MOM AND DAD I’M GOING TO COLLEGE

A PRESENTATION TO THE STUDENTS AND PARENTS OF PATRICK HENRY SCHOOL PRESENTED BY GEORGE DOOLEY COUNSELOR, SCHOOL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION NORTH ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

HELLO, I’M CARLOS AND TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ALL ABOUT WHAT COLLEGE IS ALL ABOUT. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO MEET SOME OF MY FRIENDS, MARCUS, CINDY, AND MAYLEE. THEY ARE GOING TO HELP US ON THE ROAD TO COLLEGE.

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE CAN BE REALLY CONFUSING!

I BETTER ASK FOR SOME HELP FROM MY FRIENDS. MARCUS: HAS ANYONE FROM YOUR FAMILY BEEN TO COLLEGE? NO, CARLOS HOW ABOUT YOU?

NO, I WILL BE THE FIRST! MAYLEE, HAS ANYONE BEEN TO COLLEGE IN YOUR FAMILY? YES, CARLOS I HAVE AN OLDER SISTER THAT IS GOING.

HOW ABOUT YOU CINDY? NO, BUT I’M GOING TO BE THE FIRST! WELL, IT SOUND LIKE WE ALL WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE.

WHAT IS COLLEGE ALL ABOUT? GOING TO COLLEGE OR GETTING A HIGHER EDUCATION MEANS GETTING ANY TYPE OF EDUCATION OR CAREER TRAINING AFTER YOU GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

IT TAKES PLANNING AND MONEY TO GET A HIGHER EDUCATION. BUT IF YOU START PREPARING NOW, YOU CAN GO TO ANY KIND OF COLLEGE YOU WANT!

CARLOS, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS LIKE: 1)WHY IS COLLEGE IMPORTANT? 2) WHAT CLASSES SHOULD I TAKE IN HIGH SCHOOL? 3) HOW DO I GET INTO COLLEGE? 4) WHAT IS THE COST AND HOW CAN I PAY FOR IT?

YOU’RE RIGHT MARCUS, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO ANSWER. MAYBE WE SHOULD START BY ASKING SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TO COLLEGE, LIKE OUR TEACHER MRS. JACKSON. SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING!

MRS. JACKSON WHEN I GET OLDER I WANT TO WORK IN A HOSPITAL. WOULD COLLEGE HELP ME? COLLEGE HELPS PEOPLE EVERYDAY IN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS, SHE SAID.

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT INTERESTS YOU IN COLLEGE, AND YOU’LL MAKE YOUR FAMILY PROUD. IT PREPARES YOU FOR BETTER JOBS, AND COLLEGE GRADUATES CAN BE A BIG HELP TO THEIR COMMUNITY.

STAYING IN SCHOOL AND GOING TO COLLEGE WILL HELP YOU: 1)GET A BETTER JOB. MORE AND MORE JOBS REQUIRE EDUCATION BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL. WITH A COLLEGE EDUCATION YOU’LL HAVE MORE JOBS TO CHOOSE FROM.

2) EARN MORE MONEY. A PERSON WHO GOES TO COLLEGE USUALLY EARNS MORE THAN A PERSON WHO DOESN’T. LET’S LOOK AT THIS CHART.

ANNUAL INCOME NOT A HIGH SCHOOL GRAD $23,400 HIGH SCHOOL GRAD $30,400 SOME COLLEGE $36,800 ASSOCIATE DEGREE $38,200 BACHELOR’S DEGREE $52,200 MASTER’S DEGREE $62,300 DOCTORAL DEGREE $89,400

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY THIS IS: $1,000,000

THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU WILL MAKE OVER A LIFETIME OF WORKING WHEN YOU HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE.

BOY THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY CAN YOU EXPLAIN IN A DIFFERENT WAY, MRS. JACKSON, SAID CARLOS. SURE, CARLOS LET’S LOOK AT TWO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BUY A MOUNTAIN BIKE.

CHRIS IS A NEWSPAPER REPORTER (4 YEARS OF COLLEGE). CHRIS WILL EARN ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY THE BIKE AFTER WORKING 1 WEEK.

JULIE SELLS NEWSPAPERS (NO COLLEGE NEEDED). TO BUY THE SAME MOUNTAIN BIKE, JULIE WILL HAVE TO WORK ABOUT 2 WEEKS.

OK, NOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT GOING TO COLLEGE WILL INCREASE YOUR EARNING POWER, WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE?

BUT SUPPOSE I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO STUDY IN COLLEGE, SAID MAYLEE. COLLEGE IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE.

LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK THEN AT WHAT YOU MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN. GOOD, I’M READY TO LEARN ABOUT ME, SAID CARLOS.

THE WAY THIS WORKS IS YOU TAKE WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO ALONG WITH WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT AND THAT WILL GIVE YOU A POSSIBLE CAREER. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE:

CINDY, YOU CHECKED THAT YOU LIKE TO CARE FOR ANIMALS AND YOU LIKE SCIENCE CLASSES. SO, SOME OF THE POSSIBLE CAREERS FOR YOU WOULD BE: VETERINARIAN PARK RANGER MARINE BIOLOGIST

CARLOS, YOU SAID YOU LIKE TO WORK ON THE COMPUTER AND YOU ARE GOOD AT DRAWING. SO, SOME POSSIBLE CAREERS FOR YOU ARE: ARTIST COMPUTER PROGRAMMER GRAPHIC ARTIST

SEE, KIDS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AN INTEREST IT WILL MAKE YOUR CHOICE OF A COLLEGE A LITTLE EASIER, SAID MRS. JACKSON.

OK, MRS JACKSON I’M DONE BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN? SAID MARCUS. WELL, MARCUS THE REASON WE DO THIS FUN ACTIVITY IS TO HELP YOU START THINKING ABOUT CAREERS AND COLLEGE, SAID MRS. JACKSON

OK, I THINK I KNOW WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE, SO HOW DO I PREPARE TO GO TO COLLEGE RIGHT NOW. ASKED MARCUS.

WELL, MARCUS, CINDY, CARLOS AND MAYLEE YOU’RE GETTING READY TO MOVE INTO 7 TH GRADE WHICH MEANS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, SAID MRS. JACKSON

THAT MEANS YOU WILL BE TAKING COURSES LIKE MATH, SCIENCE, ENGLISH, AND HISTORY.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FROM 7 TH GRADE ON TO STUDY HARD AND GET GOOD GRADES. THIS WILL HELP YOU WHEN YOU GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL AND START LOOKING FOR A COLLEGE TO ATTEND.

SO, LET’S REVIEW HOW WE ARE GOING TO PREPARE FOR COLLEGE. STARTING IN 7 TH GRADE WE ARE GOING TO: 1) TAKE CHALLENGING COURSES IN ENGLISH, MATH AND SCIENCE

2. DEVELOP GOOD STUDY SKILLS 3. START TALKING TO YOUR PARENTS, TEACHER AND COUNSELOR ABOUT GOING TO COLLEGE.

WHAT KINDS OF JOBS CAN YOU GET WITH A COLLEGE EDUCATION?, ASKED MAYLEE

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT GETTING A COLLEGE EDUCATION IS THAT YOU HAVE MORE JOBS TO CHOOSE FROM. AS YOU EXPLORE POSSIBLE CAREERS, YOU WILL FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION IS NEEDED FOR THEM. EVEN THOUGH

COLLEGE MAY SEEM A LONG WAY OFF YOU MUST START PLANNING NOW, SAID MRS. JACKSON. I HEARD YOU HAVE TO GO TO COLLEGE FOR A LONG TIME, SAID MARCUS.

WELL, MARCUS THAT IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE, IT DEPENDS UPON WHAT TYPE OF CAREER YOU WANT. LET ME SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT I MEAN, SAID MRS. JACKSON.

LET’S SAY YOU WANTED TO GO TO COLLEGE FOR ONLY 2 YEARS. HERE THEN ARE SOME CAREERS FOR YOU. MEDICAL LAB TECHNICIAN COMPUTER TECHNICIAN CAR MECHANIC REGISTERED NURSE

WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU LIKE GOING TO COLLEGE AND WANT TO SPEND 4 YEARS THERE. HERE ARE SOME OF THE CAREERS FOR YOU. ACCOUNTANT ENGINEER GRAPHIC DESIGNER SOCIAL WORKER

AND FINALLY, HERE ARE SOME OF THE CAREERS YOU CAN GET IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 4 YEARS OF COLLEGE. SCIENTIST DENTIST LAWYER DOCTOR

WOW, SAID CARLOS, THERE ARE A LOT OF CAREERS THAT I COULD CHOOSE FROM. THAT’S RIGHT, CARLOS IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN DO IT!, SAID MRS. JACKSON.

OK, MRS. JACKSON I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT PREPARING TO GO TO COLLEGE, BUT HOW WILL I PAY FOR IT?,SAID CARLOS.

WELL, CARLOS COLLEGE ISN’T FREE; YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. HOWEVER, MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT COLLEGE IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN IT REALLY IS, SAID MRS. JACKSON.

ALTHOUGH SOME COLLEGES ARE EXPENSIVE, MANY COLLEGES ARE WITHIN REACH. HOW MUCH YOU SPEND DEPENDS ON MANY THINGS, LIKE TUITION AND FEES, BOOKS, HOUSING AND OTHER EXPENSES.

THINK OF COLLEGE AS A LARGE PIZZA. PART OF THE PIZZA WILL BE YOUR MONEY FOR CLASSES AND BOOKS, PART FOR HOUSING AND PART FOR OTHER EXPENSES(CAR,FOOD ETC)

THAT’S MAKING ME HUNGRY, MRS. JACKSON, MAYLEE SAID. ME TOO, SAID MARCUS! WOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BE A LITTLE EXPENSIVE, HOW CAN I PAY FOR IT?, SAID CARLOS.

YOU CAN GET THE MONEY TO GO TO COLLEGE FROM MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, SAID MRS. JACKSON.

LET’S LOOK AT SOME WAYS TO PAY FOR COLLEGE: 1)SAVINGS..YOU AND YOUR PARENTS SHOULD START SETTING SOME MONEY NOW, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

IF YOU COULD SAVE $25.00 PER MONTH FOR 10 YEARS JUST ABOUT THE TIME YOU WOULD BE READY FOR COLLEGE YOU WOULD HAVE OVER $ SAVED UP.

BUT MY PARENTS CAN’T AFFORD TO PUT $25.00 AWAY EVERY MONTH, CINDY SAID. WELL, CINDY PERHAPS YOU COULD HELP BY DOING SOME CHORES, MOWING LAWNS, OR HELPING PEOPLE. MRS. JACKSON SAID.

THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING CALLED FINANCIAL AID, MRS JACKSON SAID. WHAT IS THAT? SAID CARLOS

THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFERS STUDENTS THREE MAJOR TYPES OF AID TO HELP PAY FOR COLLEGE: 1)GRANTS-THIS IS MONEY THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PAID BACK. THESE ARE CALLED PELL GRANTS.

THE AMOUNT YOU RECEIVE IS BASED ON YOUR NEED. GRANTS RANGE FROM $400- $4,000. 2) WORK STUDY:THIS IS MONEY YOU EARN WHILE ENROLLED. NORMALLY YOU WILL PERFORM SOME TYPE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.

3) LOANS: THIS IS MONEY THAT IS MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU BUT YOU MUST PAY IT BACK WITH INTEREST.

THOSE ARE JUST SOME WAYS YOU CAN PAY FOR COLLEGE, CARLOS, SAID MRS. JACKSON. SOUNDS LIKE I WILL BE ABLE TO GO, SAID CARLOS.

OK, STUDENTS LET’S REVIEW WHAT WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT GOING TO COLLEGE

ON YOUR WORKSHEET ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: 1)PLEASE WRITE DOWN TWO REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO COLLEGE.

2. SOME OF THE CLASSES I WILL NEED TO TAKE IN HIGH SCHOOL ARE: ______ _______ ________ ________

3. WHAT ARE SOME CAREERS THAT YOU WILL ONLY NEED TO GO TO COLLEGE FOR TWO YEARS? __________ _________ ____________

4.WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU COULD PAY FOR COLLEGE? _______ ________ ________ _______

WELL, IT’S GOING TO BE A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO TO COLLEGE, BUT IF YOU START PREPARING NOW YOU WILL BE READY BY THE TIME YOU GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL.

GOOD LUCK FROM YOUR FRIENDLY COMMUNITY COLLEGE