I'm a parent. I'm nervous about my child going to college. What advice do you have?
#COVID-19. #CORONAVIRUS. #GEORGEFLOYD. #BLM. #ANTIFA. #CIVILUNREST. #SOCIALDISTANCING. #WEARAMASK. #PANDEMIC.
Parent and grandparent that is, first and foremost, my self-awareness; so, I get it. My advice is:
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Trust your parenting. High school students are in their late teen years. The truth is their character, values and self-image are formed and functioning. This morning I watched a video showing a great woman confronting two reprehensible children. At the end you hear her lament, "This is wrong. This is just wrong." Watch it. It may surprise you.
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Safety is another issue. I can vouch for the colleges that, despite the preponderance of left-wing, political sentiment pervading college faculty and administrations, the safety of the students remains paramount. The Federal government, years ago, enacted legislation mandating colleges to improve safety protocols The Cleary Act.
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Not being a qualified medical or health business, Succeed Where It Counts will not comment on the likelihood of a student becoming gravely ill while at college either attending classes, or in a dormitory, or at a social event. Confusing reporting about the incidence of infection and mortality among young adults leaves my mind spinning (and perhaps yours, too) . Colleges are all working hard to figure it out how to open campuses, safely. Recognize and remember, every year students attending college become sick. Some gravely ill, others merely a bump along an otherwise healthy road, but college students getting sick is a fact of life.
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What are your student's options?
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Work for a year after high school? First, good luck finding a job right now. Second, the public sector is certainly no more safe than a university campus.
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Attend Community College? See the previous answer.
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Stay at home? Do you agree, that is the worst choice possible? Unless we're talking about a young adult with a seriously comprised immune system (yup, I have a granddaughter in that group) we have raised them to make their way in the world, confidently and successfully. Graduating from high school commences the moment of truth.
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