May 6th, 2008
Recently, I have been hard at work preparing my son (and my wife and I) for his going off to college. As a junior, he is deep in the midst of taking the big step, although right now he thinks it is light-years away, which means I am doing much of the initial work.
As I began to register on a website which provides resources for students looking to enter college, I came across an interesting option you could sign up for:
“Receive information regarding college and scholarship-related products and services, such as student loans, test preparation, essay help, credit cards, and discount textbooks”
It made me think. Are credit cards considered as college or scholarship-related products or services? So does this mean that our high school junior and seniors are getting pushed for credit cards before they even enter the hallowed halls of their university?
First, a few tidbits of information:
-More than 48% obtained their first credit card prior to entering college
-By the Sophomore year of college, more than 55% of students possess one or more credit cards in their own name
-Students are more than three times as likely as adults to be at least 90 days delinquent on their credit card payments
I agree that a credit card can often be helpful for a college student looking for ways to purchase $200 biology text books, but we must provide them with the tools needed to use this credit wisely. Otherwise, textbooks and emergency food will be competing for socializing and “emergency” beer.
Teach your kids now. Let them know these skills before the big need and want decisions are in front of them. The first day after college is hard enough without a mountain of debt greeting you at the start.
May 6th, 2008
I thought this was rather interesting:
More than half of all teens surveyed (54 percent) believe they are “extremely likely” or “very likely” to have their ideal job one day according to a Junior Achievement survey conducted by Harris Interactive, which polled teens nationwide. Such optimism among teens is relatively uniform across gender and age bands but is down significantly from a similar poll in 2000 conducted by Junior Achievement.
Achieving self-awareness of one’s noble purpose and vocational calling is a right of passage that, increasingly, teens look to their schools to help them develop. Where do they expect to learn the skills needed for their future careers? According to the survey, nearly half (47 percent) selected a traditional source—”classroom education.” Coming in a distant second was “on the job training” (24 percent).
“Results of this poll demonstrate how critical it is to get work-readiness programs into our schools,” said Sean C. Rush, president and chief executive officer of JA Worldwide. “Junior Achievement helps prepare students for success in a global economy and bridges the gap between what they learn in school and what happens in the world of work.”
Junior Achievement has three work-readiness programs, which are invited into classrooms by educators and taught by business people and other volunteers from the local community. JA Careers with a Purposeâ„¢ helps teens answer the age-old question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” In addition to providing students with information about specific career paths, program activities teach students the skills associated with understanding the world of work such as enhancing personal awareness of vocational interests, skills, and values; recognizing the importance of ethics in career and life decisions; and exploring careers in high-growth, in-demand industries such as healthcare.
With the help of a $250,000 grant from the HCA Foundation, Junior Achievement is reaching middle grades and high school students in their classrooms. “We’re inspiring students to align their skills and interests with a career calling,” said John Steele, Senior VP of Human Resources at HCA. “JA Careers with a Purpose can help our young people be successful in their work and in their lives. This is an investment in the future workforce.”
The survey was administered online in December 2007 by Harris Interactive on behalf of Junior Achievement and included responses from 626 teens, ages 13 to 18.
What do you think?
