Did the level of education your parents got affect you?
My parents both finished college once I was older and it inspired me to finish when I was younger because I saw how they'd struggle with full time jobs, kids and trying to study.
Did you care more or less about college because of your parents?
pomegranate / 3779 posts
I believe so, because my siblings and I grew up believing we had to go to college. That's just what you did, it wasn't a choice, just like high school wasn't a choice.
pear / 1517 posts
No. My mom always said her biggest fear in raising kids was getting them through school. My dad barely made it through (a teacher basically did all of his work for him so he could get out) and can't really read or write. My mom graduated but hated school. Regardless of that I was 5th in my class and went on to get a masters degree. My brother also graduated from college.
honeydew / 7667 posts
Both my parents are college educated and my mom has her masters. I'm sure it did affect me because it allowed them to pay for my undergrad, which made me want to get my J.D. and LL.M. 100% on scholarship so I didn't have any school debt.
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts
Yes and no. My mom didn't tell us she was a high school dropout until we were already in college, so we didn't have that information to influence us. She just told us she went to nursing school. I was in elementary school when my dad got his Bachelor's, and that has been a big influence on me- I basically grew up expecting to go to school, and having in the back of my head that it's never too late to get more education.
coconut / 8279 posts
Both my parents went to college, paid by their parents. My mom finished but my dad didn't. My mom has always been a SAHM while my dad works 40+ hours.
My dad inspired me to work hard. I've had a job since I was legally able to and really take pride in what I do. I don't think I could ever be a SAHM.
ETA: my experience also inspired me to start a college fund for DS and when he starts working, to teach him to start a small one as good practice as well.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
Yes. Besides the Civil Rights Movement opening doors to job oppirtunities my parents' college education helped as well. They were apart of the early, intentional recruiment waves for black college students getting tech industry jobs.
If they hadn't gone to college and done well enough to earn a spot in the tech training programs we would not have been able to live in our neighborhood or grow up comfortable. I saw the difference between what we had versus the rest of our family. Education was the key. So if I wanted to maintain my lifestyle on my own I knew college was a must.
ETA: no one is rich. Let's put it this way I have seen famiky fight over "scraps" and I didn't have to wait until my parents got paid to get something. Just different.
pomegranate / 3759 posts
My dad dropped out in grade 9 and my mom finished high school. This inspired me even more to get a degree.
bananas / 9899 posts
Seeing my parents not use their university educations at all showed me I didn't really need one. Sure enough, I'm doing great without it.
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
Yes. Because neither of them went to college, they didn't know how to help me *navigate* through college . . . and I also got into some really great schools, but they wanted me to stay home for the first couple of years (and go to state school) . . . who knows what would have happened if I had gone to any of the other schools . . . they just didn't understand that not all colleges are created equal (and neither did I at that point).
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
Neither of them went to college and that inspired me to go. They were so proud when I graduated.
persimmon / 1128 posts
My parents were immigrants with high school educations, and DH and I are the first in our nuclear families with college degrees. My parents struggled and overcame so much in order to provide for us that I always felt it would be disrespectful to not continue my education.
honeydew / 7091 posts
Neither of my parents went to college, and they both really struggled to raise a family. So, I knew I wanted better.
clementine / 899 posts
Nope. My dad didn't graduate high school, my Mum did one year of university but didn't go back because she had me. I made my own decisions about my education based on what I wanted to do.
grapefruit / 4136 posts
I love hearing the different perspectives! I really didn't see college as a NON-option, but none of my siblings have a degree so I'm not sure it's a family dynamic there...maybe I just expected more of myself.
pomegranate / 3113 posts
Definitely. We didn't have much when I was growing up (although I never went without, there just weren't many extras) and my parents constantly lamented that they didn't have the opportunity to go to college when they got out of high school. They always felt that our lives would have been a lot easier if they'd been eligible for better, higher-paying jobs. So it was drilled into me early on that doing well in school and going to college were non-negotiable, since they wanted to help me avoid some of the hardships they faced.
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
Neither of my parents went to college, mom took some computer classes but that was it. I saw my dad get laid off when I was in HS after 30 years with the company due to him not having a college education, it was hard on him It didn't affect me, I always knew I would go to college. I may have took the long way, but I got my degree and made national honor society doing it.
pineapple / 12793 posts
College was pretty much the only path we were showed growing up. Both of my parents have doctorates and my mom teaches at a top tier university. I got my masters degree but don't plan on going back for more. I don't think either of my sisters will get more education either.
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
@babyjmama: No. I always knew I was going to college to be a tax accountant from the age of 3. I'm a dork.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
My dad was valedictorian of his *college* (vs high school) and graduated from medical school at 23. And he was the child of poor blue collar immigrants. Soooo yeah academics were a priority in my house from day 1. I have my masters and both my siblings have PhDs so I'm pretty sure their influence played a part.
ETA My dad still bemoans the fact that the only "B" he got in college was in gym.. lol!
pomegranate / 3105 posts
Yes and no. My dad finished university and became a chartered accountant. He has done well. My mom had to quit school at 12 to help make money for the family but did really well when she got a job in a university registrar's office and worked her way up to an associate registrar.
I learned that while education can help, hard work is important too, regardless of education. Too many Gen Y's feel entitled.
I made some poor choices as I went through some emotional turmoil in high school but have since made up for it and work my behind off like my mom.
pomelo / 5789 posts
Like @MsLipGloss
Yes. Because neither of them went to college, and they arent from the US, they didn't know how to help me navigate through college.
They didn't make me take the SAT (which gets you scholarships) and weren't able to help me make a decision.
I wish I'd known about more schools and applied to more schools.
I only applied to 2!
I wish I'd have gone to a smaller, private out of state school and tried to get scholarships. I didn't do well at a big state school.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
My father has an assoicates degree in electrical engineering from a technical community college in the US and my mother is university educated but from abroad, so they had no idea about 4 year college in the US, BUT they made it their business to learn about it and help me.
papaya / 10343 posts
Definitely. Neither of my parents have a college degree.Although my parents were able to provide a nice middle class life for us, they worked their asses off to do it (both having multiple jobs sometimes) and I really got to see how much of a struggle it was to provide a nice life without a college degree. I can remember overhearing my parents talk about my dad getting passed over for promotions he was qualified for just because a degree was a prerequisite. My mom never found a career-type job she liked, she worked at the school, at a video store, at walmart.
They always told us that college was not a choice-- it was THE way so our lives would be easier than theirs were. So I think I was definitely more motivated to go to and get through college so that I wouldn't have the same struggles they did. At the same time, I feel like my upbringing has made me more respectful of people who don't go to college and work blue collar jobs than some of my peers who grew up in white collar homes.
pomegranate / 3275 posts
Both of my parents have college degrees, my mom has her Master's degree and my dad did all the course work for his but stopped at some point, and I think it completely affected me. It was never an "if" I would go to college, but where. Myself, and all of my siblings, even have degrees beyond Bachelor's.
kiwi / 659 posts
I think so. Both of my parents were college educated, and they expected the same & more for us. They always said its a parent's goal for their children to do better than them. I have a master's degree & my sister is a M.D. so they were very proud.
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