By Lauren Bailey
Much of the pressure of college success is placed on the student, and rightfully so. When you get down to it, the achievement and work is ultimately up to the student. But that doesn’t mean that parents should be totally hands off. There are many things that parents can do to help nurture a budding college student. We’ll take a look at a few of the steps parents can take to support their children as future or current college students.
Encourage extracurricular activities. Participating in sports, clubs, groups, and other extracurricular activities in high school aren’t just fun resume builders and ways to make friends. They’re also great for college preparation. They teach the skills of teamwork, time management, and active involvement. Help your child find an activity or two that they feel is a good fit for them, and do whatever you can to support this activity. It will help serve them now and in their college career.
Support academic challenges. Give your child encouragement in all classes, but especially those that are especially difficult or advanced placement. Overcoming academic obstacles now is a great way to prepare for college, where they will be faced with plenty of difficult learning situations.
Allow reasonable freedom. You may feel that your alma mater is the only place that’s good enough for your child, but be open to other plans. Your child’s education is their own, and you need to support their needs. Allow your child a reasonable amount of freedom in their college choices, including their course of study, to give them ownership and happiness in their college career.
Talk about finances openly. You may not share family finance details with your child, but it’s important to let them know about their financial situation for college. Whether you have the resources to pay for a prestigious university out of state or a community college down the street, your child needs to know, and find out how to deal with it. Work with your child to create a financial plan for college, planning a tuition budget, scholarships, and more as early as possible.
College preparation is an exciting time in any family’s life. Use these tips for a positive, effective journey in to college. Enjoy this time as you watch your son or daughter grow into an educated adult!
Leave Comments