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.

As a college parent, you want to support your college student in any way that you can. You talk on the phone, you send mail and care packages (students love to find something in their mailbox), and you listen when they share joys or worries; but there is a limit to what you can do. In your attempts to help your student find their increasing independence and sense of responsibility, you need to help your student find and use appropriate on-campus support systems.

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which opened Oct. 1, 2022, is one of the most important steps students and their families can take to pay for college.

One piece of advice that is given to students over and over again is, ”Get to know your professors” or ”Talk to your professors.” It is wonderful and important advice. College provides a wonderful opportunity for students to get to know and work with experts and leaders in their chosen field. Some students develop lifelong mentoring relationships and friendships with their faculty members.

Every parent wants their student to succeed, and landing a job, co-op, or internship can help begin that success. With a record number of recruiters coming to Missouri S&T for the Fall Career Fair September 27 and October 4, wouldn’t it be helpful for your student to know what campus recruiters look for when they interview college students? How do students set themselves apart from other candidates? How can your student stand out at a career fair and know what it takes to be selected for an offer?