by Chris Early

Created on: August 04, 2009   Last Updated: August 06, 2009

The best thing to do is to start your teen looking for college and at a career as soon as possible. Obviously, this doesn't count childhood ambitions of working as a zoo-keeper or astronaut, but these ambitions can't hurt. Help your teen decide exactly what motivates them and what interests them. Then help them start finding possible career paths and college courses to supply their needs and wants. Your teen needs to learn early on just what is expected once that "real world" comes at them. A good time to start this practice is their freshman year of high school. I know that seems too early to make career decisions, and indeed it is. Many teens that start deciding on careers at this time completely change their mind by the time they get into college.

I got started thinking about college and career around my freshman year. Initially I wanted to be a band director. Then, my sophomore year I wanted to be a preacher. My junior year, I wanted to be a psychologist again. Then I decided I wanted to in the musical production field. It wasn't until I was actually in college that I decided I wanted to get into journalism. Teens change their minds frequently over these years. However, it is still important to get them thinking early. This is because, as you find the things your teen enjoys it helps you to better aid them in the college deciding process. If your teen seems torn between Psychology and English, you don't want to send them to a school with only one good program, causing them to choose between the two and not have an option when they get there. This also helps you decide on multiple college choices, allowing you to slowly narrow them down. If your teen likes Music and Biology, you may be able to find 40 colleges that they may attend. If you start this process early enough, say freshman year of high school, then you have plenty of time to narrow down the possibilities as the years go by. This will allow you to help your teen choose the absolute perfect college for their needs.

The main idea is start early. Earlier than possibly feels logical. It may seem nonsense or superfluous to start deciding on college only to have your teen change their mind, but the earlier you start, the easier the process is. Trust me. I saw plenty of my friends start the college selection process way late, such as the beginning of their senior year. Now, these people are miserable and regret their choice. The longer you and your teen have the ability to educate yourselves on colleges and the college process, the better. It's not as easy as it seems.

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