[MathGeek]

A number of factors have caused my wife and I to lose confidence in the ability of Louisiana universities to educate our children, and we are making great efforts to provide for their college educations at institutions where the academic rigor does not appear to have declined so rapidly such as Texas A&M, Ga Tech, Florida, UGA, Clemson, Baylor, Rice, etc.

However, my wife and I have given consideration to how parents in Louisiana might help their children get good educations at Louisiana Universities if other options are prohibitedly expensive. Here is our advice:

1. Just because students can pass without learning, does not mean they have to. If continued support is contingent on earning As and Bs, there is a much better chance a student will make the reasonable efforts that are needed to gain the added value from real learning.

2. Drinking and drug abuse are two huge factors that work in concert with lower academic standards to produce students who have learned very little that increases their value in the workforce. Parents know their children and need to consider what kinds of encouragements and discouragements are needed to steer them away from these destructive behaviors so they get more value added from their college experiences.

3. Different young adults respond differently to financial support. Some will work much harder for educational opportunities they are working to pay for. Others may find the requirement to pay their own way a burden that detracts from study time. Parents would do well to give this trade-off due consideration when making their choices. For our own children, we will make sure they have the necessities paid for, but most lifestyle upgrades will need to be earned, hopefully through merit-based scholarships with high GPA maintenance requirements and on-campus jobs in laboratories.

4. Not all majors add equal value to the college graduate. In addition to having GPA or grade requirements for ongoing financial support, it makes sense to require majors be approved by the parties paying the bills and that changing majors from high value areas to lower value areas be discussed and approved by the financial supporters. Parents should be less enthusiastic about paying for degrees in art history than degrees that are in great demand.

5. Don't believe your children are ready for college because of grades received in Louisiana schools. You will most likely be deceived. Read some of their essays to personally assess their english and composition skills. If their intended college major requires any math courses, use the online ALEKS program to assess (and remediate, if needed) their math skills. If their intended college major requires any chemistry, use the online ALEKS program to asses (and remediate, if needed) their chemistry skills. Independent verification of their education in these key areas will be some of the best effort and money you will ever spend on your children's education.

6. If available, make use of opportunities to expose them more gradually to college level work through dual enrollment programs where students can take 1-2 real college courses at a time during their junior and senior years of high school. This allows more gradual acclimation to college level expectations without the sudden and insurmountable jump that can occur for less-prepared freshmen. If scheduling or travel constraints do not allow attending real college courses in person, accredited distance learning courses are available and are a better choice than AP courses which often are watered down and cater to ongoing high school habits.