As we get ready to say goodbye to the class of 2017, it is important to think about how we can all help these young adults transition into the next stage of their lives. It an emotional time for them and an emotional time for families as well. The summer after high school is a good time to sit down as a family and help your young adults figure out how to live a full, responsible, balanced life. Here are some questions that can guide your discussion.
What are the family expectations now that your high school student is growing into adulthood? Detail the responsibilities of everyone in the family.
What is a responsible time to go to bed?
What is reasonable time to be up in the morning? How do you establish healthy sleep and wake patterns?
What does it mean to be a professional in the workplace?
Who is paying for what at college? Books? Spending money?
How do you get help if you have roommate issues? Academic challenges? Transition and adjustment issues?
Sometimes students' expectations for life in college forget to include some of the challenges that they may face. No place is perfect and graduating into adulthood means finding the positives, fixing the negatives that can be changed, and accepting those things that are beyond control. Helping students arrive at college with an open mind and the resiliency to access the supports available to them will make all the difference in the world. Preparing for the transition is key, as more students are transferring during their college years than ever before. The article link below is a great read about this trend.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/01/29/why-so-many-college-students-decide-to-transfer/?utm_term=.d06cb6dbab25
As always, please reach out to your child's counselor, and we can help you with any concerns you may have about the college transition.
