The John Tesh Blog

Should Your Kids Go to College?

Attending college holds a high priority to many parents. Mine included.

That's why a headline in a recent USA Today caught my eye: Value of College Tuition Is Called Into Question . A new study claims despite rising college tuitions, there's great concern whether the investment in higher education translates into better results.

This Department of Education report states the U.S. spends more per student than any other nation, yet we rank at the bottom in degree completion (54%).

According to The Princeton Review, the sticker price for four years of tuition, room, board and other educational expenses averages $60,000!  Get this . . . the average student does not complete his education in four years anymore, but after a whopping 5.2 years.

Regardless of this serious situation, like my parents, I have several reasons why you should still send your kids to college.

•To help them assess their definition of success.  How do we measure success? By our degrees, our six figure income or the car we drive?  None of the above.  Success is finding your passions and purpose and living them out the best way you can. College can be an opportune time to decide what kind of contribution your kid wants to make in life .   

When we're exposed to different disciplines of study and learn about other people during our college years, the experience forces us think about how we want to leave our mark in the world.

•To create more job opportunities. The world is changing rapidly and the work force is calling for more specialized jobs especially in the technological world.  A four year college or a two year community college can help your student gain marketable skills and a vast knowledge base.  If your child does not want to attend a university, they can also enroll in a certificate program, earn an associate's degree or get technical training to increase their skill level and become more marketable.

•To create a greater earning power in the work force.  College Board cites the U.S. Census Bureau to support the fact someone with a B.A. degree earns on the average $50,000 - that's 62% more than the $31,500 earned annually by someone with only a high school diploma.

The Princeton Review argues that college grads earn more, but not because they're educated. Rather, the pool of the college-bound may be brighter, more motivated and have more family connections than perhaps someone not dead set on attending college.  Still success depends not on the institution you graduate from but on the kind of person you are. This is why so many people who do not attend college can be equally successful.

In my own business, I am more concerned that a potential job candidate has demonstrated his or her ability to finish school than their grades or where they attended. I want to know the kind of person they are.

•To hone their communication skills. Individuals who have some education are better at communicating in their speech and composing of written materials.  Of course, there are exceptions and many non-college educated people are excellent writers and communicators while plenty of college grads have finished four years of school with not much to show for it. 

So is it worth it for your kids to go to college for four years?  Well, if your child can keep the partying down, not become a political extremist and maintain good grades, he can make the best of this great academic opportunity.

One more tip . . . if paying for college worries you, check out Scholarship Coach or FastWeb to find out about the myriad of available scholarships.

John
Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

In my book, Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth, I have more tips for successful parenting. You can purchase the book at your local bookstores or order it online from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Here's what another radio listener had to say about Intelligence For Your Life:

John:  I have your book and identify with so many things in it, that I just wanted you to know that I am so thankful to God for my talent and use it to enrich the lives of others.

Al

 

Coming Home Again

I've learned quite a lot in my life especially when I thought I had it all. Yet I was dying inside and needed some answers.

In today's excerpt from my book, Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth, I share how I turned things over to God at a time when I found out I could only take my life so far without Him. It took awhile before I finally "came home."

I’ve already mentioned a little bit about my spiritual journey— especially my re-awakening to things of the spirit when I was well into adulthood. I’ve been impacted by Promise Keepers, by Rick Warren’s Purpose-Driven Life, by John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart—in other words, by many of the same spiritual influences that have impacted millions of Christians around the world. But none of that would have made a bit of difference to me, if God hadn’t used one woman to bring me back to himself. My story is a great picture of how our relationships shape everything.

I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up—way back. I was born into the Methodist church. In other words, I didn’t really have, or make a choice. I just woke up one day and there I was . . . in church. In fact, I was in church a lot. I attended services on Sunday, of course, but also Saturday and Wednesday evenings. My Dad was the minister of Sunday school and my mom was the head of the ladies auxiliary, so there wasn’t much chance that I would be home on Sunday watching football.

During the summer my church life continued as I got packed off to church camp. Then when I became a teenager I studied a bunch of scripture and, and bingo I was confirmed. At that point, I figured, I was just shy of being canonized. When I graduated high school and left home I had, in my mind, graduated from church as well. I don’t think I set foot inside a house of worship my entire four years at college. It was like that Eagle Scout thing. Get those twenty-three merit badges . . . memorize that Lord’s Prayer . . . done. And so I set out on a path in the sixties of “if it feels good . . . cool.” That’s not to say that I moved into a hedonistic cult. Let’s just say my moral compass was spinning a bit out of control.

I left college as a junior after a “too good to be true” offer in Florida to produce documentaries and anchor the news. The next twelve years were a bit of a blur. Crazy money and six-figure success in 1974 at twenty-one years old. Travel to the most exotic places on earth for CBS News and CBS Sports. A failed marriage. More crazy seven-figure success with Entertainment Tonight. And the most deep, bottomless depression a man could feel. I was surrounded by stuff. And none of it—my fancy car, my house, my job—meant anything at all.

And then in April of 1991, while speaking at an IBM function in Palm Springs, California, I walked into the hotel gym and there she was, sitting right there on the exercise bike, pedaling away. I had seen her on television a million times but never in person. I pretended not to see her and went about my workout. It was  late, and we were the only two people there. I completed my workout (about eight minutes) and headed toward the door when I heard a voice. “John . . . John Tesh?”

“Connie . . . Connie Sellecca? Wow I didn’t see you there.” (Dork Gold Medal for me.)

There's more to this story.  Check it out in my book Intelligence For Your Life which you can purchase at your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

Here what one radio listener had to say about Intelligence For Your Life:

"Hi John, I have just finished reading your book "Intelligence For Your Life".   I have read all of four books in my life. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, but few books capture my undivided attention. "Intelligence For Your Life" did exactly that.  I particularly like that you connect with your readers through personal testimony.  This reassures me that what you offer is trustworthy. Before I had realized, I had finished reading "Intelligence For Your Life" and wished there were more. I hope there is a Volume Two in the works!"  Marty

What You Need To Know About Food Allergies

Can you imagine using food to threaten a child?  According to the Globe and Mail, kids with food allergies are faced with threats of being touched by or forced to eat a food they're supposed to avoid. Some call it "allergy bullying."

What about food allergies?   ABC News estimates that one in 25 Americans has a food allergy, including 3 million children.   

You can be allergic to a number of foods, but there are eight common allergens that account for most food allergy reactions:
    •milk
    •eggs
    •peanuts
    •soy
    •wheat
    •tree nuts (such as walnuts and cashews)
    •fish
    •shellfish (such as shrimp)

Research shows 20% of kids will outgrow food allergies when their immune system stops developing.  Some foods like milk, eggs, wheat or soy are easier to outgrow.  However, according to TeensHealth.com only 20% of children grow out of their allergic reaction to peanuts. 

Here's what happens in the human body during an allergic reaction.  In the body of a person allergic to peanuts, their immune system mistakenly believes the peanuts are harmful.  To protect the body, the immune system creates IgE antibodies to the peanuts.  The IgE antibodies  release a chemical into the bloodstream.

One of the chemicals released into the system is histamine.  This chemical acts on the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin and digestive system - also known as allergy symptoms.

Some allergic reactions affect only one area of the body such as the skin where hives appear. When the digestive system is  affected, you may experience stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.  With a respiratory allergic reaction you could get a runny nose, itchy, watery eyes and sneeze and cough.

Some people have serious life-threatening allergic reactions in which one or two body systems go out of whack - this is called anaphylaxis.  This includes swelling of the throat, serious breathing difficulty, a drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness.

What can you do to avoid an allergic reaction to certain foods?

•Go see an allergist to run a skin test.  With a skin test the doctor will place liquid extracts of different foods on your forearm and prick the skin to see if there's an allergic reaction.  Once your doctor knows what allergens you have a reaction to, he can decide the best treatment for you. 

•Avoid the food in question. Some people experience allergic reactions mainly to raw food. Once certain foods are cooked, such as fruits or vegetables, the allergens are broken down and no longer cause symptoms.  The same is true for a person who is allergic to food oils. A person allergic to soy, corn or safflower is unlikely to be allergic to these oils because the purification and processing breaks down the oils.  Since peanut oil is less processed, it remains a potential allergen.

•Take medications for treating food allergies.  Antihistamines treat such symptoms as hives, runny nose or stomach pain connected with an allergic reaction. In a situation where there is breathing difficulty, sensation of tightness in the throat or where two body systems show allergic reactions, a doctor may prescribe epinephrine.

•Read labels in supermarkets and ask questions in restaurants.  Food manufacturers in the U.S. must list on their labels whether their product contains any of the eight common allergens.  It's important for a person to know whether the "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" in the food comes from peanuts. 

When in a restaurant and you know you have an allergy, ask your server what the food is made of. If the server does not know, he can ask the chef.

John
Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

For more information on food issues, diet and nutritional health, read my new book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lesson For Personal Growth.  You can purchase my book at your local bookstore or on line at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.