tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576366.post111905077421563117..comments2008-12-11T02:33:09.973-08:00Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01293317607000363396noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576366.post-1121461828513319912005-07-15T14:10:00.000-07:002005-07-15T14:10:00.000-07:00Hi Stacy, thanks for dropping by. I've popped over to Virtualosophy a couple of times but haven't left a trace -- very interesting stuff.<BR/><BR/>Your first question -- "How can a kid of 20, with next to no life experience, possibly make such a choice and have it be authentic?" Expecting kids to choose a career goal has always struck me as kind of absurd. Aside from the keeners who always seemed to know what job they wanted, kids (even most adults) have only a vague sense of what they're interested in and how it maps over the world of work. I do think, however, that it's worth exploring possible future paths as a way to motivate kids to seek out interesting things to play with, work on and think about. <BR/><BR/>I completely agree with the travelling/working advice. Most parents gasp when they hear it, because they fear that their kids are going to spend their 20s wandering around in a fog instead of buckling down and getting the all-important degree. I don't buy it. My hope for my girls is that they'll be engaged in their lives, whether that includes university or not.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01293317607000363396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576366.post-1119687788060729162005-06-25T01:23:00.000-07:002005-06-25T01:23:00.000-07:00Typical path: <BR/><BR/>1. Kid graduates from high school<BR/>2. Heads directly to college<BR/>3. Within two years, must choose a major<BR/>4. That major will generally define his career path<BR/><BR/>How can a kid of 20, with next to no life experience, possibly make such a choice and have it be authentic? At best, it's a guess.<BR/><BR/>I've often thought that the "standard" should be that a kid would get out of highschool, spend two years traveling and working to support himself however he can, *then* go into college.<BR/><BR/>It might give our kids a fighting chance of getting to know themselves and what they really want out of life before they have to make such an important life choice.Stacy Bricehttp://www.virtualosophy.comnoreply@blogger.com