Moving In, Moving On, and Moving Out: Your College Student in Transition

College is a time of transition.  There is much discussion about the student’s transition to freshman year and to college in general.  But in many ways, college is a time of continual transition.  Your student moves into college, into and out of dorms and apartments, into (and sometimes out of) majors, and move on up the ladder of college class rank.  For some students the transition includes moving on to different colleges or to alternative paths.  Finally, students begin the transition out of college and into career.

Recognizing that this is a time of continual transition and change will help you support and encourage your student as he navigates his way through college.  We’ve included here some information about some of the transitions your student – and you – may face.

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There’s an Upside to Sending Your Student to College

As you drop your student off for college, and then return to your empty nest, you may be thinking mostly about how much you’ll miss them.  You may be worrying about how quiet the house will seem.  You may or may not be worried about how well they will succeed at school, –  but you’re also thinking about the hole that remains in your family.

You’ll certainly miss your student.  And, although you may not believe it as you return to your empty (or at least emptier) house, you will get used to having your student away.  What you may or may not have thought about are some of the advantages of moving your college student out of the house and away at school. Yes, they exist!

We’d like to offer a slightly light-hearted reminder that there is an upside to sending your student away to college.

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Helicopter Parents Are Big Topic

As college students headed back to school this fall, Merriam Webster  announced that “helicopter parent” was now an entry in their dictionary. Helicopter Parents are an important topic.  Those same parents may now be dealing with the Empty Nest Syndrome.

I was privileged to be a guest this fall on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Joy Cardin show as together we explored the topics of helicopter parents and empty nests.  For those of us sending our students off to college, there’s lots of food for thought during this interview.

Listen to the Wisconsin Public Radio interview and then let us know your thoughts.  Have you just sent someone off to college?  Do you consider yourself a helicopter parent?  How are you coping with your empty nest?


Saving Money on Outfitting Your College Student’s Dorm Room

College today is expensive.  There is no way around it.  Parents and students both are working to finance the cost of college tuition and fees, piecing together financial aid through scholarships, grants and loans.  Many students, and their parents, may be dismayed to think about the additional costs of outfitting the ideal college dorm room, yet all of the advertising and publicity tells them that this is essential.

Your college student will need to make some purchases to furnish their dorm room.  Decorating that first ”home away from home” is part of the college experience.  However, there are some ways in which your student can pare down the costs of the decorating process.  Here are a few suggestions to discuss with your student as you both prepare for Move-in Day.

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Summer Homework for College Parents

You have a new college student headed to school for the first time in late August or September.  You may be feeling relieved that the college search and application process is over, but also a bit anxious about what may lie ahead.  Your student is busily connecting with new friends on Facebook and saying goodbye to old friends at home.  In between, your student may be shopping for cool dorm room furnishings and possibly even reading an assigned summer book.

You may wonder what you should or could be doing this summer to stay involved, while letting your student take the lead for the college process.  Here is a short list to get you started.  Spend some time this summer getting familiar with your student’s school, and also having some important conversations with your student.  Let your student take the lead, but be armed with some information and ideas just in case you’re needed.

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Summer Before College a Summer of Decisions: Financial Decisions

This is the third of three posts about decisions new college students may face during the summer before freshman year. As a college parent, you can help your student consider some of these important issues.(Read the post about academic decisions here, and the post about student life decisions here.) This post looks at some financial decisions students may face.

Your student has been accepted to college and made the choice of which college to attend.  You’ve paid the deposit and your student is now happily, if somewhat nervously, connecting with new friends on Facebook as they prepare to head off to college at the end of the summer.  You may be feeling relief that the decisions are over and you can all settle in for the ride.

It may not be that easy.  The summer before freshman year of college is still a time of many decisions for both you and your soon-to-be college student.  Some of the decisions will be easy, some may have been discussed previously, and some may take you by surprise.

It is natural for both you and your student to feel somewhat overwhelmed by the number of things that you need to think about and prepare during this busy summer. But starting now, and making some decisions early, will help both you and your student feel more in control of this transition process. We hope that you and your student will think about some of these issues — and follow the links for further reading.

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Summer Before College a Summer of Decisions: Student Life Decisions

This is the second of three posts about decisions new college students may face during the summer before freshman year.  As a college parent, you can help your student consider some of these important issues.(Read the post about academic decisions here.)  This post looks at some student life decisions students may face.  The final post will discuss student financial decisions.

Your student’s been accepted to college and made the choice of which college to attend.  You’ve paid the deposit and your student is now happily, if somewhat nervously, connecting with new friends on Facebook as she prepares to head off to college at the end of the summer.  You may be feeling relief that the decisions are over and you can all settle in for the ride.

It may not be that easy.  The summer before freshman year of college is still a time of many decisions for both you and your soon-to-be college student.  Some of the decisions will be easy, some may have been discussed previously, and some may take you by surprise.  Being prepared for making some of these decisions will help both you and your student anticipate some issues that might arise.

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Summer Before College a Summer of Decisions: Academic Decisions

This is the first of three posts about decisions new college students may face during the summer before freshman year.  As a college parent, you can help your student consider some of these important issues.  This post looks at some academic decisions students may face.  The next two posts will discuss student life decisions and financial decisions.

 

Your student has been accepted to college and made the choice of which college to attend.  You’ve paid the deposit and your student is now happily, if somewhat nervously, connecting with new friends on Facebook as she prepares to head off to college at the end of the summer.  You may be feeling relief that the decisions are over and you can all settle in for the ride.

It may not be that easy.  The summer before freshman year of college is still a time of many decisions for both you and your soon-to-be college student.  Some of the decisions will be easy, some may have been discussed previously, and some may take you by surprise.  Being prepared for making some of these decisions will help both you and your student anticipate some of the issues that might arise.

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College Parents: Use the Summer Before Freshman Year Wisely

It’s been a long journey getting your almost college student ready for freshman year.  You’ve helped and supported through the testing, the college visits, the applications, the acceptance or rejection letters, and the final decision.  But you know that your work isn’t done.  The summer before that first year of college is a busy and stressful one — for everyone involved.  Your student may be focused and organized, or he may seem uninterested in the transition about to take place.

As a college parent, you know that you are going to need to step back and let your student take control of her college experience.  Yet, you want her to start of on the right foot — excited and prepared.  As always, the key is helping your student prepare.  Encourage your student to take the lead, and resist the temptation to handle things yourself.  This is your student’s opportunity to become increasingly self-sufficient.

We’ve gathered here some previous posts about things you can do this summer to help the transition go well.  Think about how you and your college student can work together to prepare for those first steps during the freshman year.

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Your College Student’s Roommate Match

If your student is heading off to college and will be living in a residence hall on campus, she is probably wondering, and even nervous, about who her roommate will be.  This is only natural, as most students who will be living in a relatively small space with another student may be sharing a room for the first time.  You and your student may both be wondering how and when the college will be assigning roommates.

Different colleges use different methods for assigning roommates.  Some schools make matches randomly.  Other schools send students a questionnaire to determine some lifestyle preferences and then spend many hours making matches based on that information. In some cases students may be matched by computer. Many schools will allow students to request to live with a particular student as long as the request is mutual.

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