Helping your teen prepare for college is a big step. It’s important to not overprotect them; this is a time when they need to branch out on their own and learn independence.
Start by letting them know the importance of balancing school and extra curricular activities. Many colleges will consider well-rounded applicants when making admission decisions.
Start Talking About College Early
Some parents don’t discuss college enough or at all, which can make the whole idea seem mysterious and daunting to teenagers. Instead, help your teen get excited by talking about the different options that are out there and why they want to attend one of them.
Talk about the different careers that are available and how a degree from a particular school can open up opportunities in those fields. Your student may already have some ideas about what they want to do as a career, but they might not know the nuances that separate a teacher from a police officer or an accountant from a doctor. Discussing the various career paths that a college degree can lead to can provide them with some context and inspire them to do better in school.
As they enter high school, the discussion will begin to get a little more serious. Encourage them to study hard and earn good grades while focusing on extracurricular activities that can give their college applications an edge. You might even want to start looking at schools together, though don’t try to push them toward a specific school or major. Encourage them to find a school where they will be happy and can achieve their goals, not one that you would be happy for them to go to or think they should go to.
Encourage them to read books about college, take practice SAT and ACT tests, and talk to their teachers and counselors about what to expect in their classes. This will prepare them for the actual test-taking process and will help them feel confident in their ability to do well on the tests. It is also a good time to teach them how to use the Internet effectively for research and to avoid scams and fake websites.
College is a new experience for most teens. They will be living away from home and going to a place where they won’t have the support of their parents for many things. It is a great time to teach them how to ask for help and how to work with professors, among other things.
Help Your Teen Find the Right School
As your teenager progresses through high school, college may seem like a distant dream. It can be easy for them to ignore the process because it is so far down the line, but you should try to encourage them to begin looking into colleges and getting an idea of what their options are. It can also be helpful to talk to them about how they will get to and from campus, as well as what their living arrangements might look like.
Choosing the right school is essential for your teenager’s future. Many schools offer different types of education and programs, so it is important that your teenager chooses the one that best matches their interests. To help them narrow down their choices, you should talk to them about what career they want to pursue and ask potential colleges about how they would prepare your teen for that specific field. There are also a number of personality and career tests that your teen can take to find out what type of career might be a good fit for them.
Once they start at a school, it is important that your teenager maintains good grades and prepares for SAT and ACT tests. This will make them more competitive when applying to colleges and increase their chances of receiving scholarships. If your child is struggling in class, you should talk to their teacher and ask them what they can do to improve their performance. Also, make sure your teen has a quiet and distraction-free place to study and that they have all the necessary supplies for their assignments.
It is also important to teach your teenager that they are responsible for their own success. It is a hard lesson for most teens to learn, but it will be a crucial life skill they will need once they leave the nest. For example, they should learn how to navigate basic problems like a car repair or a flat tire without asking you for assistance. It is also a good idea to encourage your teen to start a savings account and set aside money each month toward college.
Encourage Your Teen to Take Tests
There are a lot of changes happening for your teenager as they approach college. Homework becomes more intense, grades are more important and they need to study for the SAT or ACT tests. It can be hard for teens to find the right balance between studying, extracurricular activities and social life. Having a quiet place to study that is free of distractions and well-stocked with all necessary supplies can make it easier for them to get the job done.
Encourage your teen to look for a tutor or a study group to help them brush up on their test taking skills. Also, help them to understand that if they don’t know the answer to a question, it’s OK to skip it and move on. They can always come back to it later when they’ve had time to review their answers again. Teach them about other strategies for effective study, such as re-reading passages aloud, writing notes, visualizing and drawing information. These can be very helpful during exam time.
Help your teen find a good balance between studying and resting. If they are not getting enough sleep, they will not be able to concentrate as effectively. It’s also important to eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. This will help them feel energised and better prepared for their exams.
Talk to your teen about what they expect out of college, and what you think would be the best fit for them. Then you can agree on a plan together that will allow them to reach their goals and succeed.
The most important thing is to let your teen know that you are supportive and that you want them to be successful. Whether they decide to go to college, or not, you should be there to support them and give them encouragement whenever they need it. With your guidance, they can set themselves up for success in college and beyond. What’s more, it will be a great experience for both of you! Mikkie is a freelance writer who enjoys sharing her ideas on interior design hacks, budgeting and DIY projects. She loves spending time with her two young children and can often be found chasing them around the house or rock climbing at the local gym.
Encourage Your Teen to Ask for Help
It’s important to teach your teen how to navigate through situations that require independent thinking. This is not only a necessary skill for college, but will carry into their adult life as well. They may need to learn how to find solutions for things like a broken car or phone and make decisions without your help.
Encourage them to seek out guidance from adults and peers. Teachers, counselors, and coaches are all potential resources. If they are struggling with a specific subject, tutors and educational therapists can be excellent resources as well. These people can often give your teen the individual attention they need to improve their grades.
College can be expensive, so it’s a good idea to get your teen in the habit of saving. Whether they will be paying for all of it or sharing the responsibility with you, having them save money early will show them the value of their education and how to manage their finances.
Help your teen determine what their career goals are and the steps they will need to take to achieve them. It’s not uncommon for teens to change their mind about what they want to do after high school, so this conversation is crucial.
During this time, it’s also important to let them know that their skills and intelligence are not fixed and can grow with effort. This is especially true for boys who may have struggled with their academics in elementary and middle school.
A powerful question for teens to ask themselves is “what do I not enjoy?” They are often required to take classes they don’t love and enroll in activities that drain their energy all in the name of bolstering their college applications. Help them to figure out what their passions are and let them drop anything that doesn’t feel right.
A teen who makes good choices should be offered more freedoms, but it’s important to teach them that privileges don’t just come naturally. If they don’t follow rules, appropriate consequences should be enforced. This will help your teen understand that the only way to earn more freedom is to do the work first.
