has to be cautious and might have to eventually take a loan but planning this in advance will help keep a track of expenses. Planning in advance will save you the last minute panic and saving will always keep you on a safer side.
Overall personality development – Start thinking about how to improve your child’s personality so that he could fit in any atmosphere. College life is much easier if you kid knows how to behave under difficult circumstances. Also, try to make the kid an all rounder, enroll him in sports and other co-curricular activities, colleges give more importance to all rounders than kids who are only good at studies.
Keep them well-informed – The kid should know what all tests he will have to appear for to be able to go to a specific college. The kid should always be aware of the selection process and should keep up with any updates regarding the same. The kid should have goals from the beginning so that he doesn’t waste time when the time for action actually comes.
Do go overboard – All said and done, do not go overboard with the preparation, the kid will have to finish school to enter college and the kid will have his own dreams. Don’t try to force your dreams on to the kid. Give him the freedom to choose a career and study whatever he wants to, kids often go with instincts and they do really well in what they’re passionate about. Tell them about other things also, don’t make college the biggest thing in their life. Talking too much about the same thing can cause the kid to switch off mentally, and you don’t want that to happen.
There is absolutely no doubt that college life will be the most important phase of your kid’s life, but make sure that you don’t compromise on your child’s present while planning for the future. Helping him build a pleasant personality through school will benefit him/her anyway, but the burden of studies and the pressure from family should not pull the child down. If you want him/her to do their best, guide them and then leave it on them to prepare and give their best shot. Children are usually way more smart than we think of them to be.
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No knowledge without college is an old saying and is quite legitimate. To complete the education, it is important for anyone and everyone to hit college before they start working. Preparing your children for college is nothing but sharing your experiences. It is mandatory that your child is acquainted with the importance of education. Personality development and co-curricular activities are equally important in order to make the most of the college. On your part, never let them be short of funds!