Transitional Bookmark

Reactions When Students enter College

Most parents experience:

  • Adventurous feelings
  • Sense of loneliness
  • An openness to change
  • Independence
  • Depression

Adjustments, Concerns, and Transitions

Most parents are:

  • Having more free time
  • Responsible for fewer people at home
  • Re-establishing their own personal identity
  • Having separation anxiety from their student
  • Trying to fill a void
  • Relinquishing control
  • Adjusting to being left out of their student's daily activities and decisions
  • Understanding that their student will ascertain his/her independence
  • Realizing the student will be exploring new social and academic opportunities

Adjustment and Establishing New Relations

Most parents need to:

  • Encourage students to trust themselves by providing support and freedom
  • Promote students to establish new relationships and explore opportunities
  • Develop new interests of their own
  • Trust the student to function as a successful young adult
  • Guide rather than pressure their student
  • Allow for mistakes while understanding there will be ups and downs
  • Determine appropriate expectations and guidelines while being explicit
  • Offer advice when asked and listen
  • Support student's problem-solving skills rather than rushing to solve the problem
  • Realize the student's life is his/her own
  • Acknowledge and accept student's limits and strengths
  • Expect change
  • Occasionally visit and write