<p>I'd appreciate any objective thoughts on this one. My future stepson told us tonight that he wants to go to a technical college for automotive mechanic etc. He is an honor student that has always done well in high school and has already applied to several universities. He has taken an auto tech class in HS for 2 years and really likes it. He has always taken college prep courses and has done very well also. I don't agree with this decision as I think he is a very smart kid with a ton of potential. We've already had the talk about maybe pursuing some kind of engineering that maybe would use some of his brains with more hands on etc. He has no interest. His dad is an aircraft mechanic so he's had a lot of exposure to this sort of field. Granted his dad makes good money but would rather have had him pursue a college degree. The school he is looking at is out of state with no on campus housing. Any thoughts or advice?</p>
<p>If this is what the student wants to do, forcing him to go to a four year school probably isn't a good choice. We know a number of kids who went the technical school route. Some went straight into trades or apprenticeships and are doing very well..and love their work. Some completed the tech school, worked for a while and then went to four year college (some in related fields and some in completely unrelated fields)...and others went directly from the tech school on to complete a four year degree. It's not the end of the world if this kid WANTS to go to tech school, and knows what he's getting himself into.</p>
<p>Just thoughts, no advice. </p>
<p>If my son told me he was not interested in college, I would take that seriously. It's a huge committment in so many different ways. If he came to us with a technical school he'd researched on his own, I'd let my kid chose his path and help him finacially to our ability. I'd not feel that my son's smarts were going to waste. It takes all kinds of smart and all kinds of expressions of it to make the world go around.</p>
<p>Best of luck to your family.</p>
<p>A good auto mechanic can make a small fortune. I think your stepson is very wise in his decision. If he decides later on to pursue a college degree, he'll have an excellent skilled trade to fall back on. Smart kid.</p>
<p>Our local community colleges provide technical training in a variety of occupations and the education provided is subsidized by our states and maybe the Federal government too so a technical education may be an efficient path to a job. If it is something that he truly loves, then getting in the way is going to be a pain all the way around unless he can find something that he loves with perhaps a mechanical engineering degree.</p>
<p>My concern is do you really know at 17 what you want to do. At least with a college degree he will have options open to him. It would be easier to swallow if he wasn't such a good student. I'm also concerned about going out of state and living in an apt, etc and not having the "college experience". I know this could be worse. Plenty of kids spend a fortune on college only to decide it's not for them. Of course we want our kids to be happy and do what they want and not just what we want. It has just taken us by surprise to hear all this in Jan when the college apps are already in.</p>
<p>Maybe his Dad can suggest a compromise. Suggest that he try college for one year. If at the end of that year he decides that he would rather go to an automotive technical school, then you will fully support his decision. Explain to him that you would hate for him to always have that "I wonder" swirling around in his head----"I wonder what things would have been like if I had gone to college?" After the conversation, back off and see what happens as the college decisions start coming in the mail. He might change his mind once he actually gets accepted to a college.</p>
<p>Could he pursue both? At our community college, you can pursue both at the same time, though it might take longer so you graduate with both the technical training & the bachelor's degree. Explain that it seems to you that it would be a good fallback plan & he could take some business courses in say accounting and/or marketing and/or business law so he could be sure things were being done right wherever he ends up.</p>
<p>He can explore the technical options and internships/co-ops available at the schools he's applied to as well.</p>
<p>Someone I know fixed A/Cs on subs during WWII; he had thought seriously about staying with the field but decided to take advantage of the GI bill & went out of state to college, got a BA, MBA & JD in very short order. It seems lucky for him that he switched to being a white-collar professional because his mechanical abilities have faded over time</p>
<p>I would recommend he take some business classes so he knows what to do when he owns the shop.</p>
<p>Congratulations are in order. Here is a student who truly knows what he wants to do, which is more than can be said for tens of thousands of four-year college students, even many attending some of the most prestigious ones.</p>
<p>Too many parents think that college is the only answer when technical schools are a great option. There will (very soon) come a time, when your plumber, electrician, auto mechanic, etc. will be able to name their price when making repairs. If this is what he is leaning towards, support him. If he decides later that he would prefer to go to college he will have some technical training under his belt and that can only help him in life.</p>
<p>H works in an automotive related field. Just today he mentioned that due to the state of the economy the auto repair and/or body shops he frequents are overloaded with work. People are having cars repaired rather than buying new. I say if he wants to be a mechanic let him go for it. Good mechanics can always find a job.</p>
<p>The mechanics I've spoken with -- two are brothers both have business degrees (not sure whether bachelors or masters--doesn't really matter). Another mechanic is an engineer but has owned his own shop & been repairing cars since he stopped working on NASCAR races. The latter has discouraged his kids from following his footsteps (too hard & messy a life he says); have lost touch with the brothers.</p>
<p>college will always be there and having a job as a mechanic may help him to graduate debt free. My suggestion is that you support his decision but ask that he consider pursuing a business (or other chosen) degree at some point. Plant the seed but encourage him to do what he wants to do now while planning for his future.</p>
<p>Let him do what he wants. Sometimes, you have to face the fact that college is not for everyone. Imagine pushing him into a four-year school and if he's already disinterested, do you really think he'll do well?</p>
<p>
[quote]
My concern is do you really know at 17 what you want to do.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think this is a good point yet to a certain extent it's true for all of us. This can be a good chance to reinforce the idea that life is too short to be spent second guessing ourselves. Part of being an adult is making the best decision you can at the time and then course correction as you go along.</p>
<p>I'm in my late 30s and down to one last semester before finishing the BA I started 21 years ago. College will always be there if he changes his mind.</p>
<p>A friend recently told me about someone in her family. Here is his story. He also was a top student who wanted to study automotive repair. He did that and got a great job. After a few years, he decided that he wanted to study mechanical engineering. He earned his degree and when he went looking for an engineering job (for an auto company), he had a huge advantage, from the company's point of view, because he knew cars better than the graduates without his experience.</p>
<p>That said, if my son, who is studying to be a mechanical engineer, told me he wanted to be a car mechanic, I would give him my blessings. It is my job to bring him to adulthood as a functioning member of society. It is his job to decide how to do that.</p>
<p>OK, sue me... I'd push my son toward the degree. AND trade school/mechanic training, if that's what he wanted. As the poster above noted, a mechanical engineer who is also a mechanic (or vice versa!) has a tremendous advantage in the job market.</p>
<p>All our kids planned to go to college. Presenting the school system as k-12, plus 4 years of college, + graduate degree, from the time they were aware of school was a big part of that.</p>
<p>I'd also really try to figure out what has caused the switch in a kid who is 90% through the college application process.</p>
<p>It's great that he knows what he wants, it's great to have a marketable trade, and he can always get an academic degree later if he wants. I understand your desire for him to take a wider path, but specialization is not a bad thing. I'm all for it. Too many kids graduate from college with a BA and the qualifications to do....nothing.</p>
<p>I have no real advice, just compassion. I have a HS freshman Honor student with straight A's (93.5 GPA but could do even better if she put something into it). Anyway, school has never been her thing. She does not enjoy it but knows that we know what she is capable of and what is expected of her so she does what she needs to to stay in our good graces. </p>
<p>Anyway, my daughter has been dancing since the age of 3. Probably since the age of about 7 she has wanted a career in dance. At first her goal was to open her own dance studio after getting a degree is dance and business. After doing some student teaching and demonstrating she has decided she no longer wants to teach. Ok, so now she wants to try for a professional ballet career whatever. BUT she recently dropped the bomb on me that she does NOT EVER want to go to college even if she fails at getting any kind of career in dance. She would like to go to vocational school for a cosmetology license to fall back on.</p>
<p>So like you I am stuck. Stuck because here is this child with brains, street smarts, and a world of potential. I don't mind her trying to follow her dancing dreams but wish she would keep her feet on the ground while doing so. I, like you, have suggested a world of different college majors that she would also be good at such as fashion merchandising, other careers in the arts, advertising etc. to no avail. </p>
<p>LOL, maybe we can start a club. I have a feeling we will not be lonely!</p>