The thought of leaving home to go away to a four-year university is intimidating. However, teenagers would rather leave home for school than even consider spending two years in a junior college at home prior to going to university. But with a few solid suggestions, they might just consider it.
For starters, it saves everyone money. The topic of money will not sound important at all to your child, but if you put every single dollar into perspective for them, they will come around. Once they understand that money saved at a junior college can be more money to have when they go away to university, the more appealing junior college will sound.
Your child will also not live in a dorm at a junior college. Even though dorms seem to be a part of the college experience, no one really likes living in a dorm. Compare a cold, cement room to their bedroom and I’m sure that will help in their decision making. Plus, community bathrooms and snoring roommates will help in the process as well.
Junior college also gives time to those who have not decided what they want to major in. It will assist in getting those general education courses out of the way before really entering the career side of college. By doing just the general education courses at junior college, your child will receive minor training in a variety of studies, which just might help them decide on a major.
Lastly, the class sizes are smaller and more intimate. What might be a 200 person lecture class at a university could easily be a 30 person class at junior college. Tell your child to imagine presenting in front of both of these classes and think of which one they would prefer to stand in front of. The thought of presenting in front of 200 other students will probably do the trick.
At the end of their college experience, attending a junior college at first will make no difference in the end result: a diploma. While your child will want to get on with their adult life, just remind them that staying at home for a little while longer will help them in the long run.