Two important reasons to get in to genealogy before you get in to college

1. You can skip the identity crisis
I don't know if this is true for everyone, but I noticed a lot of "who am I" anxiety going on at college. Everyone is out on their own for the first time and they have to decide on their own opinions for the first time. They have to decide how to spend their time now that they're unsupervised. Genealogy can't tell you what your opinions are going to be, but it can allow you to stop worrying about it. When you know where you come from, you have a better idea about where you're going. Remember to interview your parents and grandparents before you leave home. It seems strange, but sometimes knowing that they've been through ups and downs too can put things in perspective for you and help you through the hard times.

2. Mad research skills
Some students assume that college is about proving what you know. That's not true at all. College is about finding the relevant information and then understanding it. It doesn't matter what discipline you choose, they just want to know if you can do that. If you do genealogy, of course you can! That's what genealogy is all about. Trying to find documents about your ancestors isn't that different from preparing a research paper. Research skills that you develop while doing your genealogy may seem a small thing, but they will put you way ahead once you get to college. So next time you are doing genealogy, just tell your parents that you're preparing for college.

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