This document provides guidance for parents on key aspects of the college experience that have changed compared to previous generations as well as tips for long-distance parenting of college students. It discusses the rise in student debt and new majors/skills needed for careers. Parents are encouraged to set clear expectations around academics and finances but also allow their children independence to learn from experiences. Regular communication is important while respecting student privacy laws.

1. Robin Raskin
Founder and CEO

2. A Parent’s Guide to College Life

3. What’s Changed Most About
College?
• Debt
• Technology integral
• Alternatives to tradition
• New majors
– Videogames, sustainability officer, social
media expert
• Safety on Campus
– Old problem new twists

5. Helicopters Meet Drones
• Most educated generation of parents
• Most expensive schools
• Schools listened to parents requests for
involvement
• World is a scarier/more global place
• Skills learned don’t last
• Parenting doesn’t stop once they head to
college; it just changes

6. Powerful Communication Tools
• You can be in contact 24/7 but why?
• Believe in the first 18
• Failure=learning vs. good grades =job
• Urgency is usually NOT
• A bit of humor
• Unconditional love but clear expectations

7. Finetuning Your Coll-dar
• When should you worry?
• The first 15 minutes rule
• Room mate issues surface quickly
• Schools do more to eliminate bad combos
than ever

8. Mindset for Your Changing
Home
• Home or shrine?
• Nearly four months of vacations
– Constantly changing routines from semester
to vacation to semester

9. Ruling from a Distance
• It didn’t work for the British
• Transition from ruler to cohort
• Roots to wings
• Student right to privacy FERPA

10. The 21st Century Student
• Projected debt for American student is
$1.3 trillion over next ten years
• Skills they learn will become obsolete
• Skills worth having in today’s job market
even if you major in Fine Arts
– Web
– Statistics
– Business
– Foreign language

11. Not Every College Needs a
Quad and a Tree
• Community Colleges
• Western Governors University
• Service Schools like Warren Wilson and
Evergreen
• Minerva Project
• MOOCs
• Academix Direct
• Travel semesters
• Experiential learning

12. Setting Expectations
• Finances: who’s responsible for what
• $ Contributions: Pros and cons or working
– Work study on campus is most forgiving
• Don’t compare
• Prepare to adjust to a new person
• (maybe more than one)

13. Parents Gear Up
• Enter pertinent dates on your calendar
• Resolve misc. items: banking, health, meal
plan, computer services
• Prepare a what to bring (they wouldn’t think
of) list
• Pour over the website
• Resolve technology

14. Academics

15. Academics
• Why parents abdicate on this one
• Even if you’ve never been you can help
make good academic decisions
• Is 4 years your limit? Then plan
requirements/majors/credits carefully

16. Set Academic Expectations
• Challenge themselves vs. grades
• Mix heavy ready with other classes to
manage load
• Maintain good grades vs. consequences
• “I didn’t like the teacher is not an excuse”

17. A Game Plan
• The course catalog is required reading
• Know the graduation requirements NOW
• Core requirements vs. major requirements
• Do you want to know/review schedule?
• Look ahead to the big picture--- endgame
• Make multiple copies of the schedule and
try a couple of variations

18. The Reasonable Load
• Human Condition: You want the most your
money can buy, so why not max credits?
• Drop class without penalty?
– Decide early or pay drop feee
– Withdrawal goes on your record
• Dismissal
• Transfer and AP credits
• Adequate courses taught each semester?

19. College 2.0
• 24/7 access to materials via web lectures
• Online access to class notes
• Collaboration tools
• Social networking (for school, too)
• IM for mass communications
• “MommyCams”
• E-books vs. textbooks
• Tablets/notebooks/phone
• No substitute for being there

20. Grades
• Should I expect to see them?
– Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act:
need students consent to share records if
over 18; enforced differently by every school

21. The Proper Balance
• Survey, lab, lecture, workshop
• Get the skinny on the prof; but don’t let it
stop you, just prepare you
• Quantitative vs. qualitative
• Take one affirming class, especially as
freshman
• Take a challenge class

22. Enrichment Programs
• Study Abroad
• Summer Sessions
• Vacation Break Sessions
• Watch the bulletin board

23. Special Services
• Tutoring?
• Academic
• Resource center?
• Learning specialist?
• Testing adjustments?

24. The Four Year Formula
• Number of credits required
• Number of incoming credits
• Divide over four years
• Be Aware
– Knowing your major earlier in the game
– Penalty for study abroad

25. Some Rules
• Don’t call the profs on your kid’s behalf –
it’s tempting
• Don’t decide their schedules
• Don’t edit their papers or decide topics
• Feel free to discuss

26. Misc.
• Sports: Often must keep up grades
• Extra-curriculars: How many is too many
• Majors: Part of what you pay for is
professional help
• 4 years? 50% of kids don’t do it
• Transferring: Difficult (may lose credits)
but popular
• The Senior Thesis: A good idea

27. Work and Study
• Working on campus vs.off
• How many hours?
• Freshman year: try to avoid
• Internships

28. Finances
• The rise of the cashless campus
• Target of credit card prowlers
• Kids are more savvy about money than
ever
• Watch credit card offers to students but
start working on a credit rating
• Most campuses have ATMs now wich can
be dangerous

29. The College Budget
• Incidentals:
text book, laundry, entertainment,
incidentals telephone, travel, etc.
• Create estimated budget and adjust
• Set expectations but watch the financial
pressures you apply

30. Health and Safety

31. School Health Services
• Will I get information from them?
• Counseling services
• After hours services
• Fee for services
• When to leave the university and find help
elsewhere

32. Safety
• Dorm Rooms: Key Cards
• Bicycles and iPods: sitting target
• Closed Windows
• Locked Doors
• Understanding Campus Security
• Personal Inventory/Engaving
• Sexual Harrassment

33. Long Distance Parenting

34. Communications
• Cell phone? Email? Skype?
• How often based on your gut…
• Remember they never call when they’re
having a good time

35. Fraternity or Sorrority
• They are all different
• At their worst: hazing, drinking, damage
• At their best: community service and friends forever
• Mostly in larger schools
• Belong to Interfraternity or National PanHel
www.npc.com or PaHellenic Assoc. (sorr.)

36. For Parents Whose Kids are
Considering Frats
• Check expenses of joining
• Look at student’s time management skills
• Look at frat’s aggregate GPA
• Think about how “self determined” your
student is

37. Eating
• Freshman fifteen/food has improved
• Choosing a meal plan can require its own
PhD
• Know child’s eating style
• Can change plan as needed

38. The School Record
• What goes on it? Will I see it?
• The new three strikes rule.
• Research about when parents are
informed of infractions.
• Most campuses have parent associations

39. Sneaky Hints
• Visiting a college? Look at garbage pails
and websites
• Storing things for the summer? Plan in
advance
• January time to be thinking about summer
plans
• Read Facebook, CampusLife
students talk