Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Starting college can feel like a whirlwind of expectations, excitement, and uncertainty for your child. You've heard it all: college is supposed to be the best time of their lives, a magical time to find lifelong friends, take on the biggest challenges, and discover who they really are. But as a parent with a child on the brink of this new chapter, waiting can be a double-edged sword. Will their freshman experience live up to the hype, or will the pressure of living up to these lofty promises leave them overwhelmed and disillusioned?
Here's the truth: the first semester of college is unique mix of opportunities and challenges. Success at this early stage extends beyond academic achievement, which we, as parents, tend to overlook. It is a time for our children to lay the groundwork for their future, explore new interests, and begin to forge a path in their chosen field. While it's unrealistic to expect perfection, helping your child succeed in their first year is critical to a successful college career and involves strategic planning and a proactive mindset.
Related: Why Gen Z still needs to go to college
Plan ahead
Although it may seem premature to draw your own map the entire journey of the child to college right now, encouraging them to plan their four years ahead is essential to staying on track and organized. You can help on this journey by offering advice and resources, but make sure your child is in the driver's seat. By helping them turn their long-term goals into short-term plans, they can navigate each year with purpose and clarity.
While they must make major decisions, emphasize the importance of prioritizing academics in their first year. It is common for first year students to drop out their first year or struggle to pass their courses. However, it is completely avoidable if they decide to focus on their studies from the beginning.
This is especially true for children living away from home for the first time, where the excitement of all this newfound freedom can be a distraction if they are not strict about maintaining their priorities. Regular check-ins can be helpful – without being suspended – asking how their studies are going, if they need more support and if they're meeting their goals. Freshman year is often the biggest academic adjustment, so make sure you manage your expectations.
Encourage them to focus on development good study habits and growth rather than chasing a perfect GPA. There will be plenty of time to aim for academic excellence in the years ahead, but putting this kind of pressure on them right away can be overwhelming as they adjust to a new workload and environment.
This foresight is especially important for all of you high school hopeful parents out there, especially those who get into medical schoolas your child will be safe medication prerequisites to complete before graduation. Help them plan their four years to ensure they take all the necessary courses and gain essential experiences such as shadowing, volunteering, research, and other extracurriculars during their college career.
Related: Should kids go overseas for the real college experience?
Step back to let them grow
As parents, we naturally want to protect our children and help them avoid mistakes. But college is where they will inevitably be pushed out of their comfort zone, so they need to be prepared. You won't be there to remind them to do their homework or clean their dorm. It is their responsibility to stay disciplined and organized. While you can still offer guidance and support, allowing your child to fight their own battles and learn how to bounce back from setbacks is essential to their success in college—and beyond.
A great way to foster this independence is to gradually withdraw during your senior year of high school. Let them manage their schedules, make decisions about their priorities, and handle deadlines themselves. This will help them move away from the high school mentality and embrace the responsibilities of this new phase in their lives. Ultimately, for your child to succeed in college, he will need to take ownership of his success – and you need to trust him to do that! It's as much about you letting go of responsibility as it is about them stepping up to take it on.
Teach them how to manage their finances
College is only getting more expensive, so it's important that your child knows how to manage their finances wisely from the start. Help them build a budget before they get to college and encourage them to stick to it! Look for opportunities to save, such as buying used textbooks or using online resources like BookBoon for free materials.
Financial literacy is a skill that many young adults lack but wish they had. It doesn't have to start in college and it doesn't have to! You can start in high school by going over managing a budget, understanding credit and the importance of saving. Help them open a checking account and give them the responsibility to manage their debit or credit card, if they're old enough, keeping a close eye on spending limits. Developing these habits early will ensure they spend money wisely their freshman year and throughout college, so they don't have to keep asking you for more money after spending it all on Uber Eats . Building good financial habits now will also help them avoid unnecessary debt and lay a strong foundation for their financial future.
Final thoughts
While you can't prepare for every twist and turn of your child's first year of college, you can equip them with the tools for independence, encourage them to embrace their new responsibilities, and share your advice and support. valid. This will help pave the way for their success and make this exciting new chapter feel less overwhelming for both of them. With thoughtful planning and a proactive mindset, they will be able to define what college success truly means to them, take ownership of their journey, and make the most of this transformative experience!