The transition from high school to college can be incredibly hard for a student. It’s like taking your first step all over again; a strange new world of experiences and possibilities opens up before you.
It’s both exciting and scary at the same time, especially if you’re leaving home or attending an out-of-state institution. The move to college is a very tough one for a student, but it’s also hard for the parents.
Often, parents struggle with having to send their child or children away from home for an extended period of time for the first time.
Here’s some advice from the parents of some Daily Beacon editors to help with handling your child’s departure and with supporting your child as they embark on this new adventure.
Make sure they’re ready
One of the hardest parts of entering college is everything leading up to the first semester. There’s a mountain of paperwork to do with sections that someone entering college may not even understand. From financial aid to vaccination records, there are a lot of obstacles that someone entering college will face before they even step foot on campus.
Amye Wombles, mother of Managing Editor Tyler Wombles, knows the importance of getting your child prepared for college, especially since she sent Tyler’s sister as well.
“We spent the few months before move-in day preparing for them to be away from home,” Amye Wombles said. “We bought the necessary items for dorm living, made sure that all of the required paperwork was in order (and) had lots of discussions.”
The move to college is made much easier if both the child and parent are well-prepared for this new and daunting journey.
Stay in touch
Letting a child go after they have spent 18 years around the house is maybe the biggest hurdle parents face when sending their kids off to college.
Drais Von Hagen, father of Sports Editor Blake Von Hagen, echoed this sentiment.
“I would say it was definitely a little strange to just not have him around,” Drais Von Hagen said. “He wasn’t always home much, but at least you knew he would be back.”
The best way to clear this hurdle is to simply stay in touch with your college student.
Today, cell phones make this easier than ever; send them texts everyday saying good morning or wishing them luck on a text.
For Teresa Hubbard, mother of Editor in Chief Kylie Hubbard, this was the main mechanism she employed to keep from missing her daughter too much.
“With Kylie, we were able to talk and text often,” Teresa Hubbard said. “It was every day, and sometimes several times a day until we were both more comfortable with our separation.”
Give them space and assurance
College is a time for students to explore and discover new passions and interests. It’s their chance to stretch their legs and get a taste of what the “real world” will be like.
It is very hard for a student to do this if they have a parent hovering over them like a helicopter. It’s good to stay in touch with your college student, but you also have to let them discover their own path and branch out.
At the same time, encourage them to find these paths and remind them to explore.
“(Parents should) make sure they give their kids some space,” Drais Von Hagen said. “Make sure they give them some freedom to make their own decisions. Let them go. Let them decide things they want to do, and support them in that.”
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