Try to remember the last time your child sat back and thoughtfully looked in the mirror. This is not meant to be a literal exercise; in other words, search not for the last time your child put on make-up, straightened hair, or double checked the collar on a shirt. Think back to the last time the two of you conversed about what your child really wants in life, what makes your child smile, what brings your child to tears from uncontrollable laughter, what could fulfill your child in college, in a career, in a lifetime.
So much of the college process and the course selection process centers around the existential question of life: What do I want? The real question behind these four words demands a thoughtful response. How can your child pick classes, pick a career, pick a college, make a big decision, if your child has not spent any time reflecting, analyzing, and thinking about what makes him/her really happy, fulfilled, and satisfied with life. With your prompting, the conversation can begin, thoughtful choices can be made, and finding the right fit for post-secondary education can be found.
These conversations should happen in middle school and high school. Students in this age bracket respond well when they produce something tangible. Go to a discounted art store, department store, or CVS, and buy a poster board. Make this your vision board for the year. Take pictures off the internet, print decorative words which hold much meaning for you, put a campus picture of your dream college, and create a collage. Hang it up. Make it a family affair. Parents, guardians, siblings make vision boards too. Talk about it through the year. Encourage one another. Have it follow the school year calendar, starting with July 1st 2016, and ending July 2017. Each year save the vision board, and see how it changes, grows, and evolves from year to year.
