Category — Yearly Cycle of Information

Summer is in full swing and your college student – or soon to be college student – is probably busy with a summer job and spending time with friends.  She may have attended an orientation, or that may not happen until the end of the summer.  As exciting as the prospect of college is, for many parents and students, the summer before college begins is a stressful time.

If your student has already spent a year at college, he knows what to expect in the fall.  He will be one of the upperclass students who seems to know it all – envied by the new first year students.  However, even your returning college student may have a few things that he should be thinking about over the summer to make next year even better.

July is an interesting month in the college process for your student.  He may still feel more like a high school student than a college student.  There may not yet be an urgency to prepare for the fall.  The college search and acceptance process is over (finally!) and everyone may be welcoming some down-time before preparations begin in earnest in August.  However, July may provide a good time to lay some groundwork for a successful fall.

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College students (or soon-to-be college students) are often in yet another transition in June.  Those students already in college may have finished their formal academic year in May.  By June they have settled in to a summer term, a summer job or internship, or may be diligently looking for that first post-college job.  For high school students, June may bring graduation and the realization that college is just around the corner.  For parents, the summer months may be an interesting time of having a student return home after the year away or helping their student prepare to leave home for college.  There is something happening for almost everyone.

Last June we did a roundup of posts from last year that may be helpful to both you and your student at this point in the academic year.  You may view our roundup for last June here. It contains many helpful articles.  This post contains posts we’ve written since last June that may be helpful at this particular time of year.

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May marks the end of the formal academic year for many students.  For some, it is the end of the difficult year of transition to a new environment.  For others, it marks the end of their college career and a move to another type of transition – either to career or graduate school.  As the month begins, there may still be some stress for students – final exams may still be ahead, and many students approaching graduation are still uncertain about what their immediate future holds. For still other students, the college journey lies ahead, and they are thinking about approaching that first year of college. But whatever the situation, as May arrives, the end of the school year is in sight and most students are looking ahead – to the near, and more distant, future.

Last May we listed posts that may be most helpful at this time of the year.  BE sure to check out the roundup of posts for last May here.  Here are some posts, written since last May, that may also be helpful as you, and your student, face this time of transition.

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As April rolls around for your college student, the finish line is in sight.  Your college student is possibly feeling overwhelmed about how much still needs to be done before the end of the term, and at the same time trying to plan a schedule for next year and arrange for housing.  There are many end-of-year activities taking place.  She may also be worrying about a summer job or internship.  If your student is a senior, the ultimate concern is with a job or graduate school.  As other students at school begin to plan schedules and choose dorm rooms and roommates, the reality of next year’s possible uncertainty sets in for many seniors.

Your patience and support may be especially needed right now as your student tries to manage his time in the present – and also plan ahead.  Last April we listed some posts that are particularly applicable at this time of the year. We recommend that you look at last April’s Roundup.   Here are a few posts written since last April that may be helpful as you, too, try to juggle this busy time of the academic year.

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College Parent Central has just turned two!  We began this website on April 1, 2009 – somehow April Fool’s Day seemed appropriate for something that launched us into the unknown.  Two years later, we continue to believe even more firmly than ever that college parents are an important part of student success.

After two years of writing about college parenting, talking to college parents, working with college students, and working and speaking with professional colleagues, we have learned much and continue to feel that we have a place in helping parents.  We are grateful to those people who have shared their stories and wisdom and helped us as we continue to reach out to parents who may find our information helpful,

Our purpose

We began College Parent Central two years ago with five basic principles.  Two years later, these basic beliefs still hold true for us.

• We believe that parents can be important partners in their child’s education from pre-school through college.
• We believe that most parents want to be involved in their child’s college experience.
• We believe that parents do have a place in their child’s college experience.
• We believe that many parents don’t know how to be involved in their child’s college experience.
• We believe that many parents don’t understand today’s college experience. (Those of us who attended college ourselves need to learn how the college experience has changed in the twenty-first century.)

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March truly marks a turning point in the college year.  Not only is it the time for midterm exams and for the legendary spring break, it is also the point at which the end of the school year seems almost within reach.  Students know they are coming into the “home stretch” of their academic year.  This provides both relief and its own stress.  There’s still so much to be done.  Some students may realize that they are not going to turn around a difficult academic start and need to make plans.  Students may be worrying about summer jobs or summer school.  Students need to be thinking and making plans for the next year – housing choices, roommates, fall schedules, majors, internships.  Seniors face the ultimate stress of finding a job or getting into graduate school.

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Your college student is settling in to the second semester of the year.  Although February may seem to be a relatively quiet month, as many of us hibernate for the winter, it may actually be a busy time for your college student.  Whether your student is in her first year of school or further along in her college career, the second semester of the year has its own rhythms.  Most students are already settled in their rooms or apartments, clubs and activities may be in full swing. However, courses are probably new and there is a feeling of a fresh start.  As the semester progresses, students begin to look toward next year – higher status, possible study abroad or internship, perhaps even graduation.

Last February we did a roundup of posts from last year that may be helpful to both you and your student at this point in the academic year.  You may view our roundup for last February here.  It contains many helpful articles.  This post contains posts we’ve written since last February that may be helpful at this particular time of year.

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January always brings with it potential resolutions and the hope for a fresh start in many areas of our lives.  For college students and their parents, January marks the beginning of a new semester and all that it promises, as well as the start of a new year.  For students who began their college career in the fall, the return to college for a second semester marks an opportunity to put into place important lessons learned during that sometimes tumultuous first semester.  For students nearing the end of their college career, the new beginning of the year also marks the beginning of a transition to a new post-college phase.  For parents, new beginnings for students may mean important new beginnings on parenting phases as well.

Last January we did a roundup of posts that may be helpful to both you and your student at this point of new beginnings and fresh starts.  You may view our roundup from last year here.  It contains many helpful articles.  This post contains a list of posts we’ve written over the past year that may be helpful at this point in the calendar.

If you haven’t already done so, we’d recommend also reviewing our roundup for December and maybe even November.  This is a good time to take stock and look back, as well as move forward.

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Last year at this time we offered some New Year’s resolutions for college and high school parents and for their students.  We still think they are good resolutions, worth considering carefully if you are a college or high school parent.  Please take a few minutes to follow the links below and reread our suggestions.

New Year’s Resolutions for College Parents – and Their College Students

New Year’s Resolutions for High School Parents – and Their College Bound Students

In addition to the specific resolutions offered last year, this year we’d like to offer some suggestions to keep in mind as you and your student think about creating your own resolutions for the fresh start that the second semester of the year offers.  Give some thought to these characteristics of good resolutions as you consider what matters to you in the New Year.

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Post-Thanksgiving break and the beginning of December always mark the home stretch for the fall semester for college students.  Not only is the semester coming to a close, but the holiday season is upon us and students may lose some focus.  This is a time of festivities, but the season is often overshadowed by the stress of the end-of-semester responsibilities.  The more that parents can understand the rhythm of the academic year, the more we can help students as they navigate their way.

Last December we did a roundup of posts that may be helpful to both you and your student at this point in the academic year.  You may view our roundup from last year here.  It contains many helpful articles.  This post contains titles we’ve written over the past year that may be helpful at this time of year.

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