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Parenting a First-Year College Student. Tips For a Successful Transition Elizabeth S. Fitzgerald Stevenson University. What To Expect . Higher education experts say first three weeks are most critical. Success in high school does not automatically translate into success in college.
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Parenting a First-Year College Student Tips For a Successful Transition Elizabeth S. Fitzgerald Stevenson University
What To Expect • Higher education experts say first three weeks are most critical. • Success in high school does not automatically translate into success in college. • College professors will not hold your child’s hand. • Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)
What is a “helicopter parent”? • Early 21st century term at educational institutions • Parent who pays extremely close attention to his or her child’s experiences and problems • Hovers closely overhead, rarely out of reach, whether child needs them or not • a.k.a. “lawnmower parent” • Attempt to smooth down and mow over any obstacles
Beliefs of “helicopter parents” • The world is certainly more dangerous than in the past. • Their children are more “special”. • The success of one’s child directly reflects the success of the parenting. • The cost of raising a child is high – especially college tuition. • They do not want their child to experience failure. • The cell phone is the world’s longest umbilical cord.
What You Can Do Now • Start talking to your student now about his or her college plans, questions, or concerns. • Visit colleges early and begin asking questions. • Build in opportunities for them to be independent and take charge of their own actions. • Start talking about consequences of decisions and actions.
College Days • Find out if you can attend orientation with your student to orient yourselves, too. • Be positive and understand this is a time of transition. • Know your child and watch for any major changes. • Expect that there will be some bumps in the beginning. • Encourage your child to smooth them out on their own. • Trust that the values you’ve instilled in your child don’t disappear once they leave the nest.
College Days • Support and encourage without micromanaging your student. • Encourage them to seek out support resources on campus. • Have a contact person on campus in the event there is a concern. • Acknowledge the newly found independence.
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Contact me Elizabeth S. Fitzgerald Assistant Director of Admissions Stevenson University esfitzgerald@stevenson.edu 443.352.4432