Going to college can be a huge step in our lives. The excitement, anxiety, and aspirations that come with it certainly have some weight in every student's mind. Now that it's time for your child to go through this, as a parent, you should try your best to ensure they have the best possible experience. Below, you’ll find a list of seven tips that you should keep in mind as a parent whose child will enter college soon.
Learn Who You Should Contact
No matter what happens, the gut feeling of a parent is unlike anything else. If, for any reason, your gut instincts tell you something isn’t right, having contacts in their college will help you get an update on your child. Many parents mistakenly call the dorm’s Residential Advisor (RA), which isn't the best thing to do.
The reason why is because Residential Advisors are there to guide your child in their respective areas, and nothing else. What you can do, though, is to learn beforehand if your child's college has a Parent and Family Office. If they do, get their number; if not, you can always dial up a 24/7 crisis call management department, which all colleges have.
Encourage Your Child To Interact
Many children fail to interact with their teachers during their college years. Before sending off your child to college, remember to teach them to be social with their teachers and maintain a good relationship with them.
Don't restrict them to just the teachers, but rather, let them befriend the entire faculty to ensure they have the best time around. Research has shown us that students who are more connected with their faculty have a better time during their college years.
Encourage Your Child To Make Connections
We all know that connections are bridges to landing jobs with ease after graduation. Even with that aside, if you encourage your child to talk with those who are in the same field, they’ll be able to learn from them!
There are several myths and false information regarding many industries, and if your child can hear from someone who has had hands-on experience, it will help them prepare better. Something as small as a coffee talk can help people open up and share their expertise, experience, and suggestions for the future.
Ask Them What Field They Would Like To Pursue
No matter how small or boring the industry may look to you, if your child is interested in it, support them throughout. It’ll help them shape up as humans and be more confident in making decisions. Furthermore, try your best to ensure that your child is serious about their career decision and is not naming professions on a whim. You can do this by asking them to narrow it down to one choice.
Then, ensure that the college they’re going to has a corresponding program for their career. For instance, if your child wishes to become a Biomedical Researcher, get a college that offers a biochemistry degree. If they want to pursue something like marketing or Human Resource, look for an institution that offers a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and so on.
Remember To Make a Budget
Budgeting is important. Many parents fall for the same mistake of going deep into debt for their kids. Tuition fees can be massive. However, you want to make sure that you only get what you can currently afford.
Many parents wish to send their children to a private school. What they don't realize, however, is the fact that even Public colleges have great professors and people around. Spending an enormous amount of money is not a must to provide a good education for your child, and it can very well be avoided. For children, it can be difficult to manage their finances in college.
Prepare for Your Child's Leave
Children bring a lot of energy into our homes. With them gone, you'll find your house a lot quieter. At times, parents might struggle to get over that quietness. To deal with this, you can prepare beforehand and find your “own” energy and try to have fun without parenting. Maybe it’s time to take a walk down the nearby garden or even try out that one restaurant you always wanted to try out but didn't get the chance to!
Sending your child to college can be difficult. That’s why you want to make sure to get the right contacts, motivate your child to open up to others (especially the ones in their field!), and be prepared to spend more time with your spouse and yourself. And in turn, you’ll be making these years an experience of a lifetime for your child!
