Tips for Parents

The transition to college involves many new experiences and changes for students, parents, and supporters. How you approach these experiences, and the steps you take to guide your student along the way, are critical to his or her academic success and personal development. As your student begins a new educational journey at Chico State, we invite you to partner with us in our approach to student success.

Guidelines for Student Success:

1. Develop a study plan
Regular class attendance and time management will become important elements to your student’s academic success. Encourage your student to create a study schedule and to keep up with classes from the first week of class. Falling behind in the first week creates a snowball effect that compounds week after week leaving your student feeling overwhelmed and unsuccessful.

2. Meet with professors and advisors regularly
It is up to the student to locate and meet with advisors. Students should keep a special binder with their curriculum sheet, appointments, questions, and notes from advisor meetings.

3. Utilize specialized academic resources
The Student Learning Center, Student Computing, the Counseling Center, Disability Support Services, the Career Center, and Academic Advising are all available to help students clarify their academic and post-academic needs. Encourage your student to utilize these services as needed.

4. Take classes seriously
Students should treat academics as a full-time job. If they commit to regular class attendance and study two to three hours for every hour in class, they increase their chances of meeting their academic goals and personal expectations.

5. Manage time wisely
Encourage your student to set realistic goals and invest in a planner to schedule classes, blocks of study time, projects, college activities, work, and free time.

6. Look forward to new experiences and ideas
Persuade your student to be open to new ideas as well as to people who look, speak, act, and dress differently from them, or who have beliefs, values, perspectives, and practices different from their own. Diverse experiences help students learn more about themselves and help them develop tolerance and appreciation for others.

Ways to Support Your Student’s Transition

1. Stay in touch
Although new college students are eager to experience “away-from-home” independence, most wish to maintain family ties. Don’t mistake a surge of independence for rejection. Students welcome regular news from home.

2. Expect Change
College experiences can trigger inevitable changes in behavior.
Although your student will be exposed to different values, people, ideas, and choices, he or she will be largely the same person you raised and sent to college. At the same time, if you are hoping for a big change, don’t expect too much too soon. Maturation is not an instantaneous process.

3. Be supportive
When life becomes overwhelming, many students call home to vent to someone who will listen. You may feel as if you are inheriting a burden of worry. Avoid the urge to solve your son or daughter’s problems. Provide support by listening and expressing your belief in your student’s ability to work it out. Follow up as you see fit. These simple steps will help your student return to a college routine relieved and ready for the next challenge.

4. Visit
Visits give students a chance to introduce people from home to those at school, and allow you to become familiar with their new commitments and friends. Be sure your student has ample time to make the transition to the new environment before visiting.

5. Trust your student
Finding oneself is difficult enough for young adults without them feeling second-guessed or controlled by the people whose opinions they respect most. Trust them to do the right thing.