How to Help Your Teen Into College
Getting into college represents one of the greatest transitional periods for both students and their families. The entire process of taking the entrance exams, moving away from home and adjusting to campus life can be quite stressful and challenging for your young person.
It’s essential you take some time to prepare them. By learning more about the experiences of other students and parents who were in the same situation, your soon-to-be college student will be able to take this roller coaster ride with anticipation and excitement rather than fear and dread.
So, here are some of the best tips for helping your child enter college.
Have a Stress-free Admission Preparation
Preparing and studying for the entrance exam can be quite stressful because it will determine their “destiny.” For many students, and their parents, this means sleepless nights and nightmares about their minds going blank a minute before the exam.
By preparing early, they’ll be more confident in their knowledge, which will make this entire situation less stressful. In addition, there are certain programs that come with a lot of admission-related and other benefits that can help them get course credit and scholarships at many colleges and universities.
These programs will help them expand their knowledge and prepare for their entrance exam. In addition, they also represent a long-term investment in their future that will help them relieve stress and tension.
Choosing the Right College
The choice of college can affect the rest of their life, they should carefully consider their options and not make a hasty decision. When choosing a college, they should take several factors into consideration, such as the locality, distance, finances and college ROI rankings.
Their final choice should not only meet their personal interests and aspirations, but also help them find a well-paid job that will enable the whole family to repay the money invested in their education and ensure their financial stability in the future. By taking time to do the research, they might even discover new options placing them on the road to success.
Start with a Bang
Once they’ve passed their entrance exam, a completely new journey awaits them that is also a part of this transitional period. Exams, papers, parties, worries, missed deadlines and much more.
Keep in mind the first impressions matter, so tell them they should start their college days with a bang. They need to be focused from the very start – not only will this leave a positive impression on their professors, but it will make their upcoming months much easier.
If they spend their first months skipping lectures and partying, they’ll find themselves behind the eight ball when the exam periods come. Of course, this doesn’t mean they can’t have fun, but only they need to create a balance and set their priorities during this transitional period.
Follow their Interests
Their college days will be much easier and exciting if they’re studying what they like and enjoy. While they might not have had many electives in high school when it came to subjects, at college, they’ll have a variety of different elective courses that might suit their interests.
However, they shouldn’t be afraid to explore new subjects as well, because they can always learn something new and exciting or even discover a new field of interest. College is not only about academics but also about learning who you are as a person.
Find a Mentor
Whether it’s you, their favorite professor, cousin or an older friend, having an adult mentor will help them get through this challenging transitional period. Since moving away from home and being on their own can be quite stressful, they need someone who will be there when they’re feeling down or lost.
Since freshman students are entering young adulthood, they still don’t have appropriate stress-management skills, so they can easily get overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of student life. A mentor is someone who went through the same things and someone who can impart their “wisdom.”
A mentor will help them get up when they’re down, overcome obstacles and help them to get to know themselves.
Staying Connected
Going to college often means moving away from home, not seeing old friends and even losing touch with someone who used to be a close friend. In addition, it may take them some time to establish close relationships with new friends.
Consequently, they might feel lonely, experience social anxiety and even depression. Therefore, they should maintain their relationships with old friends – they can always make time for meeting a friend at least for a short walk.
Keep in mind this is also a challenging period for you as parents because you have to deal with separation and may feel forgotten while simultaneously worrying about the child being alone. Having support throughout the studies, especially at the very beginning, will make the entire period less terrifying.
By preparing for the entrance exam and signing up for a tutoring course, they’ll gain confidence in their knowledge and build a foundation for their future studies. Although it might seem difficult at first, starting is the first and most important step.
Afterwards, when everything passes, you will all remember the entire experience with a smile.
Sending your kids off to college is an anxious yet exciting time for most families. As parents you’re excited to see your young adult make a major step towards independence and adulthood. Yet you’re concerned for your child’s safety, their ability to successfully transition to college life and their well-being. Get great tips for prepping your kids to attend a big city college.
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash
