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SHOULD YOU GO TO COLLEGE? PAGE 2 BY DAVE PETERSON © Copyright 1997 by Parents' Press Here's how to score the quiz on the previous page. 15 or more yeses: You have a solid chance of getting through college in four years. 13 or 14 yeses: You can probably find a college where you can succeed if you develop more maturity, careful organization skills, and the capacity for sustained hard work. 11 or 12 yeses: You have a chance of making it in some college somewhere, provided you become really dedicated to success and eager to make a number of changes in your academic approaches, starting now. 9 or 10 yeses: Unless there are strong "compensating factors," your chances are not the greatest. 8 or fewer yeses: As things stand now, you will probably not succeed in most traditional college situations, and are likely to be happier as one of the 75 percent of seniors not attending a bachelor's degree program. But don't stop here - analyze your "no" answers and reflect on what each means about the need to upgrade that particular value or skill if you go to college. If you are brave enough to try it, ask your parents to answer these same questions as if they were you! See if their perceptions of you differ from your own. Next: Family Values "Hey, I'm the one going to college," you protest. But let's face it, mom and/or dad have to be in your court if you want to win at this game. Here are a dozen or so reasons for attending college. Number them in order of their importance to you: Reasons for Attending College I'll need a college degree to get a good job. # My parents want me to go and they can afford it. # I'll need the academic skills for my planned career in _______________ . # I'm looking forward to the great social life. # I'll need college to help me decide on my life's goals. # I hope to meet interesting people and make important contacts. # I want a chance to develop my talent in ______________. # It's a good way to learn independence from home.# I want to expand my cultural horizons. # I want to develop my intellect for future challenges. # I need to prepare for graduate school. # I'm excited about tackling new and difficult fields of knowledge. # I enjoy learning and knowing about lots of different areas. # Got them prioritized in order of importance to you? Now here's the fun part: print out the list and ask mom or dad - better yet, mom and dad - to prioritize the same list as they think it should be arranged. Small differences in order can be shrugged off. But big disparities need to be discussed among you in a constructive, mature way so the family team can face college choice, and college success, as a solid unit. So, Where Does That Leave Us? For most families, there are five steps in the transition to college. You have just complete Step 1, and in future months we will take you through the rest. So you can anticipate, here are all the five steps to college. 1. Self appraisal in terms of attending college: aptitudes, values, motivation, achievement, career plans, etc. 2. College appraisal in terms of "what's out there": size, cost, location, program, atmosphere, composition, philosophy, selectivity, "climate." 3. Matching of self and school. 4. Procedures in applying, being admitted, enrolling; applications, transcripts, test programs, scholarship aids, etc. 5. Adjustment to college life and workloads; making the most of compromises and challenges, opportunities and adventures. Comments about this article? Send us an e-mail and we'll add your remarks to the feedback page.

Previous page Quiz: Should You Go to College? Bullets courtesy of