How Is My Student Doing? Sharing Your College Student’s Passwords

February 20, 2021March 16, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

When your student heads off to college, you worry. Some parents worry a lot, often for good reasons. But all parents, even those confident of their student’s abilities and responsibility, worry at least a little. We worry about their safety, we worry about their happiness, and we worry about their success. It is part of the nature of being a parent

We worried when our student was in high school, too, but most of us had our student under our roof. We knew at least some of what was going on in their life. In addition, many high schools now have portals or websites where administrators and teachers post announcements, reminders of deadlines, homework assignments, and grades. As parents, we had access to such sites. We felt included. We were on top of things. We were in the loop.

What Do Parents Want from Colleges? Where Do You Fit In?

March 2, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

Students have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to choosing a college. There are many factors to weigh — and then after the logical decisions have been weighed, there is the issue of finding the right ”fit.” But most students do not make the college decision entirely alone. They turn to their families for advice.

As a parent, you probably have some clear ideas about what you want for your student as she makes the college choice. Although the decision should ultimately be hers, you will weigh in and share your feelings and opinions. Of course, your student may, or may not, listen.

A recent poll conducted by Noodle Education surveyed nearly 1000 middle class parents about what they consider important in choosing a college. Two-thirds of the parents surveyed had college bound high school students and one-third had students currently in college or less than one year out of college.

Consider the findings of this poll and think about what your responses might be. What do you consider important? Then consider asking your student. Do your responses match? If not, this might be a great opening to a conversation — not to change your student’s mind, but to explore her thinking — and learn more about her.

Has Your Student Found the College with the Best Fit?

November 10, 2021February 26, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

According to a survey conducted by Noodle Education, one of the issues parents are most concerned about is that their college student find a college that is the right ”fit.” 72.5% of parents ranked this as highly important to them.

Students, too, want to find a college that is the right fit. Guidance counselors encourage students to look for the college that is the right fit. Colleges claim to be the right fit for your student.

So what exactly does it mean to say that a college is the right ”fit” for a student, and how can a student find that fit?

”Fit”

The quality of fit in a college is a complex concept. It is often difficult to define or describe, but students often know it when they find it.

What Do We Know About College Freshmen?

March 23, 2017February 16, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

The answer to the question of what we know about college freshmen is both ”not much” and ”a lot.”

If you have a college freshman, you may often feel as though you don’t know much about him. If he is living away from home, you may feel particularly out of touch with his day-to-day life. And even if he shares some information with you, you may sometimes feel as though you just don’t understand him. As frustrating as this can be at times, this is typical, normal, and probably appropriate.

On the other hand, however, many institutions, organizations, and individuals continue to do research about first year college students and we continue to learn more each year. While this information is general, of course, and compiles averages rather than talking about your individual student, it is helpful for parents to understand some of the norms for first year college students.

How Hard Is College?

July 30, 2019February 12, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

Does your soon-to-be college student worry about how hard college is going to be? Probably. Do you worry about how hard college will be for your student — and whether they’ll be able to do well? Probably. Can you find the answer? Probably not.

Many, if not most, college students — or almost-college-students – and their parents worry about how hard college will be. Students may not voice their concerns out loud, but they are there. Will school be hard? Will I be able to do the work? Will I understand the material and what is being asked of me? They may ask their advisors, faculty members, other students — ”Is this class hard?”

The answers may not be very satisfying. It depends. Hard is relative. It may be as hard as you make it.

What do students mean by ”hard?”

Hard, of course, can mean many things — and different things to different people. It may mean difficult, challenging, complex, time consuming, a lot of work. It may mean arduous, demanding, exacting, strenuous, exhausting, grueling, painful, distressing, brutal, complicated, intense.

A lot of scary words.

Is Your Student Rising to the Challenge of Preparing for College? Finding Solutions.

March 18, 2017February 5, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

In December 2014 Achieve, Inc. released the report Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? We think the information in this report is important not just for schools, but for parents as well. In our last post we shared some of the results of this survey. In this post, we share some of the implications for parents and students.

Preparing to succeed in college seems to begin earlier and earlier. Laying the solid foundation of academic skills, softer life skills, and getting ready for the admissions process takes years. Some of the work is conscious for your student, and some may happen unconsciously. Some is under your student’s direct control, and some of the preparation depends on your student’s school, family, and mentors. Can you help? The answer is a resounding yes, but not necessarily in ways that you might think of at first.

Both parents and students can, and must, take control of the college preparation process.

How does this affect me — or my student?

Achieve works primarily on a state level, and as a result of this survey the organization has made several important recommendations to states and to individual school districts. We think the information is important to parents, too, and we think that parents can, and should, talk to their high school students about some of these findings. Students who become aware of shortcomings while they are in high school rather than after high school are in a position to do something to improve their own preparation.

Is Your Student Rising to the Challenge of Preparing for College? What’s the Problem?

March 18, 2017February 2, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

In December 2014 Achieve, Inc. released the report Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? We think the information in this report is important not just for schools, but for parents as well. In this post we share some of the results of this survey. In our next post, we’ll share some of the implications for parents and students.

A new study has just been released about students’ high school experiences and how they relate to college experiences. It contains important information that parents can use to understand specifically how both students and parents can take more control of the college success preparation process.

It’s Time to Love Your Second Choice College

February 2, 2020January 26, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

As a parent, you want your child to be happy. It began when they were infants, and it hasn’t changed. And for some students about to head to college, happiness may mean learning to love their second choice college. They may need your help understanding how to do that

The facts are there. According to a recent study conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, fewer than 57% of students in the United States are attending their first choice college. That means that your student may wind up attending their second (or third or fourth) choice of college. It is interesting to note, however, that over 75% of students were admitted to their first choice of school. This means that your student (or you as a family) may make the choice to attend a school other than your student’s initial first choice.

Some research is also suggesting, however, that where your student attends school is going to matter less than their attitude and actions once they get there.

What can I do to help my student make the adjustment?

The first thing that you can do is to honor your student’s disappointment.

Book Review: Building Resilience in Children and Teens

December 17, 2021January 22, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

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 and beyond. We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Check out our Resources and Tools page for suggestions.

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students.

In this review, we’ll take a look at Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings by Kenneth R. Ginsburg and Martha M. Jablow.

At first glance, at least looking at the title of the book, it appears as though by the time your student is headed to college it may be too late to read this book. But first impressions may be wrong. Although we would recommend this book to parents when their children are young, the teenage years, and even the college years, are not too late for helping your student build resilience.

How to Help Your High School Student Work Now to Avoid College Remedial Courses

June 22, 2022January 19, 2015 by Vicki Nelson

Is your student college ready? The answer may not be what you think. If your student has done reasonably well in high school and has high school diploma in hand, you may assume that your student is now ready for college. Unfortunately, in most cases this may not be true.

According to a recent study conducted by the National Center for Public Policy in Higher Education, an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization, ”Every year in the United States, nearly 60% of first-year college students discover that, despite being fully eligible to attend college, they are not ready for postsecondary studies. After enrolling, these students learn that they must take remedial courses in English or mathematics, which do not earn college credits.” Even those students enrolled in a college preparatory curriculum may not be as ready as they should be.

According to another report, released by Achieve, Inc., students who require remedial courses in college graduate at half of the rate of their college ready peers. Many students who do graduate need extra time to complete their degree.