The Power of Early Education

As early as Kindergarten kids are being prepared for college, but is that a bad thing?  Obviously, we don’t talk to them about it but it’s in the lessons and skills we teach.  Even just getting them on a schedule will help in the long run.  A livable income isn’t something that’s brought up, but when you get them started on waking and going to sleep at the same times that can help too.  Some studies have even shown that children that attend preschool actually do better later in life.  Preschool gets little ones prepared for a life of school, even college!  As a matter of fact, I’d even go as far to say that if your child loves their preschool then they’re more likely to be excited about college later in their lives.  It’s there to set them up for a successful life!

As kids get a little older and go into middle school they have choices for classes.  This is a big lesson in college because they’re having a say in their future.  In college, they’ll not only be choosing classes, but they’ll also be choosing their career path.  However, wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just be lucky?

We would all love to graduate high school and fall into our dream job, am I right?  Oh, not to mention make a livable income, if not more.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen for most of us.  Nowadays we need to do some research about the various occupations and earning an income in those said jobs.  The first thing you’re going to have to accept is that you must have some type of degree in order to even receive a job.  As a matter of fact, even some entry-level positions require a degree, which I think is ridiculous.  I mean, I’m all for education, but some of these jobs shouldn’t be requiring that.

Make Sure their Major can Create a Livable Income

There have been many college students that have received their degree only to be disappointed because there are no jobs in that specific area of expertise.  That’s why before choosing your major you need to research the occupation vs. income.  Obviously, the highest paying jobs are going to be things like Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physician, etc. However, you also have to look at the amount of time you’re willing to spend in school.  That also means you’re going to have high student loan debt, unless you’re fortunate enough to receive a scholarship or other help.  All of this needs to be weighed between the pro’s and con’s so you can make an educated decision.

Another important reason to research is you have to be able to make a livable income.  What’s the purpose of working that hard for a degree while racking up debt if you can’t even pay your bills?  I found a list of degrees versus highest salaries on the world wide web and there’s much more research you can do on this subject.  It’s smart to do this before entering college!

Help them Find their Passion, but Make Sure it Pays

When you’re a little kid parents like to tell you that you can do anything you dream of.  Most of us chose superheroes, but we all know how that worked out.  Luckily, you can still go for whatever your passion is, but you just have to make sure it still pays you what you’re worth.  Obviously, you want to love what you do because you’ll be doing it until you retire.  That’s what we all dream about, right?  Do the work and before you know it you’ll find a great major that’ll give you a good degree and a livable wage.

Degrees and Time to Obtain them

• Associate’s: Two Years

• Bachelor’s: Four Years

• Master’s: Two Extra Years

• Doctoral: Four Extra Years

The Associate degree is used for occupations such as Associate of Arts & Science, Associate of General Studies, Associate Degree in Nursing, and others.  It’s easy to get this type of degree from a community college and possibly go on to another college of your choosing.

The Bachelor’s degree is the most common one people go for.  This can be used for things like Bachelor of Health Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and many more.  This degree is usually from state universities and four-year colleges for the most part. When I was thinking about going into nursing this is the degree I wanted.  The higher the degree the more money you make, or at least that’s what you want!

The Master’s degree is very demanding and will take up much of your time.  This is not for the faint of heart because you’ll be working quite hard.  These are usually earned from state and private universities and some colleges.  This is where your studies get detailed and specific.  Examples of jobs at this level are Master of Health Science, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Library Science, etc.

The Doctoral degree is one of the hardest ones out there.  This is the highest degree possible and you can only earn this after receiving your Master.  Obviously, this is a prestigious rank among students and again, hard to obtain.  This is why you can’t read a doctor’s handwriting!  They didn’t have time to waste on cursive (I’m kidding).

The Professional degree is a different course of action you can take for graduates that require licensing.  Many students use this for medical and law occupations.  By the time you’re at this level I’m sure you’re ready to start your career and get out of school.

In closing, I’d like to give you a little advice if I may.  Don’t only choose a school because of the “prestige” because you’re going to pay for that.  However, you won’t necessarily have a better degree than someone that went to community college.  In the end you’ll do what you want but I beg you to at least do some research before starting any school.