Please be kind to us with “average “ kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started a thread a while back asking for tips for my public school B student with crummy test scores. The responses weren’t kind.

Honestly, we know so many people who own handyman or plumbing businesses, and they are far wealthier than DH and I are with our advanced degrees and white collar jobs. I’m tempted to have my kid apprentice with a family friend and simply invest $200k in my son’s future business rather than pay tuition someplace.

He applied to 10 schools, and who knows what will happen?

Please stop glorifying "the trades" with tales of the one person you know who has lots of money. Trades are incredibly hard work, and making a lot of money at one is mostly about starting and running a successful business. I went to college and grad school and then later in life decided to start a business that is similar to a trade. It's been harder than any job that I ever had using my degrees, and so far I haven't made as much money. I see fellow business owners fail much more often than they succeed. "The trades" are not just some cushy certificate that anyone can get and then make a lot of money. It's a long, hard ladder to that point. Better off with a degree, if they are at all suited for college. Even a - gasp - mediocre college, provided it doesn't involve too many loans.

Growing up working class and this is pretty much spot on. The successful trades folks I know have also had some knack for business. The ones I know who struggle are not able to go out on their own as they lack that skill set. Or do and it often fails. My dad and brother have been fortunate as they work for a larger company, so they receive benefits, 401(k) matches, etc but do not shoulder the weight of being a business owner. They have not gotten rich, but have been able to put food on the table, own very modest homes, etc., and really only worry during severe economic downturns (which is not a joke) and/or family hardships (long-term illness). But those jobs are so much harder to find now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every plumber, electrician, firefighter, police officer I know all do extremely well. A top school education doesn't mean anything without the drive to get what you want.

Some ways of earning a living come at a high price.

I come from a family of firefighters. My father had emphysema (from breathing smoke for years). My brother was retired early with a disability (knee injury from carrying someone down a ladder). And try going to a fire when it is below freezing outside. The water from your hose freezes in icicles coming off your helmet. It is not a job you can really do into middle age.

So don't act like money is all that matters when choosing a career.

College means you can earn a decent living without risking your life.

[Anonymous]

It’s hard to succeed in a lot of high paying trades if you don’t know the right people

[Anonymous]

OP, I agree with you. We should be kind to everyone. The average kid faces the same hurdle the high stat kid does. There are no guarantees in college admissions. My DC has applied for ED in a school that is known for a particular major. The entire student body of his class has applied there. All 66 kids. Naviance shows that it is a coin toss. It is exhausting for the kid, it is exhausting for the entire household.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so sorry--this board is the worse (as is evident by the first several comments you got). I wish the best for your son...he will, I'm sure, end up someplace wonderful.

Totally agree! Tell him to work hard in college + get the best internships he can. Good luck! I like your humble post.