College, more than knowledge and skills, has risen as one of the most important aspects of education. A college degree opens doors. For some, college can grant access to careers like engineering and nursing that require a formal education to practice. For others, a degree can offer an escape from the very possible reality of a lifetime stuck in a low paying fast food or assembly line job. (Fun and depressing fact, the majority of fast food workers are adults.)

Due to both those factors, parents, teachers, extended family, and schools often push the importance of a college education. High school is often seen as a last ditch effort to cram as much information into a student’s brain and as many extracurricular activities into a student’s schedule as humanly possible. (I wasn’t allowed to have an open period in my junior year of High School because my mom didn’t think it would look like on my college application).

This idea that you need to prepare for college years in advance has even seeped into elementary school. The New York Times reported last year that a North Carolina elementary school began to utilize a lesson plan with the tagline From ABCs to College Dreams: Class of 2030. First graders were encouraged to pick not only a potential career, but what college they would like to attend.

The idea is that students and parents can begin to plan clubs and classes that will begin to build an academic brand and resume for the student as early as possible. It’s a strategy that many parents have latched onto with zeal.

And that’s a shame. From the time you graduate high school, life becomes a parade of obligations. I miss the days where I didn’t need to worry about how I was going to pay the bills and evaluate what extra fun and social activities I can squeeze into my work week.

Childhood is short. Rather than cutting it short by forcing extra activities and lessons onto children, parents might want to think about how they can encourage their children to pursue their passions.

College can be important, but you’re child isn’t Charlie Bucket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He or she probably won’t stumble upon a Golden Ticket that offers a free ride education. And even if he did, college doesn’t always open as many doors as you think.

Many college programs, especially liberal arts ones, focus more on helping their students think and acquire a very broad knowledge set. According the Northeastern University’s school of business, 39% of employers, say that grads lack the right skills for entry-level jobs. The problem is that many liberal arts programs focus on teaching students how to think critically and imparting a well-rounded pool of knowledge. Students who pursue a philosophy or English Lit degree might need to develop basic business skills in their own time or by taking the right additional classes.

The idea that individuals can develop skills without a college education has been noted by many bigger corporations. Publishing powerhouse Penguin has recently announced they will no longer require a college degree as one of their hiring requirements. If college isn’t a golden ticket to success, I can’t rationalize forcing elementary and middle school children to begin rigorously building their academic credentials.

What should parents do? Don’t focus on college. Not every kid will go to college. And not every kid should go to college. College is not the only path to success.

Focus on encouraging a love for learning. Whether the learning involves reading, tinkering with cars, conducting science experiments, or watching history documentaries, it doesn’t matter. (Just try to steer children away from vegging passively in front of the TV.) Some vegging is fine, but no one needs to spend nine hours a day in front of the TV.

Focus on encouraging kids to pursue their passions. Whether its sports, writing, video game creation, art, creating YouTube videos, or playing board games, most activities teach more lessons that you might think. Board gaming for example can help cultivate emotional intelligence, the ability to work under stress, and the ability to work as a team. And some passions can lead to ventures like creating a YouTube channel, a website, or an invention that could create another path to success.

The idea is to naturally encourage kids to choose activities that will aid them later in life. And if by high school, they want to go to college, but their application is weak than they can begin to slowly integrate academic, social, and extracurricular activities into their weekly schedule. Or if they don’t want to go to college, you can point them toward activities or resources to build the skills necessary for an entry level job.

We welcome your feedback to our work.

Email:  General Information   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

Thank you!

Daniel & David

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College Versus Childhood: When Should You Start Prepping Kids for College?