No offense to those who serve...
So one of my brightest students says to me today, "I plan on joining the military right after high school. That way, I can go to college for free." I was a little surprised. I'm all about supporting our military; believe me. However, I don't think that joining for the GI Bill is really the right decision to make. I said to the boy, "You do realize that you can get scholarships and other funding to go to college, right?" He responded with the idea that scholarships are only for "Asian kids in wheel chairs". Prejudices notwithstanding, I understand what he meant; he, and many students, seem to have this idea that if they're not somehow "special" - i.e. a minority, or physically challenged, or exceptionally, unquestionably brilliant - that they can't qualify for scholarships.
I know that I'm pretty smart - some have said brilliant, but I'm much too modest for that. I also know that I got several scholarships nearly handed to me. It surprises me that a child with such a bright brain doesn't have even the foggiest clue of what opportunities there are for him to explore. That he should think that the only way to "have college paid for" is to join a military service is frightening to me. Granted, he's only 13, and has several years more to learn about these opportunities, change his mind, and focus on his life... After all, in the same conversation, he mentioned that he was both lazy (which is pretty true) and that he wants to go to Harvard (which is sort of a pipe-dream of a lot of kids because it sounds fancy). So, like most 8th graders, he's got his priorities all askew and is trying to figure it all out.
There's a part of me that wonders, because.. when I talk to these kids, and I get to know them, I realize that really, that's what I like best. It's not teaching math, it's interacting and having influence on these kids' lives and ideas. I wonder if I should maybe pursue a counseling degree instead of what I have, sometimes.
At any rate, I ended up telling the kid that there were many ways to pay for college, and if he was only going to join the service because he wanted a free college experience, that he should perhaps re-think his plan.
I know that I'm pretty smart - some have said brilliant, but I'm much too modest for that. I also know that I got several scholarships nearly handed to me. It surprises me that a child with such a bright brain doesn't have even the foggiest clue of what opportunities there are for him to explore. That he should think that the only way to "have college paid for" is to join a military service is frightening to me. Granted, he's only 13, and has several years more to learn about these opportunities, change his mind, and focus on his life... After all, in the same conversation, he mentioned that he was both lazy (which is pretty true) and that he wants to go to Harvard (which is sort of a pipe-dream of a lot of kids because it sounds fancy). So, like most 8th graders, he's got his priorities all askew and is trying to figure it all out.
There's a part of me that wonders, because.. when I talk to these kids, and I get to know them, I realize that really, that's what I like best. It's not teaching math, it's interacting and having influence on these kids' lives and ideas. I wonder if I should maybe pursue a counseling degree instead of what I have, sometimes.
At any rate, I ended up telling the kid that there were many ways to pay for college, and if he was only going to join the service because he wanted a free college experience, that he should perhaps re-think his plan.