Helping new high school grads understand what lies
ahead
Metro - With graduation on the horizon, many
high school seniors are anxiously anticipating their exodus from Mom and Dad’s
house to the less restrictive dorms of their colleges of choice. Visions of
parties, late school nights spent hanging out with friends, and no Mom and Dad
to check in on them populate the dreams of many a high school senior as
graduation draws closer and closer.
But as exciting as beginning college can be, it can also
prove difficult in a number of ways if soon-to-be freshmen aren’t prepared for
what may lie ahead. Parents and college-bound kids alike should discuss the
following topics before parting ways this fall.
Finances
It seems that no matter how much money kids head off to
college with, it’s never enough. This is especially true of entering freshmen,
who have more than likely never faced living on a budget before. If a student
will not be working and their parents will be sending them money during the
semester, it’s best to work out a payment schedule (once per semester, once per
month, bi-monthly, etc.) and stick to it. Parents should avoid the temptation
of bailing kids out if they’ve spent their allotted money too quickly, just
like students should avoid the temptation of spending the money too fast.
Parents should also discuss credit cards with their
children before the kids head off to school. College campuses are notorious
breeding grounds for credit card solicitation. Kids who don’t fully understand
the concept of credit can, and often do, find themselves in deep financial
trouble because of credit cards. If a student has his or her own cell phone
(and who doesn’t these days?), let your son or daughter begin paying for it in
the months before he leaves for college. This should help get him or her
acclimated to paying bills, and the importance of paying them on time, before
heading off to school.
Academics
Understandably, most students start off struggling in the
academic department. This often has nothing to do with the course load.
Instead, it’s typically the product of students being overwhelmed by their
newfound freedom, resulting in studies sliding down their priority list.
Incoming freshmen should recognize that, while struggling
to adapt to a new course load and new environment is to be expected, it’s not
an excuse for a prolonged academic struggle.
The point of going to college is an education first and
foremost. GoCollege.com, an online resource for college-bound students,
recommends developing a diligent and consistent system of study habits to avoid
digging an early academic hole.
This can involve study groups, brief study periods after
each class to make sure you understand all materials, or a number of things
that might work for each individual.
But the main thing is to be consistent in your study
approach, as once you get it down, you’ll be more efficient and able to enjoy
more of that enticing free time.
Social Life
While education is the most important thing about college,
developing socially is important as well. For some students, overfocusing on
academics can make college a difficult period in their life. Particularly for
entering freshmen, developing friendships is an important step in adapting to
college. Students should embrace the chance to meet new people, many of whom
might be from different parts of the country or even the world, which can be an
educational process in and of itself.
While social life should never take precedence over
academics, balancing work and play is something students will have to do the
rest of their lives, and part of college is preparing them to do just that.
Parents should make students aware that academics are
important, but that developing as a human being and not just as a student is
important as well.
For more tips on preparing for college, visit
www.gocollege.com.
Metro — “What’s been going on with
students these days?” Check out these stats.
• 90 percent of high school seniors expect to
attend college (National Center for Education Statistics, 2002)
• 75 percent of high school graduates go on to
secondary education within two years of receiving their diplomas. (The
Education Trust-West, 2002; The High School Diploma: Making It More Than an
Empty Promise)
• A growing number of college students are
over the age of 25
• Women outnumber men on college campuses, and
more women obtain college degrees than men
• Demographic projections show that next year or the year after, the
annual number of high school graduates in the United States will peak at about
2.9 million after a 15-year climb, says The New York Times