College Parent Central

College Parents and Students: We Hope and We Worry

March 20, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

We all know we have hopes for our students, and we certainly worry about them in many ways. Our students have their own worries, and their hopes. But we may wonder how what we worry about and what we hope for match what other parents and students are thinking. Are our dreams and concerns totally unique? Of course, there’s no way of knowing all of the things others dream or worry about, but when it comes to colleges, and especially getting into colleges, we do have some insight.

Each year the Princeton Review conducts a survey of students and parents to explore what we are all thinking about college. They call it the “College Hopes and Worries Survey.”

#084 – Join Us for Our First Read-Along Book Group!

March 18, 2023March 15, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

We’re trying something new and we invite you to join us! If you’re a regular listener you know we love to talk about books that help us in our role as college parents and help us support our students. We’ve picked the book There is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow by Jeffrey Selingo to read over the next several weeks and we invite you to read along with us. We hope you’ll share some of your thoughts, questions and reactions with us. In this episode Lynn and Vicki share why we chose this book and how you can participate in our virtual book group. Once you hear more about the book, we know you’ll be excited about participating in this adventure. We’ll be sharing everyone’s responses soon in episode #86.

Helping Your College Student Control the Overwhelm

March 6, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

We’re all stressed these days and students are no different. They’re stressed and anxious and struggling with their mental health now more than ever. It’s not very comfortable when we feel stressed and anxious, but it’s worse watching someone you love struggle.

A certain amount of stress is a normal part of college life. After all, there are assignments and papers and projects and exams and grades and social life and future careers to worry about. But when stress slides into feeling overwhelmed by everything, it can feel too challenging to manage.

What is overwhelm? It’s when your student feels submerged, smothered and paralyzed by it all. A certain amount of stress may be normal, but overwhelm feels like too much.

Why the overwhelm?

Students are juggling a lot. They have schoolwork, possibly a job, a social life, perceived pressure to do well, expectations to live up to, increased responsibilities and independence, overscheduling and probably a lack of sleep.

#083 – Why Are Students Reluctant to Connect with Professors?

March 1, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

In our post-pandemic teaching we’ve noticed that many students seem nervous about reaching out to their professors and are unsure about how to connect. We know that this relationship is critical to student success. In this episode Lynn and Vicki explore some of the strategies parents can share with their students to coach them in their interactions with professors. These conversations can help students feel more comfortable talking with professors and making their meetings productive.

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College Parent News and Views – February 2023

February 28, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

The more that college parents know and understand about the college experience, the less we worry and the better we will be able to help our students to succeed and thrive throughout their college career. However, there is an overwhelming amount of information out there on the web. We’d like to help you find some of the information that might be most interesting and useful to you as a college parent.

In News and Views we share recent college related news and sources we’ve found as we do our research. We hope that this feature will help to introduce you to new ideas and to help you keep up with some of the current issues that may affect your college student – and you.

We invite you to read some of the articles suggested below – and to let us know what you think of some of the ideas included here in the comments below.

#082 – Mindfulness for College Students: An Interview with Dr. Eric Loucks

March 18, 2023February 15, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

Lynn and Vicki were joined in this episode by Dr. Eric Loucks author of The Mindful College Student: How to Succeed, Boost Well-Being and Build the Life You Want at University and Beyond to talk about the impact that mindfulness can have on student success. Dr. Loucks helped us understand what mindfulness is and how it can help students deal with stress, attention and focus, self-awareness, emotional-regulation and even career choice. This information is not only helpful for college students but for parents as well.

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Book Review: From Classroom to Career

February 7, 2023February 7, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students or for parents to share with their students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. There is something for everyone. See the Recommended Reading section of our Resources page for more suggestions and reviews.

Graduating from college and moving into a career is a scary moment. Shirley Morrison’s From Classroom to Career: How to Network, Nail the Interview, and Navigate for Success can help take some of the mystery and intimidation out of the situation. This book is chock full of practical advice for establishing and advancing your career and can help students feel more comfortable as they enter the workforce.

There is no shortage of books of advice about how to prepare for and enter the workforce. Most students, by the time they graduate from college, know how to fashion a resume, network with contacts, seek out opportunities, prepare for an interview, and even negotiate a salary. But all of this is sometimes abstract or formulaic advice.

#081 – Pandemic Fallout Part 3: What Can Parents Do to Help Their Pandemic Students?

February 2, 2023February 1, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

In this final episode of our 3-part series on pandemic fallout in college students, we share suggestions of how parents can work together with their students to address current challenges. Parents can aid students in developing strategies to feel in control of their living and learning in the college community. This partnership with students can help them articulate goals and maintain high expectations for themselves and establish a path forward.

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Please leave us a review at “Love the Podcast” to help others find us.

College Parent News and Views – January 2023

January 31, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

The more that college parents know and understand about the college experience, the less we worry and the better we will be able to help our students to succeed and thrive throughout their college career. There is an overwhelming amount of information out there on the web. We’d like to help you find some of the information that might be most interesting and useful to you as a college parent.

In News and Views we share recent college related news and sources we’ve found as we do our research. We hope that this feature will help introduce you to new ideas and help you keep up with some of the current issues that may affect your college student – and you.

We invite you to read some of the articles suggested below – and to let us know in the comments what you think of some of the ideas included here.

How Your Student Can Help Their Professors Do Their Job

January 23, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

One of the proven keys to success in college is the relationships students establish at school – with peers, professors, mentors, or other staff members. But establishing social connections and real relationships can be difficult for many students – especially following Covid isolation and especially with people they don’t know well. They aren’t sure where to start.

Enter your student’s professors.

The student-professor relationship can be one of the most important connections your student makes. But students are often intimidated by their professor or may not recognize the value of that relationship.

Some students and their professors work together well and communication happens smoothly and productively. Other students and professors struggle to work together because of differing personalities or styles of teaching and learning. But if your student makes the effort to consider their professor’s perspective, that relationship has the potential to become a valued one. Making that extra effort also means that your student will know that they have done everything they can to reach out positively to help someone else. That’s always a good feeling.

College Parents and Students: We Hope and We Worry

#084 – Join Us for Our First Read-Along Book Group!

Helping Your College Student Control the Overwhelm

#083 – Why Are Students Reluctant to Connect with Professors?

College Parent News and Views – February 2023

#082 – Mindfulness for College Students: An Interview with Dr. Eric Loucks

Book Review: From Classroom to Career

#081 – Pandemic Fallout Part 3: What Can Parents Do to Help Their Pandemic Students?

College Parent News and Views – January 2023

How Your Student Can Help Their Professors Do Their Job

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