1. College is usually harder than high school and your daughter or son may study as hard or harder, but not make the same grades as in high school.
2. The friends and habits a student develops during the first three weeks often determine their whole college career. Make sure they understand the importantce of starting right with a clear set of priorities. They must be intentional that first couple of weeks! Students can ship wreck their college career or evern their adult life during this brief time.
3. Seven out of ten high school seniors active in church make NO spiritual connections while in college. If this is a priority in your family, discuss how to make it part of the first three weeks. Many do not intentionally turn away from their faith. It just gets lost in the beginning with all the busyness. If you encourage and expect good grades, why not encourage faith connections?
4. Parents cannot see or receive their son or daughter's grades without a signed form that can be obtained from the Registrar's Office. This is part of federal privacy laws. It does not matter that you are paying the bill.
5. Students who live in dorms tend to make better grades according to national studies. It is all about being connected to college life and feeling like a college student. Students living away from campus can feel isolated and alone, especially during freshman year.
6. National studies also show that students who are active in campus organizations are more likely to stay in school and graduate. Again, it is about being connected and feeling connected. Obviously, this is where ministries like the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BSM, BSU, BSM) are a huge plus.
7. A recent study shows that students tend to marry someone they date. Really!!
8. You should know where your son or daughter lives and how to contact them or how someone else could contact them (dorm and room number, apartment and number.....not just cell phone).
9. The average is for a student to change their major 3 to 4 times. That is why it is best to take required basics the first semester or two. This allows times for adjustment and further determination of a major.
10. Psychologists say the two greatest times of change in a person's life are birth to age one and high school graduation to Christmas. That is why it is important to stay connected and involved during this time. But, avoid making all their decisions for the. Learning to make decisions and choices are part of the adulting process of college.
SOME SUGGESTIONS:
Make sure the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, another campus ministry, or a college ministry church has your son or daughter's contact information prior to school starting. Where they go at the start determines who they meet and what connections they make.
If your daughter or son will be living at home, do not ask them to function on the home schedule of meals, etc. Consider buying a meal ticket on campus or depositing to an account where this money can be used to purchase food on campus. This is not only convenient, but it helps them connect more to campus and "feel like" a college student.
If joining a sorority or fraternity is something might be an option, consider the possibility of delaying that until after the first semester. This allows time to really know what a group is like and to adjust to class, etc.
Make sure your student understands that if they plan to drop a class, it is important to OFFICIALLY drop it....not just sstop going. HOWEVER, if a student drops below twelve (12) hours, most schools do NOT consider them fulltime and scholarships, etc can become null and void. In some instances, they must move out of dorms or other school housing. Also, a students car insurance rate based on them being a student can become null and void.
Want MORE help for your Freshman? Arliss Dickerson's book, Tips for College Freshmen: 124 Tips for Fun, Faith & Good Grades, is available at Amazon.com/dp/B09QFB9DJ9.
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