Happy Anniversary! College Parent Central Turns Four!

March 25, 2017April 1, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

College Parent Central has just turned four! We began this website on April 1, 2009 — somehow April Fool’s Day seemed an appropriate launch for something that thrust us into the unknown. Four years (and 410 posts) later, we continue to believe even more firmly than ever that college parents are an important part of student success, and we’re proud to contribute to the dialogue.

After four years of writing about college parenting, talking to college parents, working with college students, and working and speaking with professional colleagues, we have learned even more than we have shared. We are grateful to those people who have shared their stories and wisdom and helped us as we continue to reach out to parents who may find our information helpful,

Your College Student’s Senioritis: Recognizing and Addressing It

January 2, 2018March 25, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

This is the second of two posts about the senioritis sometimes experienced by college seniors. In our first post we looked at some of the roots or causes of your student’s feelings. In this post, we’ll consider what this senioritis may look like and how you, as a parent, might help your student cope.

In many ways, although the causes may differ, college senioritis may look very similar to high school senioritis. Your usually motivated student suddenly loses interest in his coursework, missing classes and deadlines for assignments. He doesn’t seem to care about his work and only puts forth a partial effort. His grades are in jeopardy of slipping and he doesn’t seem to care.

Although it is possible that this may be due to ”school fatigue” after sixteen or more years of school, we discussed in our last post several other possible causes. These causes may lead to other symptoms that indicate that your student is a victim of senioritis.

Is Your College Senior Suffering from Senioritis? 13 Reasons Why It May Not Be What You Think

January 19, 2018March 21, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

This is the first of two posts about the senioritis sometimes experienced by college seniors. In this post we look at some of the roots or causes of your student’s feelings. In our next post, we’ll consider what this senioritis may look like and how you, as a parent, might help your student cope.

We hear a lot about senioritis and high school seniors. It’s that apathy and lack of motivation that hits in the latter part of their senior year when they’ve been accepted to college and they let their guard down and struggle to keep their grades up and stay focused on school. Severe senioritis in that last year of high school could even result in having a college rescind a student’s admission, so it can be a serious ailment.

We hear less about senioritis during the last year of college, but it exists. Often, it looks much like high school senioritis. Your student has been in school now for sixteen or more years, and he is tired of being a student, loses focus and motivation, skips classes, does poorly on assignments, and generally appears unengaged.

Saying “No Thank You” to a College Acceptance

January 19, 2018March 18, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

That long college application process is over. Your student finished the applications, the essays, the SAT months ago. You and your student have survived the weeks or months of waiting. The acceptances have come in and your student has finally, agonizingly, made a decision. She knows where she will be going to college. You’ve even submitted the deposit. You and your student are ready for a breather.

There’s one more task which your student needs to do. She needs to let the other colleges which accepted her know that she won’t be attending. This isn’t a big job, but it sometimes feels like an awkward job. It’s not easy to say, ”No thank you” to a college after you’ve fought to get in. It feels as though you are rejecting the college. But this is an important part of the college admission process.

Once your student has made the final decision and notified his college of choice, remind him to let the others know that he won’t be attending. Students should notify the college in writing. Some colleges even include a postcard in their admissions packet. If there isn’t an easy form, a simple note, letter, or e-mail is fine.

Accepted to College — Now What?

January 19, 2018March 14, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

Congratulations! Your student has been accepted — perhaps to one college, perhaps to several. Your student may be facing a difficult decision, or she may know exactly where she wants to go. Either way, you and your student may be wondering what you do next.

Once your student has been accepted, next steps will depend on whether she needs more information before making her decision or whether that decision is made.

Making the decision

If your student has received multiple acceptances and is in the process of deciding which college to choose, gather as much information as possible about the colleges, and review what your student is looking for in a college.

If Your College Student Has Food Allergies — What to Do, Who to Know

January 19, 2018March 11, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

If you are sending your student off to college with food allergies, you may be concerned. Of course, your degree of concern will depend on the degree of seriousness of your student’s allergies. One thing to keep in mind is that managing these allergies is probably not new for your student. He may have had practice for many years.

If your student has not taken the lead on managing his allergies before now, do all that you can to let him be in charge while he is still living at home. Make him responsible for reading food labels, taking medication, monitoring symptoms, etc. This will give him the confidence to know that he will be able to manage once he is at school and will help him take this responsibility seriously. Obviously, it will give you important peace of mind as well.

When Your College Student Is Struggling Or In Trouble

May 12, 2020March 4, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

You send your college student off to college with high hopes. It was a long road of applications, SATs, essays, and finally decision making. You and your college student have survived and now you are ready to sit back and watch him thrive in the environment that he chose.

Suddenly, things are not going as planned. Your student is struggling and having difficulty. Your student may or may not be sharing details with you, but you sense that something is wrong. You feel completely helpless, and you want to help. This is every college parent’s nightmare.

Your student may be struggling for any number of reasons — from lack of preparedness, lack of motivation, lack of perseverance, too much partying, mental or emotional difficulties, or just plain homesickness. Whatever the reason, you’re at a loss for where to turn.

Here at College Parent Central, we want to help you navigate all of the phases of college parenting, and for many families that includes navigating the dark waters of a student in trouble.

So You’re a New College Parent . . .

March 5, 2023February 25, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

Congratulations! You’ve survived the college admissions process and the acceptance letters have begun to arrive. You are excited for your student, but you may be beginning to be a bit nervous. Now that your son or daughter is almost a college student, you’re almost a college parent! You may have been involved in helping your student through the admissions process — but now you wonder what you should be doing and exactly what your new role will be.

If you’re a new college parent, and you’re here at College Parent Central, you’ve found the right place to get started. Parents of college students are often told to ”let go”, but we believe it’s all about knowing how your role changes and finding the ways that you can be productively involved to help your student throughout his college career.

What is College Block Scheduling?

March 18, 2017February 21, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

Each college creates a course schedule to serve its needs. Whatever the individual college’s schedule looks like, your student’s college schedule will certainly look very different from his high school schedule. Students spend much less time in class in college and are expected to spend much more time outside of class reading and preparing. The general rule of thumb is for students to spend two hours outside of class for each hour spent in class. Students often spend 2 – 4 hours per week, per course, in class.

Most colleges and universities have a mix of class meeting times. Some classes might meet for shorter periods of time three times per week, others might meet twice per week, and still others might meet for a longer period once per week. Students often mix and match a combination of classes.

There is, however, one radically different approach used by approximately a dozen or so colleges in the United States called ”Block Scheduling” or ”One Course At A Time (OCAAT) Scheduling.” It is a unique approach.

What Does College “Open Admission” Mean?

May 17, 2022February 18, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

College admission is a major concern for many high school students and their parents. The entire admission process may feel overwhelming, time consuming, and expensive. As part of the exploration process, you may come across schools that list their admission policy as ”Open Admission,” ”Open Enrollment,” or ”Inclusive Admission.” What exactly does this mean?

Open Admission generally means that the admission process is unselective and non-competitive; the only criteria for admission is that the student have a high school diploma or GED certificate. Most colleges with Open Admission are community colleges or colleges which grant Associate degrees. There are a few, but not many, four year colleges with this type of admission policy.

Open Enrollment or Open Admission policies were instituted during the 1960’s and 1970’s to reduce barriers to higher education for some groups of students, including those from lower income or underprivileged backgrounds. The policy of increasing accessibility was intended to provide a college education to all who desire it. It allows students with a wide range of potential to attend college.