College is not the Only Option: Choices for Young Adults with Betsy Jewell

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-4wgui-f63736

EPISODE SUMMARY:

For parents with teenagers and adult children, the “college talk” can be a difficult conversation to have. Society puts such a strong emphasis on the importance of going to a four-year university right after high school, and for a lot of kids, that path isn’t the right one. Some students need time after graduation to find themselves, while others may not wish to attend a university at all. Finding the balance between supporting your child and making sure they can support themselves can be a challenge, and our guest today specializes in making the “college talk” a little easier on both parents and their children. In this episode, we interviewed Betsy Jewell, host of the High School Hamster Wheel Podcast. We asked Betsy her opinion on college not being a person’s only option, and she told us that she believes not everyone can, wants to, or should follow the traditional path of attending college.

For how parents should approach the college conversation, Betsy emphasized that it’s important to be honest with your child and go over all of their options. Betsy mentioned alternatives to college such as taking a gap year or waiting for college, getting an apprenticeship, and working jobs to see if there is something you find a passion for that may not require a college degree. Another alternative is trade schools, which are one-year schools that specialize in a variety of skills. We mentioned that young adults in this generation often want to skip ahead and immediately become managers and CEOs, and Betsy agreed that it is important people pay their dues and work their way up so they can learn skills in their job. When asked about fallback plans and letting go of the mindset that your child needs to go to college, she urged parents to be honest with their children. Ask both their kids and them the most important question: Why do you want to go to college, and why do I want you to go to college? College is not the only option, and Betsy talked about the importance of making sure that no matter what path your child chooses that they are self-sufficient and can support themselves.

We asked about what advice she would give to people who are dropping out of college, and Betsy said to remind yourself that college is not the only option, and for parents, it is important to keep in mind that there is something that probably caused their child to leave college. Those issues, whether they have to do with being at the wrong college or mental health issues, need to be addressed and taken seriously. We also asked Betsy where people can find her and her podcast, and she let us know that both she and her podcast, High School Hamster Wheel Podcast, can be found on her website.

BETSY JEWELL:

Betsy Jewell

Betsy Jewell is a blogger, freelance writer, and host of her podcast, called High School Hamster Wheel Podcast. On her podcast, Betsy addresses the struggles that teenagers and their parents face when trying to decide what career path to take after high school. Some students want to go to college, others don’t and want to find an alternative route, and through her podcast, Betsy answers important questions while offering advice on what to do when deciding on life after graduation. Betsy’s guest include industry experts and leaders on education, offering a variety of perspectives and knowledge that gives both parents and their teenagers vital information that will help them figure out the best plan of action.