Choices for the High School Graduate: A Survival Guide for the Information Age, 5th Edition

choices for the high school graduate

Fifth Edition

A Survival Guide for the Information Age Bryna J. Fireside

Choices for the High School Graduate, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2009 by Bryna J. Fireside All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Ferguson An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fireside, Bryna J. Choices for the high school graduate : a survival guide for the information age / Bryna J. Fireside. — 5th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-7617-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8160-7617-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Student aspirations—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Student aspirations—United States— Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Vocational guidance—United States—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 4. College student orientation—United States—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 5. Career development—United States—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. LB1027.8F58 2009 373.180973—dc22 2008047835 Ferguson books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Ferguson on the World Wide Web at http://www.fergpubco.com Text design by Mary Susan Ryan-Flynn Cover design by Takeshi Takahasi Printed in the United States of America MP MSRF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper and contains 30 percent postconsumer recycled content.

In memory of Harvey Fireside ......................

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix Chapter I Who Am I? Why Am I on This Planet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Chapter II Stopping Out: Is It Right for You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Chapter III No More Pencils, No More Books: Work After School, or All That Glitters Is Hard to Get . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Chapter IV Am I Having Fun Yet? Nuts and Bolts of Making the Most of Your Time Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Chapter V Job Corps: Stepping Stone to a Career. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Chapter VI Can I Become a Real Man or Woman by Joining the Military? . . . 90 Chapter VII What If College Isn’t for Me? Never Say Never. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Chapter VIII Early College Admission: A Wise Choice for Smart Kids? . . . . . . . 135 Chapter IX Internships and Other Adventures: Unusual Opportunities, Unique Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Chapter X How to Change the World During Your Summer Vacation . . . . . . 187 Chapter XI Taking the Plunge: I’m Ready for College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

vi    Choices for the High School Graduate

Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 A Final Note For Parents Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It was my good fortune to interview dozens of young people for this book. Thank you one and all for taking the time to share your experiences with me. I only wish that I could have used all the stories I collected, but alas, that just wasn’t possible. I deeply appreciate the time given to me by college administrators and by the people who direct many of the organizations mentioned in this book. A special thanks to Peter Francese, founder of American Demographics Magazine, for his concise and insightful comments on what kinds of careers are going to be in demand for you who are soon to graduate high school and are considering your options. Thanks to Dr. Carl Haynes, president of Tompkins-Cortland Community College (TC3), for sharing some of the exciting new developments at his school. Community colleges across the nation are reassessing their mission; they offer both young and older students opportunities to train for jobs and use them as a stepping stone to further education. Some, like TC3, now have dormitories, and students can enjoy two years of college life at a fraction of the cost of most four-year colleges. Finally, I thank my own three children, who managed to give me numerous heart-stopping moments as they tore through their “terrible teens.” They all made their way into adulthood with a surprising amount of smarts, good sense, and social conscience. Were it not for them daring to break the rules of traditional lockstep education, I would not have dared to write this book.

vii

Introduction