As a parent, nothing can be more overwhelming and exciting than helping your teen prepare for college. So many decisions will need to be made which can be quite stressful and overwhelming. Whether you are helping them figure out their career path or which school to attend, the decisions that need to be made are endless.

On top of these decisions, the entrance to the college is loaded with “symbols”. Not only does your child leave the world of “being a child”, but they must also quickly become independent. How can we help them meet these challenges?

Just yesterday, it was a baby who was left with difficulty in the nursery and now tomorrow your child will enter college. A symbolic passage, the first step towards the dreaded adolescence, which requires support, without neglecting the need for autonomy of the future college student. How to make the difference between things as a parent, between a legitimate desire to surround your child and his necessary empowerment?  

Giving Direction

“Direction is often a real headache for parents” suggest teen life coach Sam Miller from Parenting Teenagers Academy. “The latter fear at the same time influencing their teenager, suggesting a wrong direction to them or simply feel lost to help them make such an important decision, given the multitude of possible options.” If some young people know straight away which direction they want to turn to, and have the academic results necessary to follow their studies, others, on the contrary, are in the dark, torn between their desires and reality. Obviously, do not hesitate to raise the subject with the teachers, but also to make an appointment with a guidance counselor from the third in order to take stock. 

Orientation in college

It is not in high school that you have to start thinking about orientation, but right from college. The National School Boards Administration has set up a survey, intended to support the guidance of adolescents from the sixth to the final years. Its objective is to establish a dialogue between ” the pupils, the parents, the teachers, the educational advisers, the management of the establishments and the psychologists of NSBA. ” 

The third year is obviously a pivotal year with not only the passage of the patent, but also with the choice of an assignment in a general and technological or vocational high school. At this stage, the adolescent can join a general second class or be oriented towards a first year of CAP or an apprenticeship. A decision taken in consultation with the student, his parents and of course the educational staff.

Baccalaureate: how to prepare for it?

The baccalaureate is prepared during the whole year of terminal, by making summary sheets, revising regularly, being diligent in class and during mock exams. After spring break, the student will be able to establish a plan of attack intended to revise it effectively. If it is difficult to get to work, you can consider calling on a particular teacher experienced in this type of situation so that he helps him or her to review it effectively and especially to re-motivate himself by giving him good working methods. 

Furthermore, if your child does not obtain the precious diploma, do not panic! Failure in the baccalaureate is not a tragedy, but it is obviously very badly experienced by the student as by his parents. 

First, play down this failure and step back. We must then analyze the reasons for this failure. Is it due to a lack of work, to a sector that is ultimately not adapted, to difficulties that would not have been detected? 

No need to overwhelm the high school student and so it’s better to stay positive. A repetition is never easy to cash in, but, statistically, the second time is generally the right one! This failure can also be an opportunity to take stock of his professional project, refine his desires and take the time to think about what he really wants to do.

SAT’s

SAT’s gives cold sweats every year to many graduates … and their parents! Continuing on from the most school systems, SAT’s is a platform intended for students in the 12th grade , apprentices, but also young people who wish to reorient themselves. Students are invited to hire people to help them study for their SAT’s. Obviously, this choice is dictated by different criteria and the dialogue between the student and the teaching staff is therefore essential. To make a good choice, high school students are invited to consult the different training courses offered according to their orientation projects. 

Stop studying?

Whether it is to enter the world of work or because he can no longer support school, your teen wants to stop his studies. Before panicking, it is essential to make a point with him and ask the right questions: is this a carefully considered decision? Does he have a professional project that holds water? What is this symptom of this decision? This choice can obviously be temporary, for example after a failure in the baccalaureate or a personal difficulty. It is important not to reject the professional paths that are learning or alternation that can allow the child to flourish. A gap year can also be considered. The teen can for example go abroad for a semester or get involved in a volunteer project. 

Summary

As you can see there, are many critical factors you will need to address to prepare your teen for college. It is important that you have patience and compassion when addressing all these matters with your child so that things go smoothly and that they do not become overwhelmed.