25 Ways to Make College Pay Off: Advice for Anxious Parents from a Professor Who's See It All [Paperback]

Bill Coplin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

College is not easy. Staying in and studying when your friends are out having a good time is not easy. Giving up a summer on the beach for an internship is not easy. Getting a good job is not easy. For you as the parent of a college student, paying the bills is not easy. Seeing your child graduate with no direction and with few skills to function in today's highly competitive modern economy is not easy. Your child needs guidance, and you can provide it. This book is designed to be an easy to use, step-by-step guide to help you help your children use their college to prepare for a satisfying career.Here are the gruesome statistics: about 40 percent of students do not graduate from four year programs in six years; only 20 percent of employers say that college graduates are ready for the workforce; about 40 percent of those who graduate college get a job that will allow them to move out of the house permanently; and, less than 28 percent of American adults have a four year undergraduate degree.I 'm not going to sugar coat this information and tell you that little Timmy and Susie will find an excellent job with amazing benefits and stellar opportunity for advancement the moment the diploma is in their hands. That attitude is not going to help anyone and is the reason so many college graduates end up at home, living off minimum wage with little direction or prospect of career success. This book is a strong dose of tough love, which is exactly what I expect you will give your kids once you read the 20 ways to make your child's education pay off. You will become more than just the one who pays the bills or nags about grades. This book provides you with a rational approach which will reduce stress and anxiety for both you and your child over whether or not your huge financial and emotional investment will pay off.In discussing my previous book with parents, "10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College", I realized that writing directly to students was not enough. Students rarely bought the book; their parents and relatives did. Even more disconcerting was the frequent statement made by parents, "Let's see if I can get Johnny to read the book." Moreover, I realized that parents approached their children in a variety of counter-productive ways. It was as if they were at the race track, spending their money and watching from the sidelines.Their primary activity was cheering for high grades or letting go with a torrent of four letter words when the students appeared to be faltering. Parents have to become investors, rather than gamblers, in their children's college education. This book suggests a "no-nonsense" approach toward your child's college experience. You may find it difficult to pursue all of the book's recommendations. Like any self-help book, you can pick and choose from the advice provided here; however, following through on the specific guidelines provided throughout the book will make a huge difference in your child's success. As a main player in your child's college experience, your general goal should be to help your child use college to pursue two specific goals: to develop skills employers want and to explore a variety of career paths.Employers want skillful and hardworking people who have a sense of where they are going with their work life, and since they can't find them, success is practically guaranteed if your child is one of those savvy and determined people. The simplicity of the message is deceiving, but as Voltaire said, "Common sense is not so common." In my 40 years of teaching and advising students, I have found it very difficult to get students to focus on their skill development and career exploration. Students frequently ask me, "what should I major in" and I respond, "It doesn't matter as long as you get the skills and explore career options." Invariably, the next question from the student is "if I major in x, will I get a good job?" Students are so fixated on the degree and the GPA that they fail to understand that it's a general set of professional skills and some understanding of career options that will lead to career success.They look at me like I'm crazy, but suddenly, as they get great jobs right out of college and their friends don't, it magically makes sense. This book is not about finances, dealing with roommate problems, how to get good grades or how to get admitted to the best graduate schools. Many other books and web sites are available for such purposes, and I encourage you to check them out. This book is about how to help your children maximize their college experiences and gain the skills needed to pursue a satisfying career, with or without graduate school. The primary audience for this book is parents whose children are planning to attend a traditional four year undergraduate program; however, much of it can be applied to those planning to attend two year programs or vocational post-secondary programs.Using my 20 guidelines, you will give your children an advantage over those who are confused, discouraged and overwhelmed by the prospects of finding, let alone moving into, a satisfying career path. Those unfortunate students may eventually find a viable path, but not without greater cost, more anxiety and years of delay.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

In the next few years, parents can expect to spend more than $40,000 per year on their child’s college tuition. While that number may seem frightening, it is not as grim as the statistics that predict their child’s chances of actually finding a job after graduation. Only about 20% of employers believe college graduates are ready for the workforce, and only 40% of graduates will find a job that will ensure their financial independence. The good news is that with the right advice, parents can turn their pricey investment into one that truly yields a high return and a rewarding career for their son or daughter. Professor Coplin offers honest advice for parents who want their child’s college experience to ensure future success– both financially and emotionally. Parents will learn how to help their college-bound student:

* develop skills employers actually want

* get their first job

* treat career services as their best ally

* explore a variety of career paths

* realize the importance of the unpaid internship

* and more.

A unique and no-nonsense blueprint, 25 Ways to Make College Pay Off will show parents how to mentor and guide their child through college so that he or she gets the most out of the experience and leaves prepared for the real world.

About the Author

Professor Bill Coplin, Ph.D. (Fayetteville, NY) has been the director and professor of public affairs at Syracuse University for more than 30 years and is the author of How You Can Help and the acclaimed 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1 edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081447456X
• ISBN-13: 978-0814474563
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,702,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reality Check, November 2, 2007

By 

Susan S. "History Seeker" (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 25 Ways to Make College Pay Off: Advice for Anxious Parents from a Professor Who's See It All (Paperback)

As a mother of 3 I found this book very worthwhile. Having gone through college myself with very little direction I appreciate the practical advice this book provides in terms of college being the means to and end. I am all for knowledge for the sake of knowledge but to become a productive member of society today students need to have concrete goals.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, March 10, 2008

By 

Katelyn Hancock (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 25 Ways to Make College Pay Off: Advice for Anxious Parents from a Professor Who's See It All (Paperback)

I am currently a junior in college and highly recommend that all parents of college students read this book--I wish mine had. There are so many choices in college for students to make from what courses to take, what student organizations to join, to what to do with their summers. It can be extremely overwhelming! Having a parent who provides good, sound advice gives a student a huge advantage over the rest of his or her friends. I know so many students whose parents gave them bad advice. Not purposefully, but because they themselves never went to college or graduated a long time ago. This book offers practical advice to parents that will enable them to help their children plan ahead so that they get the most out of college and effectively prepare for their future careers and life goals. The author includes a lot of personal stories in his book that are interesting and at times very humorous. Plus, the fact that he is a professor adds a whole new dimension and uniqueness to the book. College often proves to be a very bumpy road to graduation for both parents and students. So do yourself and your child a favor and read this book. You will have a lot fewer headaches along the way and a much better relationship with your child in the end.

2 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Library rental not buy, September 20, 2007

By 

Joyce B. "Joyce B." (Farmington Hills, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 25 Ways to Make College Pay Off: Advice for Anxious Parents from a Professor Who's See It All (Paperback)

Being a parent of a current college student I took this book out on loan. While some of the advice is excellent, the attitude in this book reflects why American students know little about other cultures, foreign language, American history, art,etc. It is very directed to those whose goals are business fields.It is also aimed toward parents who have the earning capacity to place a child through 4 years of college with little financial aid.Such advice as finding an internship each summer of college is great. However, there is little admiration for those who just take a job to make ends meet. Never mind that many pay thousands (as some programs have you do) to get (oops buy) an internship. Instead of just joining a sorority everyone should lead.Become a lawyer? Forget it, become a paralegal first. But what about the time and money on the paralegal program? What about starting a family along the way? Graduate school - forget it, too much money. One wonders how the author attained his Ph.D. College is seen as one means to an end - money, and career. Knowledge? Only those who want to be business majors need apply.Leading us to know why many politicians can graduate from Ivy League Schools but still make major mistakes and alienate the rest of the world because they do not know their world or American history, let alone a foreign language.