By Lewis
When it comes to college, you only want the best for your child. There’s nothing scarier than knowing your homeschooled senior is about to leave on their own, and it’s normal for you to wonder if they are on the right path to a fulfilling and financially stable career. Every parent or guardian out there has had doubts when it’s time for their high school senior to choose a major. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help the process go smoother; not to mention, relieve a little stress for you and the senior in your life.
Don’t Dominate
It may be hard to not assertively push your child toward a major you think they would be good at and excel in. Unfortunately, dominating your senior’s ability to choose their college major will result in tension and more often than not, the opposite of what you suggest. This is a transitional time where your teen is becoming an adult, and you need to support their decision for their life path.
Instead of asserting control, come to your homeschooled senior as part of their team. Encourage them to think about things they enjoy and explore career areas together. If they are interested in tech and website design or creation, have them explore every aspect of that field. They can ask questions like “what is a SSL certificate” or what do companies look for when they want a website.
Helping your soon-to-be college student break down each area he/she is interested in will aid in understanding if that particular major will be a proper fit. Sometimes it only takes a little research and exploring to help your student understand what they may be getting into.
Explore Choices
There’s often more than one college that can offer majors your senior is interested in. Help them explore their options and create a list of what makes one school better than the next. That can include the location and what’s available in the surrounding area.
No doubt, your senior is looking for a way to step into adulthood and follow their dreams. You may be worried about their choices, but you can help them make an informed decision by scouting out schools, programs, and the surrounding areas together.
Your homeschooled senior has the opportunity to choose from multiple schools, but the knowledge of those schools doesn’t have to be left to online or short road trips. If your senior has a high interest in one of the schools, schedule a meeting and tour. Not only can your future college student assess their potential new school building, but they can sit in on classes and get the full experience of a day in the college student’s life.
Encourage Other Interests
The decision to pick a major can be a daunting one for your homeschooled senior as well. They may feel like they’ve got their back up against the wall and be nervous about making the wrong decision. Luckily, you can step in and encourage them to take a breath. Majors don’t have to be final, and although college is expensive and it would be more time-efficient to not switch majors, it’s not the end of the world if your soon-to-be college student changes their mind.
A great way to help alleviate the indecisive questioning can come down to your senior not limiting his/her abilities. They can take other interests and choose a minor in those fields, getting the opportunity to learn about more than one thing they excel in or feel curious about. Encourage your senior to choose classes that will help them explore all the areas they are interested in and have them meet with an academic counselor to guide them in scheduling the right classes. Your senior can choose courses that align with their major, minors, and interests.
Conclusion
No matter what your senior chooses, remember to enjoy the process. Come together as a team, explore choices, and encourage multiple interests. You’ll find your homeschooled senior better-rounded and able to pick the right career choice as these options are explored, leading to a happy and well-informed career path.