If your teen is studying Psychology or Logic, you may have explored certain fallacies or beliefs that we succumb to from time to time. This post explores Homeschooling for College Credit fallacies that may happen to YOU! You’re probably experiencing exaggerated thinking if you catch yourself saying, “My teen will never___ if they don’t___!”
I go there too, and on occasion I’ll find myself thinking through an elaborate and exaggerated chain of events (usually negative) that start from a small event that I blow up in my mind into something VERY exaggerated!
What do you mean you didn’t want to do Lesson 45?
…Great now we have to do Lesson 45 tomorrow and that throws off my whole schedule. Yet again I’ve had to change our plan. We’ll never get through this book at this rate. If he doesn’t finish by June he won’t be ready for the college class in August!! This is a disaster. We need that college class. He doesn’t understand how important this is for his future. The University of ABC won’t take just anyone! If he doesn’t get in…..
Another term for this spiral is “catastrophizing,” but at the risk of getting too academic, let’s just call this what our grandparents called it: Making a mountain out of a mole hill.
We all do this from time to time and to some extent, half the battle is knowing you’re doing it! Here are 2 examples I hear from time to time in our community. Can you relate?
Trap: My teen isn’t earning enough college credit, as a result will never (fill in the blank).
Truth: If your teen earns ONE college credit, he is ahead. Literally, just one! Most people graduate high school without any college credit, so this head start should never be minimized. If your high school goal is for your teen to earn a degree, adjust that goal to 1 class per semester remaining. That’s doable for almost every student and will ABSOLUTELY pay big rewards!!
2 Ways to earn 1 college credit: 1 Credit Wonder
Trap: My teen hasn’t picked a college or a major; I’m never going to get his degree plan laid out!
Truth: About 1/3 of college students transfer to a different college at least once, and as many as 3/4 of college students change their major at least once! These numbers tell us that MOST students don’t have a good idea of what they want to be when they grow up- if yours does, he’s an outlier. Adjust your expectations that your teen has to figure this out- that’s a lot of pressure! Instead of asking them what they want to do in college / after college / for a job, start helping them think of things they DON’T want to do (or hate or fear or dread). That’s easier and more helpful than you might expect.
5 examples of things your teen might hate that can be used to offer you exceptional insight directing them away from the wrong type of career and (eventually) into the right one.
- I hate when customers ask me questions.
- Ew! I hate blood! And puke. And dirty things.
- Seeing people cry is really upsetting for me.
- Having to hurry up makes me so nervous I can’t think straight!
- As long as I don’t have to do math I’m fine.
