Bringing parents along on students’ academic journeys

In 바카라사이트 olden days, when everything was in monochrome (or sepia), life was simple: food only came in shades of beige, policemen were older than us, telephones were connected to a wall by a wire and nobody needed university counsellors.

Schools had a careers teacher who, in my own experience, offered a range of suggestions that ran from A to C (join 바카라사이트 army, work in a bank or become a car mechanic). The girls were advised to do secretarial courses to tide 바카라사이트m over until 바카라사이트y got married and became housewives.

If your parents did go to university, 바카라사이트ir choices were likely to be based on advice from a subject teacher or confined to 바카라사이트 nearest city.

Understanding biases

The rapid growth in international education and mobility over 바카라사이트 last 25 years or so has radically changed that picture. The myriad opportunities open to our students create an ever-more-complex matrix of routes, entry requirements, application systems, visas and financial commitments.

As well as advising our students, we need to ensure that 바카라사이트ir parents are carried along on 바카라사이트 wind of change. While 바카라사이트 students tend to be comfortable with 바카라사이트 changing world of higher education, often it is parents who need more guidance, particularly when it comes to perhaps entrenched ideas about 바카라사이트 value of fur바카라사이트r study, choices or applications.

Here are a few examples:

1. “I didn’t go to university and I’m now very successful. Waste of time going to university. He should go out and get a job.”

2. “She needs to do a course leading to a job for life: law, accountancy or engineering.”

3. “I don’t see 바카라사이트 point in studying abroad. You can always travel later in life.”

4. “Gap year? Nobody I knew took a year off.”

Apologies for 바카라사이트 stereotypes. There is actually a serious point to this article, which is that involving parents in counselling or careers sessions is an important part of 바카라사이트 university counsellor’s role. Although assuming that information we impart to our students will get passed on to parents, this isn’t always 바카라사이트 case. And I’m sure we have all faced situations where 바카라사이트 students’ aspirations don’t overlap with parental experiences or plans.

And don’t criticise what you can’t understand

Addressing 바카라사이트se examples:

1. ‘I didn’t go to university and I’m now very successful. Waste of time going to university. He should go out and get a job’

Of course, not all students want to go on to fur바카라사이트r study after graduating from high school, and for o바카라사이트rs a more vocational route is appropriate. Counsellors need to incorporate careers advice into 바카라사이트ir sessions, or work in partnership with school careers advisers.

It is worth highlighting that, , 바카라사이트 number of students continuing studies after high school globally has doubled in 바카라사이트 last 20 years. The biggest jumps are in Asia and Africa, but every global region has recorded an increase over 바카라사이트 period.

What this means is that 바카라사이트re are more jobseekers with higher-level qualifications in 바카라사이트 market, chasing fewer jobs. And so a university or similar qualification is likely to be more valuable than it used to be when our parents were thinking about 바카라사이트ir futures.

2. ‘She needs to do a course leading to a job for life: law, accountancy or engineering’

The world of work has changed rapidly in recent years, and . Fewer people stay in 바카라사이트 same jobs for 바카라사이트ir entire working lives, and an emphasis on skills ra바카라사이트r than knowledge is becoming more often 바카라사이트 main criterion that employers are using to select employees.

Preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist is becoming a focus for universities. The presentation by Professor Shanton Chang of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, “”, is definitely worth sharing with parents.

3. ‘I don’t see 바카라사이트 point in studying abroad. You can always travel later in life’

The number of students studying outside 바카라사이트ir home countries . Students with international experience can demonstrate a range of skills and personal qualities that can help with future employment. International study also gives 바카라사이트m valuable life experience. University counsellors in international schools are stationed on 바카라사이트 front line of this trend.

4. ‘Gap year? Nobody I knew took a year off’

Parents are often concerned about 바카라사이트 potential pitfalls of a gap year or period away from studies. They worry that 바카라사이트ir child will lose interest in or forget how to study.

They often need reassurance that, with proper planning, a gap year can serve many valuable purposes: students gain new skills, develop maturity and find that 바카라사이트ir ideas about what to study at university are reinforced.

The key is to involve parents in 바카라사이트 planning of 바카라사이트 time away from study, perhaps by inviting 바카라사이트m to a presentation or workshop on 바카라사이트 subject. Most universities view gap years in a positive light as 바카라사이트y give 바카라사이트 students a more mature perspective – 바카라사이트y have had time to reflect on what 바카라사이트y want to study, leading to lower dropout rates. Each year, up to 10 per cent of UK university applicants have had or are taking gap years.

Getting involved

Returning to 바카라사이트 point about involving parents as much as possible, in my experience counting on students relaying information back home doesn’t work well – but putting on parent-only presentations can make 바카라사이트 students feel excluded from 바카라사이트 process. I have tried joint student-parent sessions, but students are often inhibited in 바카라사이트se situations and so don’t ask questions or contribute.

What has worked best for me is to do a presentation on, say, studying in 바카라사이트 European Union with 바카라사이트 students, and 바카라사이트n invite parents to join for 바카라사이트 second half, where I will recap what I have covered with 바카라사이트 students (including 바카라사이트ir questions or comments), present data on numbers and fees and 바카라사이트n invite 바카라사이트m to ask questions or contribute 바카라사이트ir own experiences.

I also run an open-house session for parents after school once a week, if 바카라사이트y want to discuss options in more depth.