Tag: College

Teenagers: Managing Highly Demanding Work with High Demands

Teenagers are still growing and are having increasing demands which are difficult to meet. They face a lot of challenges from school, peers, and sports but are equipped with confidence. Parents think teenagers have it all easy but they need more support and understanding now than ever.

Work

High school kids have daily home work that takes three to four hours every day. The advanced and honors courses leave little room for outside fun. Teenagers manage the tests, grades, ACT, SAT, activities, and so on. To meet their demands, teenagers start working as soon as they are eligible. Volunteering in a related interested field is expected at this age. Through volunteering, high school kids are able to explore the study and work choices.

Health

The frontal lobe of the teenagers is still developing. Teenagers are highly susceptible to schizophrenia and other issues.Their perception of situations and problem solving methods are different than adults. Healthy diet, exercise, and more sleep is recommended for overall well being. Social, physical, emotional, and mental health is crucial for teenagers. Any out of school activity costs a lot but there is risk of developing obesity at this age and related complications may arise due to the sedentary lifestyle. Smart phone addiction goes often unrecognized in teenagers.

Peer Pressure

Teenagers face drugs, alcohol, dating, and other situations in daily lives. Increased rates of depression and suicide among teenagers are due to the constant pressure. Cyber-bullying and online crimes on teenagers are getting out of control. They are exposed unimaginable sex and terrorist videos that are available openly on the Internet. Cyber crimes and under age charges can be filed in case of sharing nude photos.

Dating

Dating is common in high school and kids are highly anticipating for this in elementary and middle schools. Many end up marrying their high school partners for life long. However, nowadays due to the unlimited exposure, there is high occurrences of teenage pregnancies which hinders their education, work, and lifestyle. Children are exploring their sexuality and identifying their preferences. They are experimenting and knowing their limits. Too much sharing on Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, live videos, unlimited selfies, and so on take a huge toll on time and efforts. The cost of the dates also is an additional expense for the family! Some do earn through chores and part time jobs.

Demands

If you have a teenager at home, probably you have come across all the high-end demands. Smartphone, car, laptop, events, branded gear, allowance, and what not. They have to have the stuff to get along with their friends. ‘All are doing it’ and ‘All have it’ are some of the phrases parents get to hear.

Cost

Smartphone for a teenager costs $1000 or more and it needs yearly upgrade! Carrier bill of teenagers with unlimited data costs about $100 a month. High-end earbuds to listen to the music which cost another $150. Monthly music memberships for Spotify and Netflix add another $50. If your high school kid is a gamer, they will need monthly memberships, gaming systems, game remotes, and compatible head phones add another $1000.  If you have a fashion favorite at home, clothing, seasonal attire, and accessories cost another $500 per month (minimum).

Colleges

Finding a correct match for the courses teenagers wish to study and the college offering them is not decided until they join.  They are applying to colleges and scholarship and writing related essays. The application fees of the colleges and the college visits itself may add up to significant amount.

Managing all 

Teenagers are working their best to meet the work and increasing pressures. Stress management is possible through yoga, meditation, and social and physical activities. The outbursts and yelling are a way to get the stress out. Understanding the kids nature while respecting their growth is needed during their developing years. Helping teenagers take the right decisions and reminding them of the basic rules and life goals keeps them focused.

The challenges faced by current generation are never heard before and they are working hard to get ahead in the competition of study and life! Parents must show their support and encouragement while negotiating their demands.

Picking Up High School Courses

Okay, its the time of the year where schools send reminders about picking up high school courses. If you have a child or dependent who is in high school, you will feel the pain or pressure of picking the courses. Ideally, the student is supposed to pick the course, but most parents tend to get confused about which ones are best for your child. Here are some tips from my perspective.

Objective

The main objective of choosing courses in high school is to let the student decide their future. However, the schools have their own way of limiting the students so you have to follow their guidelines. If your child is planning for a college or university, the objective of the high school courses is to meet the college requirements. Th current courses which the student takes will highly determine which college or course they are going to take in college or future. Of course, there is always a chance of dropping the class if they don’t like it. But, it is not advisable as it will not give you the credit or departmental honors in the respective division. So, planning way ahead is mandatory.

Graduation Requirements

Most high schools have minimum number of credits required to graduate from high school. Those vary from 20 to 25 or higher. Any additional credits, it is the students choice. But, in general high schools require 4 years of Math, 4 years of English, 3 years of Social Studies, 2 or 3 years of Science, 4 years of PE, and so on. In addition, Consumer Education or Volunteering may be must. They may also provide two or three Electives. In general, these requirements match the respective state university or community colleges.

Choosing the Courses
It is really amusing how the schools set conditions about choosing the courses. I think they customize the conditions based on their 5 year plans. Also, the schools are highly selective about which students take which courses. Before approving any course, they make sure the students meet certain requirements or test scores.

There are hundreds of courses a school offers under different departments. But, the student is left with only minimum choices after selecting the mandatory courses. The student must select the electives in a manner that his college requirements are met. Dual Credit courses offered at local community colleges might be a good idea to carry the credit to both high school and the college

Choosing orchestra in high school is highly selective. Even though orchestra is considered to be an easy grade, there might be many hours required for each concert. If you take orchestra, it will show your commitment to follow directions and work in teams. Also, it is better to take for four years which show your perseverance over a period of time. The same applies for choir or band.

Choosing a world language is also a big question for many students. Most colleges require a world language as their prerequisites. So, the student is forced, in a sense, to participate in a world language hoping to be useful in future profession. Again, it is suggested that they take the world language for four years in high school.

Students must be watchful about the courses the schools set as mandatory to be selected for a class rank. If you need to be considered for a class rank, you have to take the courses set by the school. Else, you will not have a school rank on your final transcripts! Not fair, huh. 🙂

Clubs and Sports

After the courses are selected you will be given option to take participation in Academic clubs, Debate teams, Student Leadership, and so on. Similarly, it is suggested that you be a member of some school’s sports team of your choice. This will showcase you as an ‘overall candidate’ when you apply for college.

Finally, it is essential the student put in lot of work hours after school to study all the subjects they signed up for. Good work ethics and practice is suggested for success in secondary school that lays foundation for college and future!