as published at www.ocregister.com on June 6, 2012:
A college freshman thinks it's OK to write checks until her checkbook runs out of them, regardless of how much money is actually in her account. An 18-year-old leaves a sign on an open register at the juice shop where he works that says, "Be back in 15 minutes." After switching majors seven times, a 23-year-old finally leaves college with a degree in a field she doesn't like, $14,000 in credit card debt, and a student loan payment schedule that will follow her until her own kids go to college.
These are all shocking but true stories of real young people who met the real world completely unprepared. This spring, as more than 3 million high school seniors walk off the graduation plank and into the unknown waters of adult life, twice as many parents will wonder, "Is my kid ready?"
We'd like to think so, but the truth is: Probably not. The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates only 34 percent of high school graduates are actually prepared for college. Economists say that over the next decade, the U.S. workforce will need 22 million college graduates but will fall short by 3 million. Even with an unemployment rate above 8 percent, many businesses say it's still hard to recruit enough qualified workers.
As most high schools don't offer a Real World 101 elective, it's up to parents to arm their kids with life skills that will ensure they don't wind up living on the parents' couch.
So who are the parents of the prepared 34 percent, and what are they doing right? As author of the book "Real World 101: A Survival Guide to Life After High School," I frequently speak to teens about what to expect. Overwhelmingly, I've found that kids from lower-income families in which both parents work are most ready to face real life.
On the opposite side, many kids from well-to-do backgrounds...
To read the rest:
Know someone headed off to the Real World who's not quite prepared? Need a grad gift for that niece, nephew, or neighbor? My book, Real World 101: A Survival Guide to Life After High School (Sourced Media Books, 306 pages/$15.99), is out to save the world, one teenager at a time... It's available on Kindle or paperback on Amazon or at www.thebestgradgift.com.
