How to Support Your Child While in College

The time has finally arrived. Your child is getting ready for orientation day and you’re dreading this next chapter in your journey as a parent. The house will feel empty and you can’t help letting the feeling of loneliness creep in. This is a difficult time for parents as you have your own issues to deal with but you also want to be a good parent and support your child in their transition into third-level education. If you’re wondering how you can do that, the following are some things you can do to ensure they feel cared for and encouraged. 

Financial Support

The rising cost of education is making it very difficult for students to attend college without taking on some form of debt. Finding college scholarships is one way to try and offset student loan debt and there are many free scholarship search and application platforms to see what’s out there. You may just be lucky and attending college will not leave you and your child with a bad credit rating for years just to cover college fees.  

Don’t Change Their Room

Younger siblings may be eager to move room now that there’s a spare one going. This is not such a good idea as you want to make sure your college-going child has a safe and familiar place to come home to. Their lives are about to change in so many ways so it’s important to give them that sense of comfort that home provides.  

Be There, But Not Overpowering

If you are looking for ideas for how to be the cool parent, don’t be that parent that calls ten days a day for silly things. Let your child know that you’re always there should they need you. Do this by checking in once a day or every few days. And remember not to interrogate, as you’ll be less likely to get a reply. 

Don’t Expect Higher Grades

College is not the same as school so don’t expect your child to continue to get the same high grades. The curriculum is much more challenging and the marking is much more stringent. And, with the level of change that’s taking place, you can expect lower grades in the first semester. Better ones will follow but, again, take your finger off the pressure button as this is a very difficult time for students. Patience and understanding will give your child the opportunity to find their feet and learn about college life. 

Give Good Parting Advice

How you react when you’re saying good-bye will have a bigger impact on your child than you think. If you are saying positive things and have words of wisdom to offer, now is the time to give them. Let your child know how much they mean to you and how proud you are of the young adult they’ve become. If you struggle to get the words out, why not write your thoughts down in a letter? Pack the letter away in one of the bags and it will be a lovely keepsake to look back on should your child start to feel lonely in those early days. Just don’t forget to tell him/her where the letter is.