What a winter! I’ve been meeting with parents from Winooski to Albany! I just want to say, you are terrific. You are so interested in opportunities for your children! As usual, I talk with my own kids about my work and the great families I meet.

My son is very interested in college these days. He knows he will be able to move out on his own, experience “teenage freedom,” and learn about things he is passionately interested in. Just last night at dinner, we spoke of college again. He asked about how he might spend his own money (he’s very into Pokemon cards right now).

He decided to map out his college schedule. He put aside time for classes, homework, a part-time job (he wants to be a lab assistant for a chemistry professor because he likes to mix things together), intramural sports, and socializing (mostly playing Pokemon with his friends), and I guess we forgot to put in time to visit mom and dad. Oh well, he’s putting it all together in his young mind. It was nice, and he asked me about the jobs I had while I was in college.What happened next was that he and I spent some time at the kitchen table working on his schedule, making lists, and thinking about the kinds of things he was interested in and good at. Now I’ll most likely put that schedule away in his “love forever, keep forever” box. We’ll look at that schedule when he’s really ready for college — and we’ll keep talking about his future and his plans. It’s a great conversation for us to keep having over time. His passions will change, but his determination to make college a part of his plan will remain and be a wonderful thing to talk about.

So, thank you for your candid conversations and interest in your families. I’ve learned from it and my children benefit from it as well.

Spring is on its way, and since March came in “like a lion,” I’m hoping it will go out “like a lamb.”

So I’m hearing that your kids are opting out of foreign languages and the tougher math classes. Well, guess what? I’m also hearing that some colleges, when figuring the GPA (grade point average) for admission, are ONLY looking at the grades of college prep courses!  What that means is that the art class that your son aced will not be counted for college admission at some schools, nor will phys ed.

Taking classes to prepare for college is different from taking classes to meet state requirements for high school graduation. Don’t be fooled! Help your child pick courses (and stick with them unless they are really, truly struggling) that prepare them for more options after high school. Picking classes and beginning the work that will make up a GPA starts in grade 9. Come up with a four-year plan of coursework right off the bat! Waiting until junior year may be too late to get on track when your student decides that maybe college or training after high school is something he or she wants after all. Here’s my motto: “Make a plan – plan for a life.” OK, it’s not as powerful as “Just do it.” But it makes sense for planning high school courses and for post-high school opportunities!