In the cafeteria, don’t sit in the same seat every day; move around. In the college bar, turn left one night why does alcohol cause easy bruising and right the next night. Sit with different people and you’ll maximize your social network very quickly.

NSHSS is a distinguished academic honor society, committed to recognizing and serving the highest-achieving student scholars in more than 26,000 high schools across 170 countries. What I like about her approach is she wants parents and students to come together to form a partnership for the scholarship process. This is the best and most efficient way to search and apply for scholarships. She also has an amazing “Scholarship Toolkit Organizer” that goes far beyond the typical spreadsheet and is an essential must-have tool for all scholarship-searching families. Remind your student that applying for scholarships is a numbers game, you will apply to a lot of them and only get a few.

List of 25 recognizable programs that are sure to offer great learning experiences for your child and be a positive addition to his or her resume. The goal isn’t to take over but rather to support and help build organizational skills with them. Encourage your student to get a planner or a notebook. Better yet, have them set up a Google doc for scholarships with the name of the scholarship, requirements, due dates, and any additional information needed.

  • They have most likely never dealt with such a comprehensive application nor are they familiar with the tax data that will be required.
  • Regardless of whether you can afford college, every parent wants their student to get scholarships.
  • Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in Spring 2023.
  • You may also want to seek out a local physician should your student need medical attention beyond what is offered on campus.

Giving your learner space will allow them to flourish in their new environment. You might carry boxes, start unpacking, or help them begin to settle in. You can pinpoint important services, like the dining hall and health center, and make sure they know their way around. You can get a good idea of how big the dorm rooms actually are and what they might need during orientation. When your student selects a dorm building, check in advance to see if they offer microwaves and refrigerators. You don’t need to bring everything on the “what to bring” list.

Encourage them to get to know their professors

It’s important to keep them informed about changes, whether it’s moving a younger sibling into their room, or a more serious issue. Encourage your child to use their cell phone with discretion and not just to fill in the spaces. Email and instant messaging are also ways to keep in touch.

advice for parents of college students

For example, some parents pay for books and supplies, while their child is responsible for incidental expenses such as snacks, movies, and CDs. what is a high functioning alcoholic Other students are responsible for earning a percentage of their tuition. Teach your child about responsible use of credit and debit cards.

Cracking the code on STEM success for Black and brown students

They may feel like going to college will cause too much debt or that they haven’t helped take the financial burden off of you, the parent. Empower your student by encouraging them to research what type of college or university they may want to attend and have them compile a list of schools. Put the onus on them to decide what they want for their future. However, don’t be afraid to offer assistance and insight if you see them struggling.

advice for parents of college students

If your child is struggling with this decision, encourage them to explore their hobbies and interests to see if there are career possibilities there. It encourages them to focus on what they enjoy and may open a world of options. During their visits, expect she will want to spend time with her friends. Talk with your child in advance about which family dinners and gatherings you want her to attend.

Make a Plan for Keeping in Touch

We examine how students bring their high school pandemic behaviors into the college classroom and the impact of online learning on in-person classes. We discuss how these changes in student behavior can affect students’ relationships, mental health and career and professional aspirations. In our next episode we’ll conclude with several suggestions of what parents can do to help students address these pandemic challenges.

Let those who have been there before guide you by listening to some of their expert advice. Find student advice blogs online and keep up to date with the latest tips and tricks. And don’t be afraid to keep trying new things as you enter this new phase of your life. And don’t worry if you’re at an online university like UoPeople.

This will allow you both to have access to the scholarship information. If you are feeling overwhelmed trying to navigate the process with your student and/or have questions you can’t find answers to, reach out to their how drugs affect the brain guidance or admissions counselor. One of their primary roles is to help students prepare for college, and they are a great resource. Choosing a major can prove stressful when a young person is deciding their future.

advice for parents of college students

Check with small and local businesses as they are big supports of the community and may offer local high school students scholarships. Do you know anyone who is in the Kiwanis, Rotary, Elks, Moose, Eagles, or Optimist Clubs? Many times, students are not familiar with these types of clubs and almost all have some type of scholarship. Campus tours are an important part of the college selection process. Have your student plan their own tour with your assistance.

Seek out scholarships in those specialties and help your college bound student narrow down which scholarships to apply to so they can maximize potential. Membership in honor societies like NSHSS can be a great way to find and apply for scholarships. There are millions of dollars available in scholarships, but you do have to know where to look to find them. Businesses, non-profits, and other organizations offer scholarships for special skills and abilities in numerous areas. Because there are so many, it can be overwhelming for students to search for these scholarships.

Encourage Your Child to Utilize Campus Resources

Holiday shopping, wrapping, cooking, partying and family gatherings are over. We’ve begun to catch our breath, and we’re immersed in “Best of” and “Reviewing the Year” in all of the media. And, inevitably, we begin to turn our attention to 2023. The student-professor relationship can be one of the most important connections your student makes. But students are often intimidated by their professor or may not recognize the value of that relationship.

If your child wants to learn a trade, they may not need to go to a four-year institution, at least not in the beginning. Achieving a healthy balance is possible and below are tips to help you. Remember they can always order supplies online or visit a store should the need arise. You might help them locate local stores in advance. With over 200 different discussion prompts, you’ll find plenty that apply to your family. So before we look ahead, make plans, make resolutions we probably won’t keep, or set goals for 2023, we’d like to take a moment to look back at 2022.

Also, it sends a message that you are personally invested in these experiences to a level that goes beyond concern for your student. It sends the message that these things are about you, when they really aren’t. On a side note, it’s also a red flag to higher education professionals that you are overly involved in your student’s college life. This meant four more sets of people to go for a drink with, talk to when things went wrong.

Most college students look forward to it – and they get increasingly impatient for it as the semester draws to a close. Students face deadlines they may have ignored, final papers, final projects, final exams, and a generally stressful few weeks as they finish up their term. College students want their parents to accept all the changes they are making but want everything at home to stay the same. They need this from you in order to feel secure and maintain a sense of trust. Remember, many freshmen do not do as well academically first semester as they did in high school, and many change their minds about their proposed course of study.

You may also want to think about setting your student up with a credit card if they don’t have one already. Credit cards can come in handy for emergencies and, when used responsibly, help students begin to establish a positive credit history. Though you’ll want to hear all about their experience, avoid texting or FaceTiming every day.

Lori Smith is a wife, mom, and higher education professional who lives in the beautiful state of Tennessee. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Student Disability Services at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She and her husband, Scott, write their own blog, Kid to College, where they share insights about raising college-ready kids. If they are bright enough to get into college, they are bright enough to figure out how to get themselves out of bed.

Of everything on this list, this one will probably be the hardest for me as a parent. I have a few years before my daughter is college-age, and I already know the mom part of me will want her to come home to visit as often as possible. However, the college professional part of me knows this is a terrible idea.