boyer33706

19 Aug, 2022

Congratulations! Your student (and you) have survived the first week of college. Perhaps they were greeted to campus with welcome parties and Greek rush activities. Or, they were shy and hesitant to venture out of their room and start meeting friends. But no matter what your student’s personality, social life or school are like, there are a few basics all students should know at the end of their first week.

Class Schedule

This may sound silly to say but now and then there are students who are unaware of when their classes start, or when breaks are. Ask your student if they know theirs. And if they don’t, encourage them to find it rather than you finding it for them.

Where Classes Are

Again, may sound silly but if they are new to the school, this may be challenging, particularly in larger campuses. Encourage then to look on a campus map. This is a small thing that could lead to lateness or them not going at all. Some students may have experienced online classes only for the past two years, complicating this even more.

Name of Professor and TA’s.

Although the professor’s name should be on the schedule, the names of teacher’s assistants may be a bit more obscure. Teacher’s assistants can be a tremendous 1:1 resource to your student, particularly if they’re struggling. Encourage your student to start building a relationship now.

Syllabi

Each class has a syllabus. Each syllabus tells your student what they’ll be studying and when they’ll be studying it. It also describes due dates, deadlines, exams and quizzes. Your student needs to know those dates now, and plan accordingly for then. Rarely is there a surprise exam, midterm of final. Students should learn those details BEFORE they get busy in their new routine.

Rubric

How will your student be judged? How much weight does homework carry, attendance, quizzes and exams? The rubric will answer these questions!

Resources for Help

If your student needs help outside the classroom, it helps to know the resources available BEFORE they’re needed. Whether it’s academic, social, housing or health related, be sure your student knows where to go now.

Organizational Strategy

Now that your student is away from home, they need to develop a strategy, a game plan, for staying on top of their academics. This may be a paper planner or an app on their phone. Whatever they choose, they need a simple way to keep track of all this information to avoid missing important things.

My name is Friday Boyer, and I’m The College Success Coach. I teach smart college students to become successful college students. Through my unique 1:1 work, I teach time management, organization, prioritization, study tools and test-taking techniques. http://www.thecollegesuccesscoach.net

boyer33706

19 Jul, 2022

As parents, we have all been there!  We’ve yelled and nearly pulled our hair out over our kid’s procrastinating and disorganization.  “What do I have to say to get you to _____?!”   Or “didn’t I tell you to ______?!”  Helping guide our children to learn to do things independently as they grow is a basic part of “parenting.” Sometimes it’s easy, and sometimes not so much.

New parents will be looking for milestones, often laid out neatly in a “How to Be A Parent” books.  We know when to expect the baby to hold their head up, crawl, grow first teeth and utter first words.  We know that learning to brush their teeth and tie their shoes are rites of passage.  But what about all the other things, like knowing how to get themselves ready for school, remembering homework, how to keep track of their schedule, how to get to classes independently? 

For most students, these things just naturally fall into place.  They’ll listen to what their parents advise, learn some “tough lessons,” watch what other kids their age are doing and just do it.  But for others, these things just don’t fall neatly into place.  They struggle behind their peers and can lead a somewhat (or very) chaotic life.  The differences may be subtle, but they may be glaring. 

This area of learning is now called “executive functions,” a relatively new term.  If you have a child who has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, the term may be familiar.  But for parents who have not gone down the diagnostic road, they recognize the symptoms and the mounting frustration, both theirs and their child’s.

What are “executive functions” and why do parents need to know this answer?  Executive function is a relatively new phrase attached to an old set of problems.  It covers three particular areas:  working memory, flexible thinking and inhibitory aka self-control.  We develop and strengthen our executive ADHD struggle with executive functions, plenty of people who struggle with executive functions have not been diagnosed with either.

If your student (or you) struggle with executive functions, you may notice some of these symptoms:

  • Organizing
  • Planning
  • Prioritizing
  • Focusing
  • Starting Tasks
  • Regulating Emotions

A person who struggles with executive functions may also:

  • Managing Time
  • Switching Tasks
  • Have Difficulty Changing Routines
  • Have Difficulty Locating Their Things

Struggling with executive function isn’t a life-long sentence. These are learned behaviors. By learning to do things differently, people can significantly improve their daily performance, whether it be a simple task they need to remember or need to prepare to enter college and achieve success.  Remember, Mom, you aren’t going with your student! 

My name is Friday Boyer, and I’m The College Success Coach.  I work with college students 1:1 to help them achieve success independently.

boyer33706

13 Jul, 2022

If you’ve been alive in the last two months, you’ve no doubt seen the countless posts from parents (moms!) seeking advice about what to buy for their student’s dorm room or sharing the bargain finds.  You’ve seen the pictures of piles of dorm items and wondered if that mom is renting a Uhaul to get it all to school.  (She no doubt is!)  But, are parents who are running the dorm prep show missing an opportunity to help their student start learning valuable life lessons?

(I write this based on my own personal and professional experience, knowing that there are a million different ways to get any one job done.  There really is no single right or wrong answer.)

In my experience, the answer is a resounding YES.  So much of college is about learning to make decisions.  On the surface, parents want to say that they’re sending their student off to school to get a degree and make money.  Digging deeper, we all want to help our student grown into an independent adult who makes good decisions, too.  I’d argue that the college dorm is the first step.

Am I suggesting you just walk away from your student with a “figure it out”?  No, absolutely not.  Students operate at all different levels, just like adults.  But for all students there is a starting point. Figure out what your student’s starting point is.  Have they handled projects responsibly in the past, say something like redecorating their room or packing for camp?  Or, are they new to decision making with you doing it all in the past?  Chances are that your student is somewhere in the middle of “they’d sit on the floor in the dark without me” and “just give me the credit card.”

Talk with your student about a budget for their dorm expenses. Even if you are filthy rich, discussing a budget is an important thing to do as it helps get your student ready for learning personal finances.  Think about it, did you get filthy rich by making bad choices?? For the rest of the population, an early budget discussion helps set expectations and avoid arguments down the road.

Now that you and your student have agreed on a budget, have a discussion with them about some things they may need for their dorm.  They may need you to help make some suggestions. They may need some guidance on cutting back on the list to fit the budget.  What is truly important here is that you are helping them develop critical thinking, planning and budgeting.  You are helping them to take steps forward rather than just doing it for them.

Let them do the shopping.  It’s great to go with them (just in case) but make your student an integral part of the shopping experience. Have them help look for coupons and shop for deals.  If there are two comparable twin xl comforters, allow them to make the choice.  Empowering your students is a paramount part of the college experience.  If you really want to make a choice for them to make yourself feel more part of the process, do something like pick out a nice frame and fill it with favorite family and pet photos.

My name is Friday Boyer.  At The College Success Coach, I work with college students nationwide teaching them how to be successful.  Time Management. Planning.  Organization. Study Skills. Testing Techniques.  www.facebook.com/collegesuccesscoach

boyer33706

6 Jul, 2022

College isn’t just about learning academics that apply to your major.  Nor is it solely about the “freshman seminar,” taking classes in French literature or archaeology.  College is the place where our children go to learn life skills that lead to a life of independence.  One of the most significant areas of growth should be in personal finance.  Is this a class they take?  Sadly, not in most institutions.  But as parents, we should lay out a plan with milestones to help them reach financial independence by the time they graduate college. 

I see this question often “how much should I give my son every month for allowance?”  Or, “my daughter ran up 10k on our credit card. Now what?!”  Fortunately, with good planning we can avoid (mostly) a crisis. 

I suggest when your student turns 18, they apply for their first credit card.  There are many good first-time credit cards for students.  Personally, we used Capitol One.  A simple Google search will bring up a string of offers for you to sort through.  Select a LOW credit line.  Many student credit cards will start at $500, which I find perfect. 

Now, notice I’m saying credit card.  Not a debit. And not as an authorized user on your card.  This will help your student not only learn about credit but also grow their credit score to be ready for graduation!

For credit card newbies, select something they need regularly like meals, gas, etc and tell them to put that on the card.  Make sure they know the limit and due date.  This is a great way to get the in the habit of being aware of a bill coming due in addition to budgeting to make it to that date.   And for newbies, mom and dad should monitor the due date, expenses if there are issues, and make the payment.

For second year students, I recommend that instead of mom and dad paying the bill, you send them the money and have them get used to making the payment.  This takes a bit of work sending them the money and making sure they use it toward their balance, but it’s well worth it in the long run.

What comes next?  If your student has a job, even if it is only during breaks, have a discussion about what they will contribute financially to paying this credit card.  Maybe they’re taking over gas, or hair appointments.  This will teach them more budgeting.

Lastly, and this is a big move, have them take over knowing the date the bill is due and making the payment.  Of course, they’ll be using some portion of your money but put them in the driver’s seat keeping track of everything and making payments. 

By the end of senior year, your student should be used to budgeting, tracking due dates, transferring money and scheduling payments.  And, they should have a great credit score!

PS  I know Venmo and all the other cash apps are super convenient but they don’t help build your student’s credit score!