Thinking About College and Career Choices

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I’m a homeschool mom.  I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to stay home with my children and teach them, and I’m very grateful to God and to my husband for this wonderful life.

I’ve also become a homeschool reviewer because I strongly believe that reviews help moms choose what curriculum will work for their families. What’s more, I love telling people about products; I love organizing my thoughts about curriculum and books; and I love writing.

But that’s not what I studied for when I was young.

Instead I spent many, many years at university, learning physics and getting a doctorate.  I don’t do physics now because I just don’t have the time. Now, don’t get me wrong.  Studying the world and how God put it together was fascinating and very worthwhile.  I don’t regret it one moment, and perhaps I will get back to it someday…but it would have been wise for me to look ahead and think about my future before committing to those umpteen years of university education.

I want to teach my children to look ahead before finalizing a field of study or a career direction.  Of course they should use their unique gifts and interests for God’s glory, but usually there are several ways of doing so.  Among these options, some may lead to a more balanced and God-pleasing way of life than others.

Obviously, no one can predict the future, but there are a few givens:

• Most adults will have children.
• It’s best for little ones if mom stays home with them, according to the design God built into moms and children.
• Most adults are overstressed and much too busy.
• Many mothers who go out to work do so out of ‘financial necessity’, but a significant part of that necessity is due to excess student loans and foolish spending choices.
• Many women who are able to stay home with their little ones go squirrelly at first because they don’t really have anything useful they can do at home in their spare hours.
• Many men become unhealthy because they are too busy supporting their family to be balanced.

We can greatly help our teens by reminding them to think about these things as they plan their futures.

• For one thing, we should encourage them to learn about personal finance so that they are less likely to end up in desperate financial situations.
• We should encourage them to really understand the fields they are interested in studying so that they will be able to look ahead to see whether it will be worth it for them a decade or two down the road.  For example, will all that travel still look so good when they’re leaving a spouse and two toddlers behind?
• We can ask if that special career will easily translate into a work-from home position.
• We can help them investigate if that ideal but poorly-paid career has an equivalent that will actually pay the bills.
• We can help them find out if the work and study they are choosing will really fit with their gifts and interests.

You see, planning for the future is not only about a career; it’s about a whole life.  Traditional career planning often forgets that simple but crucial fact.

I pray that we homeschool moms will be good guidance counsellors for our teens.  We don’t need a degree to provide wise college and career advice, but we do need prayer and the wisdom that comes from God’s Word.  May God bless our teens and prepare them for a life lived to his glory.

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Here are some reviews I wrote of products that may help you and your teen think about the future:

• The Best Things in Life
• Foundations in Personal Finance Homeschool Curriculum
• DISCOVER Online
• College and Career Guide
• Debt-Free U
• Thriving at College

Disclosure:  I am not compensated for listing the above resources; they just happen to be ones we’ve used and I’ve reviewed.  Please feel free to add your favorites in the comments.

–For more posts about homeschooling, please visit the Carnival of Homeschooling.