MOM AND DAD I’M GOING TO COLLEGE

A PRESENTATION TO THE

STUDENTS AND PARENTS

OF PATRICK HENRY SCHOOL PRESENTED BY GEORGE DOOLEY COUNSELOR, SCHOOL

OF CONTINUING EDUCATION NORTH ORANGE COUNTY

COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

HELLO, I’M CARLOS AND TODAY WE

ARE GOING TO LEARN ALL ABOUT

WHAT COLLEGE IS ALL ABOUT. I

WOULD LIKE YOU TO MEET SOME

OF MY FRIENDS, MARCUS, CINDY,

AND MAYLEE. THEY ARE GOING TO

HELP US ON THE ROAD TO COLLEGE.

THE ROAD TO COLLEGE CAN BE REALLY CONFUSING!

I BETTER ASK FOR SOME HELP FROM

MY FRIENDS.

MARCUS: HAS ANYONE FROM YOUR

FAMILY BEEN TO COLLEGE?

NO, CARLOS HOW ABOUT YOU?

NO, I WILL BE THE FIRST!

MAYLEE, HAS ANYONE BEEN TO

COLLEGE IN YOUR FAMILY?

YES, CARLOS I HAVE AN OLDER

SISTER THAT IS GOING.

HOW ABOUT YOU CINDY?

NO, BUT I’M GOING TO BE THE FIRST!

WELL, IT SOUND LIKE WE ALL WANT TO

GO TO COLLEGE.

WHAT IS COLLEGE ALL ABOUT?

GOING TO COLLEGE OR GETTING A

HIGHER EDUCATION MEANS GETTING

ANY TYPE OF EDUCATION OR CAREER

TRAINING AFTER YOU GRADUATE

FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

IT TAKES PLANNING AND MONEY TO

GET A HIGHER EDUCATION. BUT IF YOU

START PREPARING NOW, YOU CAN GO

TO ANY KIND OF COLLEGE YOU WANT!

CARLOS, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONSLIKE:1) WHY IS COLLEGE IMPORTANT?2) WHAT CLASSES SHOULD I TAKE IN HIGH SCHOOL?3) HOW DO I GET INTO COLLEGE?4) WHAT IS THE COST AND HOW CAN I PAY FOR IT?

YOU’RE RIGHT MARCUS, WE DO HAVE

A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.

MAYBE WE SHOULD START BY ASKING

SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TO

COLLEGE, LIKE OUR TEACHER MRS.

JACKSON. SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING!

MRS. JACKSON WHEN I GET OLDER

I WANT TO WORK IN A HOSPITAL.

WOULD COLLEGE HELP ME?

COLLEGE HELPS PEOPLE EVERYDAY

IN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS,

SHE SAID.

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT

INTERESTS YOU IN COLLEGE, AND

YOU’LL MAKE YOUR FAMILY PROUD.

IT PREPARES YOU FOR BETTER JOBS,

AND COLLEGE GRADUATES CAN BE

A BIG HELP TO THEIR COMMUNITY.

STAYING IN SCHOOL AND GOING TO

COLLEGE WILL HELP YOU:

1) GET A BETTER JOB. MORE AND MORE JOBS REQUIRE EDUCATION

BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL. WITH A

COLLEGE EDUCATION YOU’LL HAVE

MORE JOBS TO CHOOSE FROM.

2) EARN MORE MONEY. A PERSON

WHO GOES TO COLLEGE USUALLY

EARNS MORE THAN A PERSON WHO

DOESN’T. LET’S LOOK AT THIS

CHART.

ANNUAL INCOMENOT A HIGH SCHOOL GRAD $23,400HIGH SCHOOL GRAD $30,400SOME COLLEGE $36,800ASSOCIATE DEGREE $38,200BACHELOR’S DEGREE $52,200MASTER’S DEGREE $62,300DOCTORAL DEGREE $89,400

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW MUCH

MONEY THIS IS:

$1,000,000

THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU

WILL MAKE OVER A LIFETIME OF

WORKING WHEN YOU HAVE A COLLEGE

DEGREE.

BOY THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY CAN

YOU EXPLAIN IN A DIFFERENT WAY,

MRS. JACKSON, SAID CARLOS.

SURE, CARLOS LET’S LOOK AT TWO

PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BUY A

MOUNTAIN BIKE.

CHRIS IS A NEWSPAPER REPORTER

(4 YEARS OF COLLEGE). CHRIS WILL

EARN ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY THE

BIKE AFTER WORKING 1 WEEK.

JULIE SELLS NEWSPAPERS (NO

COLLEGE NEEDED). TO BUY THE

SAME MOUNTAIN BIKE, JULIE WILL

HAVE TO WORK ABOUT 2 WEEKS.

OK, NOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT GOING

TO COLLEGE WILL INCREASE YOUR

EARNING POWER, WHAT’S YOUR

EXCUSE?

BUT SUPPOSE I DON’T KNOW WHAT

I WANT TO STUDY IN COLLEGE, SAID

MAYLEE.

COLLEGE IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN

LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT

YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE.

LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK THEN AT

WHAT YOU MAY HAVE AN INTEREST

IN.

GOOD, I’M READY TO LEARN ABOUT

ME, SAID CARLOS.

THE WAY THIS WORKS IS YOU TAKE

WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO ALONG WITH

WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT AND THAT

WILL GIVE YOU A POSSIBLE CAREER.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE:

CINDY, YOU CHECKED THAT YOU LIKE

TO CARE FOR ANIMALS AND YOU LIKE

SCIENCE CLASSES. SO, SOME OF THE

POSSIBLE CAREERS FOR YOU WOULD

BE: VETERINARIAN

PARK RANGER

MARINE BIOLOGIST

CARLOS, YOU SAID YOU LIKE TO WORK

ON THE COMPUTER AND YOU ARE

GOOD AT DRAWING. SO, SOME

POSSIBLE CAREERS FOR YOU ARE:

ARTIST

COMPUTER PROGRAMMER

GRAPHIC ARTIST

SEE, KIDS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AN

INTEREST IT WILL MAKE YOUR CHOICE

OF A COLLEGE A LITTLE EASIER,

SAID MRS. JACKSON.

OK, MRS JACKSON I’M DONE BUT WHAT

DOES IT MEAN? SAID MARCUS.

WELL, MARCUS THE REASON WE DO

THIS FUN ACTIVITY IS TO HELP YOU

START THINKING ABOUT CAREERS AND

COLLEGE, SAID MRS. JACKSON

OK, I THINK I KNOW WHAT I WOULD LIKE

TO BE, SO HOW DO I PREPARE TO GO

TO COLLEGE RIGHT NOW.

ASKED MARCUS.

WELL, MARCUS, CINDY, CARLOS AND

MAYLEE YOU’RE GETTING READY TO

MOVE INTO 7TH GRADE WHICH MEANS

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, SAID MRS.

JACKSON

THAT MEANS YOU WILL BE TAKING

COURSES LIKE MATH, SCIENCE,

ENGLISH, AND HISTORY.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FROM 7TH

GRADE ON TO STUDY HARD AND GET

GOOD GRADES. THIS WILL HELP YOU

WHEN YOU GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL

AND START LOOKING FOR A COLLEGE

TO ATTEND.

SO, LET’S REVIEW HOW WE ARE GOING

TO PREPARE FOR COLLEGE.

STARTING IN 7TH GRADE WE ARE GOING

TO:

1) TAKE CHALLENGING COURSES

IN ENGLISH, MATH AND SCIENCE

2. DEVELOP GOOD STUDY SKILLS

3. START TALKING TO YOUR PARENTS,

TEACHER AND COUNSELOR ABOUT

GOING TO COLLEGE.

WHAT KINDS OF JOBS CAN YOU GET

WITH A COLLEGE EDUCATION?, ASKED

MAYLEE

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT

GETTING A COLLEGE EDUCATION IS

THAT YOU HAVE MORE JOBS TO

CHOOSE FROM. AS YOU EXPLORE

POSSIBLE CAREERS, YOU WILL FIND

OUT WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION IS

NEEDED FOR THEM. EVEN THOUGH

COLLEGE MAY SEEM A LONG WAY OFF

YOU MUST START PLANNING NOW,

SAID MRS. JACKSON.

I HEARD YOU HAVE TO GO TO COLLEGE

FOR A LONG TIME, SAID MARCUS.

WELL, MARCUS THAT IS NOT ALWAYS

TRUE, IT DEPENDS UPON WHAT TYPE

OF CAREER YOU WANT.

LET ME SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE OF

WHAT I MEAN, SAID MRS. JACKSON.

LET’S SAY YOU WANTED TO GO TO

COLLEGE FOR ONLY 2 YEARS. HERE

THEN ARE SOME CAREERS FOR YOU.

MEDICAL LAB TECHNICIAN

COMPUTER TECHNICIAN

CAR MECHANIC

REGISTERED NURSE

WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU LIKE GOINGTO COLLEGE AND WANT TO SPEND4 YEARS THERE. HERE ARE SOME OFTHE CAREERS FOR YOU.ACCOUNTANTENGINEERGRAPHIC DESIGNERSOCIAL WORKER

AND FINALLY, HERE ARE SOME OF THE

CAREERS YOU CAN GET IF YOU HAVE

MORE THAN 4 YEARS OF COLLEGE.

SCIENTIST

DENTIST

LAWYER

DOCTOR

WOW, SAID CARLOS, THERE ARE A LOT

OF CAREERS THAT I COULD CHOOSE

FROM.

THAT’S RIGHT, CARLOS IF YOU CAN

DREAM IT, YOU CAN DO IT!, SAID

MRS. JACKSON.

OK, MRS. JACKSON I HEAR WHAT YOU

ARE SAYING ABOUT PREPARING TO GO

TO COLLEGE, BUT HOW WILL I PAY FOR

IT?,SAID CARLOS.

WELL, CARLOS COLLEGE ISN’T FREE;

YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. HOWEVER,

MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT COLLEGE

IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN IT REALLY

IS, SAID MRS. JACKSON.

ALTHOUGH SOME COLLEGES ARE

EXPENSIVE, MANY COLLEGES ARE

WITHIN REACH. HOW MUCH YOU

SPEND DEPENDS ON MANY THINGS,

LIKE TUITION AND FEES, BOOKS,

HOUSING AND OTHER EXPENSES.

THINK OF COLLEGE AS A LARGE PIZZA.

PART OF THE PIZZA WILL BE YOUR

MONEY FOR CLASSES AND BOOKS,

PART FOR HOUSING AND PART FOR

OTHER EXPENSES(CAR,FOOD ETC)

THAT’S MAKING ME HUNGRY, MRS.JACKSON, MAYLEE SAID.

ME TOO, SAID MARCUS!

WOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BEA LITTLE EXPENSIVE, HOW CAN I PAYFOR IT? , SAID CARLOS.

YOU CAN GET THE MONEY TO GO TO

COLLEGE FROM MANY DIFFERENT

PLACES, SAID MRS. JACKSON.

LET’S LOOK AT SOME WAYS TO PAY

FOR COLLEGE:

1) SAVINGS..YOU AND YOUR PARENTS

SHOULD START SETTING SOME

MONEY NOW, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

IF YOU COULD SAVE $25.00 PER MONTH

FOR 10 YEARS JUST ABOUT THE TIME

YOU WOULD BE READY FOR COLLEGE

YOU WOULD HAVE OVER $3000.00

SAVED UP.

BUT MY PARENTS CAN’T AFFORD TOPUT $25.00 AWAY EVERY MONTH,CINDY SAID.

WELL, CINDY PERHAPS YOU COULDHELP BY DOING SOME CHORES,MOWING LAWNS, OR HELPING PEOPLE.MRS. JACKSON SAID.

THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING CALLED

FINANCIAL AID, MRS JACKSON SAID.

WHAT IS THAT? SAID CARLOS

THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION OFFERS STUDENTS THREE

MAJOR TYPES OF AID TO HELP PAY

FOR COLLEGE:

1) GRANTS-THIS IS MONEY THAT DOES

NOT HAVE TO BE PAID BACK.

THESE ARE CALLED PELL GRANTS.

THE AMOUNT YOU RECEIVE IS BASEDON YOUR NEED. GRANTS RANGE FROM$400- $4,000.

2) WORK STUDY:THIS IS MONEY YOU EARN WHILE ENROLLED. NORMALLY

YOU WILL PERFORM SOME TYPE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.

3) LOANS: THIS IS MONEY THAT IS MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU BUT YOU MUST PAY IT BACK WITH INTEREST.

THOSE ARE JUST SOME WAYS YOU

CAN PAY FOR COLLEGE, CARLOS,

SAID MRS. JACKSON.

SOUNDS LIKE I WILL BE ABLE TO GO,

SAID CARLOS.

OK, STUDENTS LET’S REVIEW WHAT

WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT GOING TO

COLLEGE

ON YOUR WORKSHEET ANSWER THE

FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1) PLEASE WRITE DOWN TWO REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO

COLLEGE.

2. SOME OF THE CLASSES I WILL NEED

TO TAKE IN HIGH SCHOOL ARE:

______ _______ ________ ________

3. WHAT ARE SOME CAREERS THAT

YOU WILL ONLY NEED TO GO TO

COLLEGE FOR TWO YEARS?

__________ _________ ____________

4. WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU COULD

PAY FOR COLLEGE?

_______ ________ ________ _______

WELL, IT’S GOING TO BE A LITTLE

WHILE BEFORE YOU CAN ACTUALLY

GO TO COLLEGE, BUT IF YOU START

PREPARING NOW YOU WILL BE READY

BY THE TIME YOU GRADUATE HIGH

SCHOOL.

GOOD LUCK FROM

YOUR FRIENDLY

COMMUNITY COLLEGE