The Mission

Juniors, a mission lies before you. Cue the music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1UMdc18hl8

Otherwise, just hum to yourself. Dum dum dah dah, dum dum dah dah, dum dum dah dah, dum dum dah dah, deedle oo, deedle oo, deedle oo, dah dah.

If you’re a junior in high school, your mission over the coming year is to decide where you want to be headed when you graduate next year. It’s not a trivial task. I know this feels way too early, but trust me, if you start now, your life will be so much easier a year from now. Don’t let it be a problem for future you.

You have an ocean of options before you, only a couple of which are college. If you don’t want to go to college, statistics still show that education beyond high school is a pretty good indication of how the rest of your life will go. The more education you get, the more money you make (on average). Okay, start giving me your examples. “What about Markiplier? He didn’t finish college." That’s true. Neither did Jay-Z or Oprah or Branson or Zuckerberg (or his roommate). Branson dropped out at 16. But for every billionaire without a degree, there are countless people working dead-end jobs, because they didn’t get any post-high-school training.

Education beyond high school is definitely the way to go. We’re going to touch on several different possibilities. One of them is sure to be right for you.

Interesting sidenote: While Tom Cruise did not go to college, he did think about becoming a Catholic priest and spent a year at a seminary. Hard to wrap my brain around that one.

College or University

First, let’s look at the most common choice for post-secondary education. For the purposes of this discussion, “College” and “University” are being used interchangeably. A university generally offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs, while a college usually offers only Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science undergraduate degrees.

There is a huge variation among college and universities. Size for example. The largest is Texas A&M with 79,114+ students. The smallest is IE New York College with 4. For the most expensive college, Harvey Mudd College weighs in at an impressive $104,512 per year (up from $77,339 two years ago). As for the cheapest, there are a number that tie for the lowest number, $0. Some states offer free four-year educations. That free college does generally come with a lot of restrictions. Big cities, small towns. All-male, all-female. Whatever you’re looking for, there is likely a school for you.

What they all have in common is the opportunity to live independently while you pursue any education you can imagine. College also provides a wonderful opportunity to network. Relationships built through the years at college tend to last and can be valuable throughout your life. College also allows you the flexibility discover your passion. Who knew there was an artist hiding inside your math-nerd self? College also forces you to get along with many different types of people, which is a desperately needed skill these days.

For education after high-school, this is generally the most expensive option. It’s also the traditional benchmark for being considered a well-rounded, well-educated person. Whether that’s true or not is in the eye of the beholder, or possibly the employer.

2-Year Colleges

If you want college with a lower price tag, consider a 2-year school, generally called a “community college” or “junior college”. Such schools usually offer Associate degrees in Liberal Arts or Science. The admissions process tends to be less complex. The requirements for admissions may be less rigorous.

The big attraction is is cost: about $4,000 a year for in-state and $9,000 out-of-state. Not only does the tuition tend to be significantly less than that of a 4-year school, but if you can live at home, you save even more. The difference is between $14,000 and $16,000 a year on average over the cost of room and board at a 4-year school! Thirty-five states offer some form of free community college, which rather makes this a no-brainer. Again, there are usually some restrictions.

An Associate degree can prepare you for a career in 2 years. Alternatively, many students spend their first 2 years at a community college and then transfer to a 4-year school to complete their Bachelor’s degree.

What If I Want to Learn Chinese…In China?

If you’re interested in attending college outside of the U.S., you will face more hurdles than you do at home. This has to do with the challenges of living in a foreign culture. Do you speak the language well enough to get along in a college setting? Even if the school you choose teaches classes in English, what about all the other hours of the day?

What are the passport/visa requirements for moving to your chosen country? It can take 6 to 12 months to get your first passport.

How are the customs and laws different where you’re going? For example, in Singapore, possession of a pound of weed labels you a trafficker and gets you the death penalty. It pays to be aware of things like this.

Where will you be academically, compared to native students? In Japan, in 9th grade, students decide whether to follow an academic track or a vocational track.. As a result, they might have more specialized training before they get to college. You might need extra classes to catch up. On the other hand, in some cases you might find that you are ahead of your peers.

Be sure that the degree you earn abroad will be accepted back home. A degree in business is more likely to transfer than law or medicine.

College in another country can be much less expensive than in the U.S. Some overseas schools are free, regardless of citizenship. Often you will be eligible for the same kind of financial support as citizens. But you need to consider the additional expenses. You won’t want to sit in your room when you have free time. What will you do on the weekends? Go to Paris? Rome? Octoberfest in Munich? The national fireworks festival in Tokyo?

While going to school in another country can sound amazing, it’s not for everybody. Students best suited to study abroad share some traits. Jo Turner, a liaison and recruitment manager for international students at University College London says, “Students who are adventurous, independent, and want a challenge are ideal candidates for studying their full degree abroad. Courage, maturity, and adaptability are required to study overseas."

Certification Programs

Certificate programs usually require between 4 weeks and 2 years of study. Some of the programs include law enforcement, fire science, marketing, entrepreneurship, medicine, information technology, and music or film.

Many of the programs are offered at community colleges. They are frequently online. Some universities offer certificate programs as well. Certificate programs can help you boost your skills in a particular area, or give you a whole new area of expertise.

Keep in mind that some programs qualify for financial assistance, so be sure to fill out the FAFSA!

Such programs are becoming more and more common as an alternative to a conventional degree. Some can be quite lucrative. One of the best known is the Google Career Certification program. Google offers on-line instruction in a number of areas, such as cybersecurity and User Experience (UX) Design. Google treats these certificates just like a bachelor’s degree in their own hiring policies, although the courses are not universally accepted. While over 150 other companies recognize the Google certifications, standards vary as to whether they are considered in the same light as a Bachelor’s degree.

The cost through Coursera is based on a monthly subscription of $49. Courses average 3 to 6 months for completion, although many can be done in a month. Coursera is a good site to visit for certification programs from Microsoft, OpenAI, and IBM, as well as from many universities.

Before you jump into a certification program, check that the accreditation is sufficient for your future plans. If it’s not, you may not qualify for financial aid, and it might not be accepted by employers. Don’t waste your time and money!

Trade Schools

Trade schools, also known as career colleges or vocational schools, exist to train students for a specific skilled job. When thinking about vocational skills, most people thinks of construction, truck-driving, plumbing, or electrical contracting. But these schools offer many more opportunities, such as LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse). One From Nest to Wings mentor went to trade school to get a certification in auto mechanics and she ended up working with NASCAR for years.

With the looming concerns about AI, it’s worth noting that it’s pretty tough for AI to come to your house and install a furnace or rewire your ceiling fan.

While trade school can be compared to a certification program, there are some significant differences. Trade school courses tend to provide hands-on training, while many certification programs are completely on-line. Many trades offer apprenticeships.

The cost of a trade certification is much less than the cost of a college education. Getting your trade certification from a public community college or vocational school can cost as little as $2,500 to $4,000. The same certification from a specialized, for-profit school can cost $15,000 to $20,000, but take can less time to complete. When the trade offers apprenticeships, you can earn a salary while you learn the trade. You can graduate with little or no debt, and you’ll be making money while the students at the 4-year college are still paying tuition.

In addition, the job market in trades is booming, while many graduates with college degrees are finding their field is over-crowded.

If you think a career like this can’t be lucrative, think again. With a 2-year degree, the average salary for a radiation therapist is $101,990! Granted, most certificates don’t set you up with salaries that large, but neither do most college degrees. And there is an important side benefit to a trade. In a conversation with an electrician, his opinion was that trade school is the way to go if you want your own business. He said, “Get a job in the trades, make money, and in your spare time, get an associates in business from a community college. Then you’re set up to run your own shop.” He employs 20 people in his business.

As with certification programs, be sure that the school you choose is accredited. If it isn’t, it’s waste of time and money. Speaking of money, fill out the FAFSA. Trade schools are eligible for Federal student aid.

Military Service

The military services offer dozens of career paths. The military alone can provide a rewarding life-long career. It allows you to serve your country and can also help you to finance higher education, if you decide on another path. For example, you can go to medical school through the Air Force, get paid while you learn, finish your service commitment, and take your skills as a physician into civilian life.

The website Careers in the Military lists 271 possible career paths.

Upcoming

August 7th: Registration deadline for the August 22nd SAT

August 11th: Late registration deadline for the August 22nd SAT

August 28th: Registration deadline for the September 12th SAT

September 1st: Late registration deadline for the September 12th SAT

Scholarships

As always here is a list of scholarships with deadlines this month.

Give Me Liberty Or…

Are you passionate about freedom and justice? Then film a 30 to 60- second Public Service Announcement explaining how we can provide liberty and justice for all of our citizens. Two $750 awards are up for grabs. The deadline is August 31st.