This time is a transition period for both you and your student. We often get questions about how as a parent, family member, or supporter you can help prepare your student – and yourself! – in the lead-up to being on-campus. While the transition is an ongoing process for your student’s first semester, here are a few actionable strategies and external resources that may be helpful and informative.
Actionable Strategies
Student Owned College Checklist: Before they pack up, decide together who will do what. Let them take charge of their own packing lists, doctor appointments and school deadlines. Making them the manager of their transition now builds the exact confidence they will need to handle life on campus later.
The Communication Contract: Before move-in day, discuss how often you will communicate (e.g., a Sunday phone call or daily text) so your student has clear expectations.
Coaching vs. Fixing: When your student calls home to vent about a hard class, a bad grade or a roommate issue, resist the urge to jump in and solve it for them. Instead, ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think your next step should be?”
Guide them toward campus resources: If your student is struggling, remind them that college campuses are full of free help, from tutoring centers to counselors. Help your student figure out who they can reach out to on campus. This helps them flex their independent “asking-for-help” muscles.
Normalize the Struggle: Expect that grades may fluctuate and the adjustment period can take a full semester or two. Focus your conversations on what they are learning and how they are engaging with campus life rather than just their grades.
External Resources
