As parents, we want the best for our children.  We want them to succeed.  When our children become college students, the definition of success is sometimes more elusive.  We want our students to receive good grades.  We want our students to feel good about themselves.  We want our students to make friends and have a fulfilling social life.  We want our students to be able to get a job after graduation.

It may seem as though taking difficult or hard courses might not be the best choice for your student.  Hard courses take a lot of time.  Hard courses can be frustrating.  Hard courses may not boost your student’s GPA.  But there are some compelling reasons why taking some of those more difficult courses may benefit your student in many important ways.

Of course, your student needs to keep their schedule in balance and needs to keep everything in perspective. Taking all difficult courses, or all easy courses, does not make a balanced schedule.  And one student’s definition of difficult is another student’s easy course.  Knowing their own strengths and learning style is helpful.  But with all of this in mind, here are eight reasons why a few difficult courses can benefit your student.

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Is your college student taking full advantage of their opportunities in college?  As with so many things during the college years, students struggle to find balance in many areas of their lives.  They face many challenges, opportunities, and growing responsibilities.  College experiences come in many forms, and your student needs to determine how to negotiate these experiences.  In several areas, students may need help in discovering how to find the ”extra value”.

Academics

The Norm:

Students come to college expecting a new level of schoolwork.  Most rise to the challenge of different types of classes and increased homework.  They know that they are required to spend more time outside of class doing schoolwork.  They know that their thinking may be challenged on a new level.  Many students do the work required and gain tremendous knowledge from their classes.

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