<p>First off, I'm not really sure what forum to put this on so I thought the "parent" forum was best.</p>
<p>Anyways, I'm concerned for my cousin. I don't like to admit it but he's sort of screwing his life up. He doesn't really care about school and I don't know if he's planning to go to college or if he knows what he wants to do. Now I know that nowadays there isn't a need for many people to go to college, but I think it's the best choice for him. He's going to be a junior in high school next year (I'll be a sophomore) and I just want him to be successful because we're really close (I grew up with him). How can I motivate him to do better in school and is there any way he can fix himself in his last two years of high school? and what kind of college (community, state, out-of-state, etc.) would be best for him? He doesn't really get good grades now and hates studying but I really really want to help him. So please if there's anyway he can get into any college right now what does he need to do and how can I help?</p>
<p>Instead of trying to push him into college, encourage him to think about his interests and how they might apply to a job he could have in the future. </p>
<p>For example, if he likes working with his hands and solving puzzles, and doesn’t mind getting a bit dirty, he might think about apprenticing with a plumber. Every day those people walk into new houses and buildings, and have to figure out what is broken, and the best way to fix it. Depending on the type of training program, the apprentices can be earning money from the very first day.</p>
<p>If he really, truly decides that he wants to go to college, and he buckles down and does the work, there will be some place that will accept him. However where he can attend will be decided by what he can afford. Lots of places will admit a student with a 3.0, some will admit students with lower grades than that, but most won’t give any aid other than federally determined (FAFSA) aid. </p>
<p>He might benefit from knowing that his junior year of HS counts a lot more than the first two years. Therefore his current gpa doesn’t matter as much as how well he does next fall. Some students mature into taking school seriously. </p>
<p>College isn’t for everyone. Some would much rather have a hands on technical job, regardless of their academic abilities. Your local community/technical college should have a list of fields available to get training and/or AA degrees. He might be a gifted mechanic, plumber, electrician, welder… He may not see where his HS classes are relevant to him. He needs to discuss where he’s heading with his HS guidance counselor, not you. Being successful does not require college, it requires hard work in whichever field one chooses.</p>
<p>Motivation to do well may come from looking at potential job training programs and seeing their HS requirements and how competitive they are to get into. Supply and demand. He also needs to be taking HS classes that interest him along with the required ones. Not everyone should be on a college prep track.</p>
<p>@thumper1 @happymomof1 @wis75 thank you all! I get that he probably won’t want to or need to go to college. however, my whole family (his parents, my parents, our aunts and uncles, etc) want him to at least graduate high school but by the looks of it, we’re not sure he will. education is very important to our whole family. if he does end up going to college, i feel as though going to a community college will mean he will stay at home and him being at home is what causes him to be so negligent of school. whenever the family asks him what he wants to do he brushes it off. even my cousin (a teacher) doesn’t have high hopes for him and they’re starting to care less. I just don’t know what to do. I will try motivation but I don’t know how much I can help because he’s been indolent in his school duties for as long as I can remember.</p>
<p>Too much family pressure can be counterproductive. He needs to be discussing his school future with his HS guidance counselor. That person can help him determine which courses he should take et al. Everyone needs to back off. All you are doing is making the situation worse. He may want to do things differently but being the center of everyone’s attention does not help him.</p>