College Common Sense Review

Hubby and I met in marching band in college!
(Yay Liberty University!)

Ahhh college...sometimes it feels like forever ago and sometimes it feels like just yesterday! My girls are so young right now I don't even want to think about college...but it is inevitable! College Common Sense gives parents the tools they need to help them through the process of finding scholarships, touring colleges, and getting their students prepared early on with their Going to College and Paying for it Online Video and Workbook

Visiting the falls on the campus where
I went to college!
(Yay Toccoa Falls College!)

Although college is not something I am thinking about very often for my girls, my husband and I have talked about how important it will be for them to apply for as many scholarships as possible, take CLEP tests, and work in high school in order to help pay for college. We mention going to college and how great it was for my husband and I. We also have taken them to our own college campuses. While we would not be angry or upset if they chose a different path than college, we want them to know we believe in them and will help them along the way as much as possible.

College Common Sense encourages parents to have a continuous dialogue with their children about their goals, dreams, and hopes for the future. For $25 a year (Or a one-time payment of $50 for a CD copy) parents receive access to videos, a workbook, and a monthly curriculum with age-level friendly ideas from elementary to high school. While a large portion is obviously going to be on what to do in your junior and senior year, there are also ideas for elementary and middle school as well.

Many of the ideas we are already implementing. We talk to the girls frequently about different jobs they can do when they grow up, we take them on field trips to see different occupations, we happily answer questions and look up information online about various careers, and most importantly we talk about the importance of seeking God in all of their life decisions.

We are also careful to encourage whatever their ideas about the future may be, even if they seem a little odd. Rose went through a year-long-phase of being convinced God wanted her to be a policewoman so she could help people. Just two weeks ago she informed me she was now going to be an artist!

Another idea is for kids to begin a journal where they write down their ideas about the future. It's called an All About Me Notebook and I really liked this idea. While Rose, who is seven, is the only of my girls ready to keep a journal like this herself, the idea of letting the kids express who they are and what they love each year as they grow up intrigues me. I remember all too well how my own interests changed constantly as I grew and matured. It would be a neat thing to show my children if I had kept my own notebook like this.

One of the things I found interesting as I began to review College Common Sense was that there are scholarships available for children as young as 6...are you kidding me? While we know the colleges our daughters choose will be their choice, we both attended Christian universities and would be very happy if they could do the same. In order for this to happen, however, scholarships will be an absolute must. The fact that the girls can apply to some scholarships this early on is a vital piece of information I was missing!

College Common Sense is a great way to make sure you're on the right track whether college is coming up next year or in another 11 years like it is for us!

Make sure to check out the other reviews written by my crewmates!

Disclaimer

I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. No other compensation was received.