Weighing College vs. Career

Are there instances where a high school student is better off jumping into a career instead of going to college or, in some instances, finishing high school?  This article from The New York Times talks about some teens who have hit it big creating apps and the struggles they face when trying to make that decision.  Their parents and grandparents, as can be expected, want them to go to college and follow the same path to success that they followed.  The teens, on the other hand, see an opportunity to start a career and question why they need to follow what they see as an outdated life path.

As the seniors prepare to embark on their lives after high school and the sophomores begin the career unit, this is hopefully an article which can appeal to any of you.  If you would like, feel free to leave a comment after reading the article.

Should Teenagers Be Able to Sue Their Parents?

If any of my seniors are still looking for a satire video topic, this might be your lucky day.  This article from NPR tells of a girl who is suing her parents to force them to pay for college after they kicked her out of their house.  Feel free to leave a comment after reading the article.  I'm interested to know what you think and how you would react if you were her parent.

How Far Can Parody Go?

Check out this article in USA Today regarding a parody which might land some people in hot coffee... err...water.

The Latest Reading Swag

Has it been a while since you read a book for enjoyment?  If so, check out this list of books that The New Yorker suggests.  If none of those sound interesting, I highly suggest Monuments Men, which I am reading right now (great for anyone interested in WW II history).  The movie based on the book also comes out this weekend.  Happy reading!

Can Kids Still Be Kids?

Do we really allow kids to be kids today?  This question applies to academics (I still cannot believe what my niece and nephew had to do in kindergarten compared to what I had to do) and athletics (athletes today choosing one sport and having to devote 100% of their time to it) in our high schools. Right or wrong, we seem to expect kids to grow up more quickly today than ever before.  This interesting article from The New York Times discusses how some high school athletes are committing to colleges during or even before their freshman year of high school. 

Using Social Media for More

I am guessing many of you use at least one form of social media almost every day.  While Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (let me know if there are others I should check out) are great ways to keep up with friends, celebrities, and the latest news from around the world, there is an aspect of those social media outlets which could be much more important to you in the future - job/career listings and advice.

Someday each and every one of you will be looking for a job.  It might be right now while in high school or it might be after high school or college.  How will you find out when and where a job is available?  My guess is that social media will be the answer to that question both now and in the future.  In order to get ready for the future, I encourage you to start following various employers on social media so you can get an idea of what they are looking for long before you really need that job. 

To start following some of these employment outlets, search "Careers" on an app like Twitter and see what comes up.  Depending on your interests, you might want to follow businesses/corporations like @ESPNCareers (you will be amazed by the variety of careers they offer), @MicrosoftJobs, @CondeNastCareer (media brands like The New Yorker),or @TWDS_Careers (Disney Studios).  You could also follow career resources like @CareerBuilder or @MonsterCareers to see what kinds of careers might be available in the future and gain advice about building your resume, interviewing effectively, etc.

Ultimately, I want you to enjoy connecting with your friends on social media, but make the social media outlets work for you in the process of planning for the future.  Dream big when it comes to your future career.  I would love to someday say I know someone working at ESPN or Disney!

Can Video Games Make You Smarter?

Believe it or not, I am not a big gamer.  I did have an original Atari thanks to my uncle, and I took a Sega Genesis to college (NHL 94 was a great game).  I even have a Nintendo Wii sitting next to my TV as I type this blog post.  Regardless of having all of those gaming systems at one time or another (I forgot to mention playing Oregon Trail on my Apple IIGS computer when I was a kid), I don't make much time in my busy schedule to sit down and play video games.  Based on this video found on Digg.com, though, I might want to start taking a little bit of time each week to play some games.  According to the video, playing video games might actually make my brain stronger.  I'd be interested to know (you could add a comment to this post) how many hours a week each of you plays video games and what you think of the content of the video above.

Happy gaming, and hopefully you will make your brain a little stronger this week!