I graduated from college with good grades, but not straight As. Part of the reason was, I worked two or three jobs every year of my college life. I worked as a cook in a country club, I worked part-time in the library, I worked as a part-time youth director, and I worked at a fast-food restaurant.

It’s winter. In many places in the country it’s cold, and it’s dark a lot. The holiday break is over. The novelty of being a new college student has worn off. May, and summer vacation, seem a long way off. And now it’s time to get started with a new semester.
Is it any wonder that your student may have a case of the “Second Semester Blues”?

There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. College Secrets of Highly Successful People is an excellent book for both students and their parents to read. It is ideal for students about to head to college, but is also valuable for those who are already there.

Winter break is a great time to reconnect with your college-age children. While they might rather go out with their friends than spend hours at home with their family, this vacation is longer than others during the school year so you’re sure to find time to catch up — including discussing their educational and career goals.

Do you have a college student who will be home for an extended winter break this year?
Are your teenagers in need of spending money but don’t have time for a job during the school year? While seasonal retail jobs are often a great option, there are also a few ways for teens and young adults to hang out a shingle and earn extra cash over the winter break.

Whether you realize it or not, your life and routine have changed with a child away. Their routine has changed too. It is likely that these routines will clash.

Once upon a time, long, long ago, all of our children, my husband and I lived under the same, familiar roof. As we knew they must (and leaving me with conflicted feelings of sadness for myself and excitement for my children), they have begun to forge their own adult paths, one leaping off the branch enthusiastically, another requiring a bit of a nudge, and a third still in high school but clearly exerting ever-increasing degrees of autonomy.