College: The American transition to adulthood
By Daryl CapuanoGeneral Education Advice“Is this really a big deal?”
I answer this somewhat rhetorical question in our SAT-ACT Mastery Seminar when addressing the significance of the college process. Yes. I explain and then relay that I was one of those semi-rebellious teens who did not automatically follow my parent’s directives. I needed to know “why”.
“College” is a big deal. For 18 year olds, it is likely the biggest deal of their lives. And, even crazier, I think outside of marriage and children, it ranks up there as the “biggest deal” of most people’s lives,
Why? Students – and defensive parents – think I’m going to discuss the rankings of college and its impact on careers and life. That’s a something but not the reason why it is such a big deal.
You are moving away from home. For most 18 year olds – living in suburban Connecticut – college is the transition to adulthood.
That is a big deal.
Why?
EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE CHANGES!
Location – this alone – is an enormous life change
People – entirely new and likely the most important change
Work – mostly new (since school work in college is wildly different)
Imagine if you – assuming you are a parent – had to move somewhere, live with different people, and do different work.
Would that be a big deal? 🙂
CEO, The Learning Consultants and Connecticut’s top private education consultant
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