June is the time for spring orientation at colleges and universities. That’s when incoming students visit their new campuses, take placement tests, participate in academic advising and perhaps register for classes. And at most colleges, parents don’t attend academic advising or registration sessions with their students. While this might cause you some anxiety, never fear. […]
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Parents of college students often struggle with a thorny question: when to call the college on their student’s behalf? The answer to that question may surprise you. Why You’d Want to Call Parents choose to call their student’s college for many reasons. The first is because they’re worried because they haven’t received many calls home.
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We often talk about students preparing to go to college, but who asks the same of parents and family members? But rest assured, your preparation for college—your student’s college experience—is important, too. The Empty Nest The first thing to think about is the loss of your student’s presence within the family. Parents magazine online addresses
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It’s that time of year when students begin receiving acceptance letters from the colleges and universities they applied to. Congratulations to your student! Now that these letters are coming in, it’s time to start making decisions. The Acceptance Letter Colleges and universities make a big deal about their acceptance letters. Most are actually large packets
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The provost (chief academic officer) of my college sent out an email to students at the end of the Fall, 2020 semester. The only students receiving the email were those who had enrolled for fewer than sixteen credits for the Spring, 2021 semester. To stay on track to graduate in four years at our college,
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Difficult semester or quarters in college aren’t unusual, and that’s increased with COVID-19. And college students, whether they live at home or away, have felt the strain. One of the most important things you can do as a family member is help your student keep things in perspective. Bouncing back after a tough academic term
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For those of you whose students are attending college away from home, this can be a special time. Having your student home for the holidays is a treat, so long as you prepare for it. It Will Be Different Having independent young adults under your roof after a few months away brings as much stress
One of the pitfalls for students is how to balance their schedules in college. Many students find that setting their own schedules to be tough. Sometimes students make the mistake of thinking they should focus only on their academics in college, missing the truth that student involvement is important in college as well. What I
Student Involvement is Important Read More »
It’s no secret that students and parents alike are concerned about starting college during a pandemic. And this is true whether the students are attending from home or moving to campus. Yet students can thrive during a pandemic Things to Consider I wrote earlier about how to choose a college during a pandemic, using online
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One of the questions I’ve heard from parents every year is “how much money will my student need for outside expenses?” They’re thinking about expenses such as pizza with friends, toiletries, snacks, entertainment, etc. And while sometimes these expenses can get out of hand, they are valid—in moderation. So, how do you determine how much
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