It is often said that a four year college degree is worth a million dollars. The lifetime difference in income between graduates and those with only high school education proves it. In the heat of the moment, something or someone may hold more appeal than all the studying and endless exams, but in the end, that certificate of graduation will be well worth whatever you have to do to get it.
As educators, having long term goals injected to our lesson plans is crucial. We are actually doing that when we ask our students, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It is important that we start to open up the minds of our young learners to college life and to earning a degree. 
Some young learners do not get the right directions in choosing what to major in during their tertiary education. Start by observing and evaluating what the child enjoys doing the most. Although this might change as he or she grows up, planting some seeds of interest and eye-opener for the child about which things he or she is good at can definitely help. Tell them that most schools give them until their junior year to select a major, so they should take time to explore different options and figure out what they enjoy most and might want to make a career out of before they finally select a major.
As stated earlier, a college education might cost thousands, but can mean up to a million more over the course of a lifetime. Starting our students early on in choosing a possible career for them does not only mean helping them become successful in the long run but giving ourselves, as teachers, the priviledge of becoming a part of that success indirectly, one way or another.

By: Carmela D. Tasis | Teacher III | Sta. Rosa Elementary School | Pilar, Bataan