Should kids be prepared for higher education from the get-go? The answer to this question is more complex than you might think at first because it requires us to analyze many dimensions at the same time. Look, we’re living in a world where degrees are often treated like golden keys to any door. But is this really true? And what does psychology tell us about it?
In fact, specialists say that the earlier children develop skills necessary for college, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication, the better they adapt in the future. Besides, preparing kids academically and emotionally for what’s to come can make a huge difference in their success.
Apart from that, college is not about getting a degree at all. Let’s view it as a place for discovering what lights your fire. Consequently, kids who are encouraged to explore different interests and passions early on are better at picking courses and career paths that resonate with their intrinsic motivations. So, should kids be prepped for college from the get-go?
Sure, but let’s keep it balanced. We’ll focus on the skills needed for that later in this article. And before that, let’s talk about another modern educational tool that’s stirring up debate: the rise of services that offer to do my homework online and on time.
On the one hand, these platforms can benefit overburdened students because they create an opportunity to manage overwhelming workloads and understand complex subjects. On the other hand, they raise questions about academic responsibility. That means one should use these tools wisely as supplements to enhance understanding and efficiency.
Getting back to the essential skills needed by future students, here is a list of what one needs to focus on.
Resilience
No doubt, college is a rollercoaster with constant ups and downs that one can’t control. In this case, resilience is the safety harness. How is this trait manifested? It’s about teaching to handle various frustrating things. Those might include a bad grade, a missed deadline, or a fallout with a roommate without spiraling. Of course, resilience is built through experience.
That’s why you should push your kid out of their comfort zone and then provide support to help them find their way back. This way, you are not shielding them from inevitable failures. Instead, you are showing them failure isn’t fatal. It’s about celebrating the effort, not just the outcome. Do your best to explain that every setback is a setup for a comeback—teach them that.
Independent Learning
This skill is a true art, which is not easy to master. You must know that independent learning isn’t just about hitting the books alone. To make it more clear, this skill is about igniting curiosity and the desire to learn beyond the classroom. Naturally, it’s much harder to do. But in the long run, one will have a very beneficial mindset of “I don’t know this, but I can figure it out.” How to achieve this goal?
You can start by encouraging your child to pursue projects they care about, and even when they don’t have an immediate answer. Just be there to guide them on how to find solutions because it prepares individuals for the self-directed study expected not only for college but also for a lifetime of learning.
Stress Management
As adults, we all strive to improve our stress management skills. But students need it even more than anybody. If college were a game, stress management would be the best defense strategy. It’s unbelievable what amount of stress is caused by things starting from exam pressures to social dynamics. In such settings, knowing how to manage stress is a must, it shouldn’t be ignored.
Again, how do we achieve it? The best helpers for stress management are mindfulness, exercise, and proper time management. If one can master those, then psychological tension won’t be so intense. But you should also teach children to identify stressors because timely recognition helps to prevent severe consequences. On top of that, let them know it’s okay to seek help even when stress is mild.
Cultural Awareness
Luckily, modern colleges are extremely diverse in cultures, identities, and beliefs. It’s so beautiful to observe how those interact with each other. Such diversity inevitably expands the outlook and makes life rich. That’s why cultural awareness is very important in the education context. Students should go beyond just tolerating diversity, they should embrace it. So encourage your kid to do the following:
- read about different cultures
- participate in community services
- attend cultural events.
Collaboration
No man is an island, especially in college where so much work requires interaction. Projects, labs, study groups—you name it, they’ll need to work together. Everybody has to collaborate in college, no matter whether they want it or not.
And the thing is that collaboration has deep layers as it’s about more than just sharing tasks. If one wants to be an effective collaborator, one must know that it demands leveraging each person’s strengths to achieve a common goal. And we need so many skills for that, such as the ability to:
- communicate
- compromise
- sometimes step back and let others lead.
Final Thoughts
Preparing your kid for college is more than just choosing the right faculty and teaching about the importance of grid grades. As you see from the article, they should master so many important skills, which takes time and effort.
However, the good news is that this experience means they’re set not just for academia but for life. The goal is not to create a perfect student who follows all the rules at any cost. It’s better to raise a well-rounded, resilient, and ethical human being who can face life’s challenges head-on.