Preparing Your Child for College: Decisions, Decisions

Your teen needs to learn a little bit more about himself before he makes such a huge, life-changing decision. He needs to find his "voice," and that will lead him to some smart decisions about what he really wants to do—and after that, what schools would be best for him.

He really needs to ask himself four questions, and you can help him with that. They are:

• What am I really good at? (This is about talent.)
• What do I love doing? (This is about passion.)
• What does the world need that I can get paid to do? (This is about need.)
• What do I feel I should do? (This is about conscience.)

Talk through the answers to these questions with him, and look for a place where the answers overlap. That is where he'll find his "voice," and that, in turn will help him start looking for the college he wants to attend as well as the the subject he majors in. It'll help him find his first real job and the career he chooses, as well. It all begins with finding that "voice."