Are There Secrets to College Success?

July 28, 2021August 27, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

If there were absolute, no fail secrets to college success that worked for every student, every student would know them and follow them and be successful. The reality is that there are no sure-fire secrets that work for every student. Each student is an individual with unique strengths and weaknesses, coming from a unique background and placed in a unique situation.

However, there are some tried and true tips that help most students. We’d like to offer our three favorite tips. We hope you’ll pass them on to your college student. We welcome you to share your responses and suggestions.

Affirming ”Helicopter Parents”: How To Hover Constructively

March 23, 2017August 20, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

This is the third of three posts that consider the concept of college helicopter parents. The concept is certainly not new, but it warrants continual examination – and sometimes redefinition. In our first post, we looked at the definition of helicopter parents, as well as some of the motivation behind parental hovering. In our second post, we examined who helicopter parents are and how they operate, and in this post, we consider the consequences of helicoptering and suggest some possible ways in which parents might hover productively.

Helicopter parents, (those parents who hover closely over their children, ready to swoop in at a moment’s notice to rescue the student or attack the enemy) have caused colleges to express concern about parental involvement in college students’ lives. Many colleges clearly send messages to parents to “back off” or “stay away”. In most instances, it doesn’t work. Parents continue to be closely involved in their students’ lives because they feel that they are needed to help the student be successful. Many parents may not fully understand the consequences of excessive involvement or hovering.

Affirming ”Helicopter Parents”: A Look in the Mirror

March 23, 2017August 18, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

This is the second of three posts that consider the concept of college helicopter parents. The concept is certainly not new, but it warrants continual examination – and sometimes redefinition. In our first post, we looked at the definition of helicopter parents, as well as some of the motivation behind parental hovering. In this post, we will examine who helicopter parents are and how they operate, and in our final post, we will consider the consequences of helicoptering and suggest some possible ways in which parents might hover productively.

Who are today’s helicopter parents?

Today’s helicopter parents are the baby boomers who have programmed and protected their children since they were born. They are parents who have been involved in every aspect of their children’s activities. Like parents of all generations, they want the best for their children, but they believe that achieving that best requires direct parental involvement.

There are more than a few helicopter parents. According to a recent National Survey of Student Engagement, which surveyed approximately 10,000 students at 24 colleges in the United States, forty percent of freshmen say a parent has intervened to solve a problem for them. The majority of these students are not unhappy to have their parents involved.

Affirming ”Helicopter Parents”: Redefining the Title

March 23, 2017August 16, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

This is the first of three posts that consider the concept of college helicopter parents. The concept is certainly not new, but it warrants continual examination – and sometimes redefinition. In this post, we look at the definition of helicopter parents, as well as some of the motivation behind parental hovering. In our next post, we will examine who helicopter parents are and how they operate, and in our final post, we will consider the consequences of helicoptering and suggest some possible ways in which parents might hover productively.

Helicopter parents have a poor reputation. Actually, that is probably a polite way of putting it. In most of the higher education world, when the term “helicopter parents” is used, it is not used kindly. Even parents who engage in “helicoptering” don’t like to identify themselves as such, “I don’t want to be a helicopter parent, but . . . ” The truth is that many parents do hover, but some do it better than others. The concept itself isn’t necessarily bad, but the extremists have given it a bad name. Perhaps what needs to happen is that more parents need to redefine what it means to be a helicopter parent and learn to do their hovering productively.

What Parents Can Do To Support Their College Student Studying Abroad

September 1, 2022August 13, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

This is the third of a series of three posts about college students and studying abroad. In the first post we looked at some of the reasons why a study abroad program might make sense for your college student. In the second post, we considered how to help your student prepare to go abroad, and in this final post we look at what to do while he is away.

Your college student has headed off confidently (or perhaps with a bit of trepidation) on her study abroad experience. You are proud of her, excited for her, and perhaps, a bit concerned for her. You know that the experience is important and wonderful for her, but you are a parent and you worry. Here are a few suggestions of things that you can do to help ease the transition – for her – and for you.

Helping Your College Student Prepare To Study Abroad

June 1, 2022August 11, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

This is the second of a series of three posts about college students and studying abroad. In the first post we looked at some of the reasons why a study abroad program might make sense for your college student. In this post, we consider how to help your student prepare to go abroad, and in the final post we’ll look at what to do while he is away.

Now that your student has decided to study abroad and has chosen an appropriate program, the real preparation begins. There is much to do to get ready for this new and exciting experience. As the college parent, your role will be largely supportive, but your involvement will be crucial. Working with your student to ensure the best experience possible can be rewarding for both of you. Remember, though, that your student needs to be in charge of preparations. This is good practice for the independence that he will need while he is away.

Here are some suggestions of ways in which you might be helpful.

Understanding Why Your Son Or Daughter Wants to Study Abroad

June 15, 2021August 9, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

This is the first of a series of three posts about college students and studying abroad. In this post we’ll look at some of the reasons that a study abroad program might make sense for your college student. In the following two posts, we’ll consider how to help your student prepare to go abroad, and what to do while he is away.

We live today in a global society. Worldwide knowledge and experiences are becoming expected in the workplace. Many students consider studying abroad and look forward to the opportunity to spend some time in a foreign country during their college years. This experience may take the form of a summer program, an organized college trip, or a semester or year abroad. For many college parents, understanding their student’s desire to spend a year far away in another country seems obvious, while for others it make take some work.

As a parent, you may understand completely why your student wants to study abroad – in fact you may be envious of the experience. Your student may have talked about and planned for this experience even prior to attending college. On the other hand, perhaps you hadn’t considered this, and you may be wondering why your student, who worked so hard to transition to college and settle in, would want to uproot, even for a semester, to do it all again. The more that you work to understand your student’s motivation for studying abroad, the more you will be able to discuss his options with him.

The Path To Graduation: The Fast Track

March 29, 2021August 6, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

In our last post, we discussed students who may need to take longer than the traditional four years to complete their college degree. In this post, we look at students who choose to accelerate their college experience to finish early.

In addition to those students who may take longer than the traditional four years to complete their degree, there are a growing number of students who may decide to attempt to complete their college education in less than four years. Students who finish in three or three and a half years may save on tuition fees. They have the opportunity to get started working in their chosen field earlier. However, these students may also need to give up some of the traditional college experiences in order to be able to complete their degree early.

Why You Should Encourage Your College Student to Use Their College E-Mail

January 2, 2021July 23, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

Our college students are members of the internet generation. They live with social media, and they use the internet for their source of music and entertainment. However, many of today’s college students do not turn to e-mail as a source of communication. Most students do have an e-mail account, but many don’t check it often. If they want to reach their friends, they text, or tweet, or post on Facebook or some other social media site. In spite of this, most colleges assign students an official e-mail account, and use that account to communicate important information to the student. Encouraging your student to begin to check their college e-mail account frequently will ensure that they don’t miss important information.

Here are some important reminders about why it is important for your student to use their college e-mail account.

How Parents Can Help College Students Understand General Education Requirements

September 13, 2021July 21, 2009 by Vicki Nelson

Most colleges require students to take a certain number of courses across the disciplines. These courses, known as General Education Requirements, or sometimes Liberal Arts Requirements, are the courses that students must take, in addition to the courses in their major, to graduate. General education requirements may vary from school to school. Some schools are very broad in their requirements, while other schools may be very specific. Whether the requirements are broad or specific, general education requirements are designed to help students expand their perspectives.

Many students dislike the idea of having to take courses across the spectrum in college and want to focus solely on their major or the areas in which they are interested. Students become impatient and dissatisfied with their general education requirements, and many see them as “hoops” they must jump through in order to graduate. Parents can help students view their general education courses as opportunities rather than barriers. Conversations with parents can help students understand why the school may require them to explore things outside of their major.

Here are some of the reasons why colleges require general education or liberal arts courses, as well as some ways that parents can help students think about these courses.