FOR PARENTS
Reactions When Students Enter College
Most parents experience:
- Adventurous feelings
- Sense of loneliness
- An openness to change
- Independence
- Depression
Adjustments, Concerns, and Transitions
Most parents are:
- Having more free time
- Responsible for fewer people at home
- Re-establishing their own personal identity
- Having separation anxiety from their student
- Trying to fill a void
- Relinquishing control
- Adjusting to being left out of their student’s daily activities and decisions
- Understanding that their student may not need as much help as before
- Concerned of how their student will ascertain his/her independence
- Realizing the student will be exploring new social and academic opportunities
Adjustment and Establishing New Relations
Most parents need to:
- Encourage students to trust themselves by providing support and freedom
- Promote students to establish new relationships and explore opportunities
- Develop new interests of their own
- Trust the student to function as a successful young adult
- Guide rather than pressure their student
- Allow for mistakes while understanding there will be ups and downs
- Determine appropriate expectations and guidelines while being explicit
- Offer advice when asked and listen
- Support student’s own problem solving skills rather than rushing to solve the problem for them
- Realize the student’s life is his/her own
- Acknowledge and accept student’s limits and strengths
- Expect change
- Occasionally call, visit, and write
FOR STUDENTS
Common Reactions When Entering College
Most students experience:
- Stress
- Enthusiasm
- Sadness
- Loneliness
- Excitement
Adjustments, Concerns, and Transitions
Most students are:
- Trying to assert independence
- Developing an identity on campus
- Adjusting to living away from home
- Discovering new social and educational opportunities
- Concerned over academic success and choosing a major
- Trying to understand the fundamentals of college
- Dealing with separation from family and friends
- Trying to understand the balance between socializing and academics
- Establishing new relationships with roommates, peers, and parents
Adjustment and Establishing New Relations
Most students need to:
- Be patient and understand adjustment takes time
- Give parents time to realize you are becoming an adult
- Understand your parents are also having similar life experiences and must adjust to this new situation
- Seek encouragement and support from family and friends
- Explore interests, places, and meet new people
- Get involved in academic, social, and/or volunteer related activities
- Expect ups and downs as you try to become more independent
- Communicate openly and stay connected to your parents
- Recognize you must develop a balance between academics, recreation, and work
- Know when you need to ask for help
