When my first grandchild was preparing to enter the
10th grade in high school, I asked him which foreign language he was
going to take. He had already completed two years of Spanish in middle school.
I was curious. Was he going to stick with it, or switch to something else? His
grandmother, me, studied three languages along with English, so he
knew there were other options.
He informed me that his school counted Coding as a
foreign language, so he didn’t need to study another one. After I recovered
from the outrage of equating study of a real live language, its people, music,
art and culture with computer coding, I explained the reality of paying for
college to him.
There are billions of dollars out there for students
who wish to go to college. Some of them are scholarships and grants, some of
them are loans. The first two don't have to be paid back. They are an
investment in the country’s future. Loans, however, do have to be paid back.
They are a way for banks to make a profit.
I told him, in order to stand out in the crowd of
applicants for scholarships and grants; he has to go above and beyond what his
school requires for graduation. He has to catch the eye of those who hand out
free money. He has been taking advanced classes in math and science for years.
His grades are stellar. He plays several musical instruments. He wins awards
and is a wonderful kid. But so are many other scholarship applicants. His application
could be lost in the mass of paperwork submitted by thousands of graduates.
I asked if he enjoyed Spanish, and if he did well in
the classes. He liked the subject and received A’s. I suggested he take this
opportunity to do what other students won’t. Many will be content to complete
the minimum requirements. To give himself an advantage, he should continue with
Spanish until he had completed four years in addition to his coding and other
computer courses. He did this and now his applications will stand out.
Grandma is sending him links to scholarships she finds
online and encouraging him to apply to at least three each week. Hopefully, he
listens to this advice like he did the advice on how to stand out in the crowd.
You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.
For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE. It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.
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