senior spotlight: c - the one less traveled

The Road Not Taken

No, we aren’t trying to trick you into doing school…

The Road Not Taken

BY ROBERT FROST

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Let’s break it down to direct advice for you. You are standing at a decision point in life just like the author. Paths are there for you to choose. One path many have traveled, because many have walked this path, the steps are clear as more easily traveled. The second path requires much more effort from you, a journey with many unknowns. You may read this and believe the author had two choices, but we say there are more than two. The traveler could sit down, make the choice to hold still their journey. The traveler could turn around and return from where he came. In the end, he takes the more difficult path, concluding “…that has made all the difference.”

The road less traveled will look different for each family. For one student the road less traveled may mean being the first to stray from tradition of a specific PhD required career; while for first generation students an Associate’s degree may be the path less traveled. What matters most is picking the path that’s right for you. There’s nothing wrong with a well traveled path, some of us need those guarantees and built in safeties for a variety of reasons. In later blogs we discuss creating built in exit plans.

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While four year university have become an expected standard throughout communities across the US for high school graduates, lets not dismiss the reality of roles society needs to function. Additionally, students are becoming more aware of the impact of student debt. Yes, college can be a wonderful and economically life changing experience, but it is not the best fit for every single student.

First main point: DO NOT let funding get in the way of going to college if it is the right choice for you!

We essentially have free college options for almost every student in Arizona now, which is covered in another blog.

All of these options will be further discussed in additional blogs, this is foundational introductions.

DIRECT TO CAREER PATHS

These are paths that do not involve an Associate’s Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree.

High school students can being vocational training in grade nine at some schools. EVIT now admits students beginning in grade 10 and WestMEC has select programs beginning in grade 10 as well. Vocational schools allow students to earn career training, certifications, and or professional licenses for a reduced cost or free. Even if there are fees or dual enrollment costs, there may be financial assistance available to help cover these expenses for students with expressed financial need. Even if you begin a two year program senior year, there may be funding to cover the second year even though you have graduated.

While vocational schools may arrange apprenticeships or internships for students, apprenticeships can also be offered directly though companies. An apprenticeship generally pairs an untrained student with an experience worker for on the job training and experience. Specific milestones and skills may be set as goals to be met for employment. Testing for professional certification or licensing may be part of the process depending on the career.

There are industries that offer entry level positions that allow a person to work their way up to the higher level positions, or even offer positions that pay a living wage upon completion of a training program. These positions are often the fastest path to a career. We explore some of these jobs in a later blog.

Certifications can be short six week programs or involve select college classes. Certificates from the community colleges or universities often mirror the same industry related classes required for an Associate’s Degree without the core academics that are intended for students seeking to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this options interests you, dig into these Certificates of Completion in a later blog.

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COLLEGE PATHWAYS

There are multiple pathways to college degrees.

While in high school there may be opportunities for dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and AP credit. CLEP tests may be a great option for some students as well. If you are NOT a senior, jump to this blog discussing free college credit option while in high school. If you are a senior, stay here as those options are likely no longer an option. Understanding who may benefits of these options are discussed in detail in other blogs. If you are seeking to attend post-secondary school in your state, confirm that the college credits actually transfer as either general requirements or major specific requirements.

At vocational schools, select programs offer dual enrollment credits that may transfer to a related Certificate of Completion or Associate’s Degree. Vocational programs offer great opportunities to strengthen student profiles through competitions, professional certifications, work experience, awards, and leadership.

If you have earned enough high school credits for graduation, High schools may allow seniors an early release option to attend college concurrently. this is a great option that allows seniors to begin experiencing the college lifestyle and exploring possible academic areas of interest.

Community Colleges can offer affordable transfer options. In Arizona, at the time of this entry, community colleges are now offering Bachelor’s Degrees creating more affordable degree options than ever before.

Four year universities are considered appealing for Bachelor’s Degrees, Accelerated Master’s, that allow students to complete a year of graduate work in their fourth year of college, Graduate Certificates, Master’s Degrees, and Doctorate’s Degrees.

As you can see, there are a wide variety of college pathways.

Main Point 2: Life does not always go as planned. It can be beneficial to understand the college pathways and their related career paths as you progress through your education.

Learn more about all of these pathways as we continue through our Senior Spotlight series.