Many college students make responsible decisions about drinking alcohol. However, sometimes young adults can make risky decisions. Talking to your college age student about alcohol, underage drinking, and binge drinking is critical, and ongoing communication is key to promote safety. To understand the difference between low and high risk behaviors see Part 1 of this […]

We know many college students make responsible decisions about alcohol consumption. For many students, however, transition to college life combined with the availability of alcohol and the desire to fit in to their new surroundings can lead students to make risky decisions. Dangerous overconsumption of alcohol by college students continues to be a health and safety issue in spite of laws, campus policies, and college programs.

Values. Honesty. Kindness. Caring. Work ethic. We spend much of our children’s lives teaching them – overtly or through example – about the values that we hold dear. It’s part of what raising a child is all about.

There are a lot of skills that college students need to learn and practice. Perhaps one of the most essential of those skills is self-advocacy, knowing how to ask for and get the things that you need to be successful. The term self-advocacy is very often used in the context of students with learning disabilities or learning differences, but it is an important skill for any college student. In this article, we use the term generically, as a skill that is important for any student. The more that your student is able to recognize and ask for what they need, the better their chances of success.

College students experience a lot of stress. As parents, some of us are acutely aware of our student’s stress levels, and to others of us it may be less obvious. Of course, not every student experiences stress, and some students actually thrive on a certain amount of it; but many college students find that increased pressure or anxiety are part of the experience of college.

Developing relationships with college professors can be beneficial in many ways for your student. Not only will they probably do better in the class, but also may lead to future research opportunities, great letters of recommendation and mentorship in your student’s field of interest. If they plan to ask for a letter of recommendation for grad school, internships, or jobs it is essential that strong relationships with one or more professors are created.

Most students go to college to learn. Many know, or at least soon discover, that their academic work at college will be different than the work that they did in high school. They are expected to spend more time studying and there is a higher level of thinking demanded.