For Parents

10 Things You Can Do to Prepare Your Student for College Success!

1. Get involved in your student's school. It can be as easy as going to parent/teacher meetings, talking to the teacher, attending a school event. Your involvement will let your child know that you want them to succeed.
2. Make sure your student is in school every day, on time and ready to learn. Save your student's school projects, essays, artwork, math problems, etc. It shows you care and helps motivate them to do well in school.
3. Provide a quiet place for your student to study.
4. Set rules and expectations for completion of work and study. Limit his/her time watching TV, surfing the web, text messaging, playing videogames and talking on the phone until homework assignments are done.
5. Know what's going on at school for your student. Encourage him/her to get A's and B's in all subjects.
6. Read, read, read! Take him/her to the library. The more your student reads, the more he/she will learn. Encourage him/her to read material of interest. Read with him/her!
7. Talk to your student about his or her interests abilities, talents and goals. Find out what he/she wants to be and then find out what it takes to reach that job. Talk about your career, what you enjoy and what you don't.
8. Take your student on a field trip to a local university or college. This is a great way for students to become excited about attending college. All campuses offer free tours - call the college and schedule a tour, go for a picnic, or attend one of the college events or festivals.
9. Find out what courses your student needs to take in middle school and high school to be ready for college. Remeber - there is a difference between high school graduation requirements and the requirements to be eligible for a a four-year university.
10. Attend a college workshop or college fair at your school or in your community to learn more.

Resources

College Tips for Parents
Designed with the assistance of parents, students, instructors, and administrators, College Tips for Parents helps parents who have kids in college or who will soon be entering college. Topics include money saving tips, trends on campuses, important issues of which parents need to be aware.

College Parents of America
College Parents of America is the only national membership association dedicated to advocating on behalf of current and future college parents. Their mission is to empower parents to best support their children on the path to and through college. College Parents of America members receive important information on college costs, student health and safety, student achievement/graduation and careers.

First in The Family
First in the Family guides students toward high education. The site offers video testimonials, resources, and tips about what it takes to go to college and graduate from college, particulary as the first in the family.