A message for parents of high school students

This week, I attended the parent information session at my grade 11 son’s school to brief us on grade 12 course selection and what courses are needed for key university programs: business, engineering, health sciences and the arts.

At no time during the presentation was the ‘c’ word mentioned: College. When I attended a similar session at my older son’s school two years ago, college got one slide in the deck.

In addition to being a parent of kids 'at this stage', I am also a college professor, teaching at the Story Arts Centre near the heart of downtown Toronto, at Centennial College. I have taught in a four-year, university level Honours Bachelor program taught by professors with PhDs and Masters and who have industry experience. I primarily teach in the post graduate program where students come to us AFTER their university experience to get practical, experiential career training to qualify them for entry level positions in public relations.

From both the parent and the professor perspective, I am telling you: don’t discount the college pathway for your son or daughter. Here’s why:

1.???? Colleges do offer degree programs, ministry approved and monitored that blend academic rigour with practical, career-centric training. Most faculty have worked in the industry and understand its demands and teach accordingly. ?

2.???? Class size is smaller. For those students who benefit from more teacher attention and individualized pacing, College is worth the look. You will never find (at least on my campus) a class larger than 42. That because that’s as much as any classroom will hold.

3.???? Course work is hands on, experiential. This is the college model. Rare is the three-hour lecture and 2,000-word, double spaced academic essay and exam. At least not in my program. We focus on industry-required writing and real-world assignments, including the ability to work with real clients.

4.???? Range of programs. When the one guidance counsellor rushed through the one slide on college, she noted, ‘if your son or daughter wants to be a paramedic or police officer.’ Which is an extremely narrow-view of what Colleges offer based on the trades-only, outdated reputation. Sure, Colleges teach the trades, but look at the headlines and what the politicians say are most needed: trades. How do we build the cities of the future without carpenters, electricians and plumbers? My husband is a scenic carpenter for Toronto’s booming and highly-reputable film industry and no one day is the same. He’s built spaceships, White House replicas, futuristic bars and horror-movie sewer tunnels. Cool, right? But Colleges also teach public relations, advertising, screen-writing and journalism to name just a few.

5.???? Close to home. For those parents worried about their not quite 18-year-old ‘adulting’ before they are ready, keep them at home. Loosen the leash, so to speak, without removing it entirely. Staying at home certainly has its advantages as well: cost savings (no residence or food plan) primarily, but also the availability of parental emotional support system.

All this is to say, think about it. Maybe your next dinner conversation includes the ‘c’ word of college in the same sentence as the ‘c’ word of career. Maybe your son or daughter ends up going to school in a subject matter they love, preparing for an industry with opportunity, along a more direct, linear route to employment. (One parent I spoke to this week visibly cringed when she said her teen loved music….because surely there was no career path forward if they followed their passion. Though, I think Taylor Swift might argue this point).

Still not sold? Let them do their four-years at university. Let them do English Lit or History. Take those four years to mature, make friends, grow and learn. And then send them to me for a post graduate certificate in public relations and corporate communications. It’s two semesters, plus an eight-week field placement with an employer that may very well hire them, or at least offer them a reference and real experience. I’ve been doing this for 12 years now so ask any of my hundreds of alumni (who I encourage to comment on this post) who are in the industry, getting promoted and thriving.

Want to talk more about College? DM me. Happy to answer your questions or point you in the right direction.

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