Helping Your Student Be Successful in College -- Guest Post

Helping Your Student Be Successful in College

When your student heads off to college, some moms and dads end up taking a backseat in their

lives, to friends, work and the pressures of studying. But, it is important to understand that no

matter how far away your student travels to study, their family involvement is still rather crucial

to their success in college.

As much as your student might want to use this time in their life to branch out and find

themselves, which is sort of what college is for, cutting all ties with them except for holidays

isn’t the direction to go in. According to IUPUI Family ED, the college years of a student are

actually the most important years in helping them to become successful, independent adults. But,

this can only be done through the participation and support of their family.

There are three major areas of their college life that you, as a parent, can be of great assistance to your

child.

Moral Guidance

In college, your child is going to encounter moral situations which they have never been in

before. While your child may come to you with their troubles and successes, you want to

remember that you always want to be there for moral support. Most students at this age might not

be coming to you for your opinion or advice necessarily, but more for the supportive comments

you can offer. “You can do this”, “I know you will make the right choice” and “You did the right

thing”, are just a few of the comments you  are going to want to share with your student.

Career Planning

Studying at South University, or any college for that matter, can be somewhat daunting to a new

student, especially if they are unsure about the direction they want to go with their future. You

can certainly help with career planning by guiding your student through the course selection

process, reminding them of what their ultimate goals and dreams are. It is easy to get distracted

in a college and social environment, so you want to be sure you remind them of what their goals

are and how to achieve them.

Financial Assistance and Advice

Most young adults are still in the dark about the value of money and what financial independence

and security are (in fact, some adults are too!). Whether you can guide them with their financial

aid or personal finances, this is an area of their lives that will require continuous attention, some

children will need help long into adulthood.

Remember that these three areas are not the only areas that you can be involved in. Depending

on your child, and the relationship you have, you might be getting daily phone calls to talk about

everything from their new crush to the tough assignments they have coming up. Whatever your

relationship is with your child, keep in mind that it can be beneficial to their entire college career

and the rest of their lives.

Starting college doesn’t mean your role as a parent has ended.

Image Source: http://talknerdy2me.org/tag/success