How Young is Too Young to Think About College?

The folks behind the ACT test are producing a new testing system that will be available to public schools in 2014. The test will start as young as Kindergarten and will test the child's career goals, their progress towards those goals, etc. Okay, when I was in Kindergarten I don't even remember what I wanted to be. I know when I was in middle school it was a pediatrician.. High school was a research scientist and then in college I never could make up my mind. Now I write which is something I never thought of as being a career in the first place. LOL

So do you think they should test these ideas in Kindergarten or wait till around Middle School to start thinking college and careers? How many times did your career choice change when you were growing up?

CLICK HERE

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Theresa on July 9, 2012 at 12:16pm

Parent should start saving for college as soon as the child is in kindergarten but as testing for careers, it should wait until middle school. My daughter changed her mind 3 times about her career and she ended up doing something totally different from what she chose because of the expense. She wanted to go for sports medicine but it was too expensive and the field got saturated with people doing the same thing.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 2girlsmom on July 9, 2012 at 2:56pm

You've got to be kidding me. Really testing in Kindergarten is absurd. Heck. I'm pushing 40 and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up lol... I enjoy being able to do different things and learn new things. I don't think it should be like it was years ago and leanr and do one thing for the rest of your life. People change as do their interests. So I think that pushing a kid that young is rediculous.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Row's~mommy on July 9, 2012 at 3:39pm

i have to agree with 2girlsmom. My career ideas changed every month when i was in school. I'm 30 and still havn't really decided. I have ideas... but nothing hardcore to where i'd want to spend an arm and leg on college for! I say in around 8th grade or 9th grade give them a survey, test, whatever. But a piece of paper isn't going to help you decide. You already mentaly have an idea or two at least. What they should do is have more resources available. Especially for Juniors and Seniors. Want to be a pilot? Ok, here is some handouts for aeronautical schools or training centers around florida...this is how many hours you need to have logged to get your pilots license etc...just seems simple to me. Don't they have career placement advisors anymore? Or did they get rid of those? I too think pushing ideas off on younger kids is rediculous. They have years to figure out what to be. To have a goal at 5 to be a dr is ok, heck, even indulge and buy them a doctors costume... but it will probably change throughout their youth. And that is more then OK :-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J Anderson on July 10, 2012 at 7:52am

I believe that children should be encouraged to go to college. Growing up I knew I was going to college. Neither of my parents were able to go so they made sure we knew we would. All four of us have degrees.. three of us more than I. ..you see adults change their minds all the time too. College may not be right for everyone but having the opportunity to further a skill is important...technical training etc.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 2girlsmom on July 10, 2012 at 8:09am

I agree with being encourgaged about it but I think testing for it at such a young age is a tad much. Right now my oldest has her heart set on culinary school but, she has the grades to get into college if she chooses to. However, I'm not going to force her to go for something she really truly doesn't want to do. I did go to college and still don't kow what I want to do with it lol.

J Anderson said:

I believe that children should be encouraged to go to college. Growing up I knew I was going to college. Neither of my parents were able to go so they made sure we knew we would. All four of us have degrees.. three of us more than I. ..you see adults change their minds all the time too. College may not be right for everyone but having the opportunity to further a skill is important...technical training etc.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Row's~mommy on July 10, 2012 at 8:18am

that's another point. There are TONS of people out there that went to college and are doing nothing with their degrees, but yet are having to pay their loans off every month... all for a degree they don't use. I'd rather my son skip college and do what he wants THEN if he decides to be a vet or whatever, go to college and get your moneys worth. I'd rather him not go to college because he thinks he has too or because that's just what you do when you graduate high school. If your gonna go, spend all that time doing work, essay, tests, etc. then have to pay the loans back, at least have a goal set in place on what you want to be... jmo though.. which is why i never went to college. I never could decide on what to be, and didn't want to waste my time going through 2-4 years of school for a degree i might not need for whatever job i wanted, or would need a different degree then what i had. now i love the current job i have and didn't even need college to do it :-) Just experience, which i earned through the years. :-)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 2girlsmom on July 10, 2012 at 8:29am

Ok my situation is a bit different I have a degeree in History with a Minor in Religion. Not exactly the thing that is hopping for jobs lol.. However, I am going back to get my Master's which will open more doors. Yes, right now I could teach if I was ever so inclined lol. Truly, I would ultimately like to do research overseas but that won't happen til kids are a bit older. And as long as I take a certain amount of credits a semester I don't have to pay back those loans lol.

But I would rather have that degree under my belt than not. True not all jobs require it but there are a lot that do. But I do agree with not pushing my kid into something she really doesn't want. If she choose to go that is wonderful but if not then I'm not going to have a fit about it either.

Rowan's~mommy said:

that's another point. There are TONS of people out there that went to college and are doing nothing with their degrees, but yet are having to pay their loans off every month... all for a degree they don't use. I'd rather my son skip college and do what he wants THEN if he decides to be a vet or whatever, go to college and get your moneys worth. I'd rather him not go to college because he thinks he has too or because that's just what you do when you graduate high school. If your gonna go, spend all that time doing work, essay, tests, etc. then have to pay the loans back, at least have a goal set in place on what you want to be... jmo though.. which is why i never went to college. I never could decide on what to be, and now i love the current job i have and didn't even need college to do it :-) Just experience, which i earned through the years. :-)