Suspended from college

momofthreeboys
Sat, 22 May 2010 09:35:56 +0000

I think the OP understands what’s going on. Thousands of kids leave high school with the foundation needed for college with regard to classwork, but simply don’t have the fundamental drive to understand the difference between high school and college. Allowing the son to live and at home a couple more years, try the local college and step back and see if he really has the drive and desire to gain a college degree is a reasonable step if the OP is willing to support it financially. Chillit is correct in that regard…parents can’t “do it” for their kids. The statistics tossed around are that about half the kids that start college will finish within 4-6 years. Some stop and come back and finish later and others enter the workforce. Clearly the rule of thumb regarding how much work needs to be done outside the classroom is something to discuss with kids and something that kids have to be willing to acknolwedge and accept and execute if they are going to complete a college degree but again the impetus is with the kids, not the parents. If the OPs son deep inside wants to move forward he’ll be able to articulate those reasons in a believable way to the appeals board. If not, “scripting” him through the appeal is not really helping him. Being a “good kid” has little bearing on the situation. Plenty of “good, smart, kids” choose different paths than advanced education and there is nothing wrong with that. While parent expectations do play into the kids personna it is the kid’s “own” expectations that drive the outcome. Kids can tell themselves “I can do this” but if they dont’ tell themselves “I will do this” it’s not going to happen.