As tens of thousands of first-year students prepare to begin college in Michigan this fall, their parents and loved ones are navigating a milestone of their own.
Between tuition bills, move-in day and new responsibilities for their child, a lot of change is on the horizon. Experts say there are ways that parents and mentors can start preparing now to make the transition easier.
"There are so many ways that parents and external stakeholders are able to be participants in a student's collegiate journey that can be far more helpful than the student even realizes when they first start," Charles Cotton, vice provost for strategic enrollment at Wayne State University, said.
Here's what Michigan higher education experts say families should know before
classes begin.
Resist the urge to do everything for your child
"Help them build that confidence that they're going to need when they get to (college) because a lot is going to be on their plate ... it's going to be very different than high school," Shane Lewis, director of undergraduate admissions at Oakland University, said.
That could mean letting the student make an appointment for themselves at the doctor's or dentist's office, instead of doing it for them. To learn time management skills, that might mean encouraging them to get a part-time job, he said.
Follow the school on social media
Getting a sense of what the school is posting about will help you to better get to know the campus, Katie Condon, vice president of enrollment management at Eastern Michigan University, said.
Get on the same page with finances ahead of the school year
Cotton said it's helpful for the parents and other stakeholders to engage with the school before classes start.
He said it helps to have them involved in budgeting for college because first-time college students especially have a lot on their plate, from navigating social situations to succeeding in class.
Put important dates for your student on your calendar
Cotton recommends putting the student's important dates at school (such as midterms) on the refrigerator.
That way, a parent or stakeholder could call their student around the time of the milestone or send a gift card to eat at their favorite restaurant, for example.
"What that does for a student's confidence, that motivation can be game-changing, even if you don't know what to say or you have no clue what it is that your students are actually studying, but it sounds important," he said.
Cotton did say, though, that the school is there to help parents figure out why a certain milestone is important and can put that into layman's terms.
You don't have to be the expert
On that note, Cyekeia Lee, executive director of the Detroit College Access Network, a network of organizations that promotes higher education in Detroit, said counselors, parents, mentors and anyone else involved in the student's life should tap into the resources available if they have questions.
"You don't have to navigate this process alone," Lee said. "You don't have to be the expert."
Lee said DCAN and other college networks can help you to understand what certain acronyms mean, make phone calls and send emails. She said parents have come to DCAN in the past and said their child has a $9,000 bill from the school that they can't pay, and the organization will help them find solutions.
"They have to be strong and focused for the student, but (they should know) that they don't have to have all the answers either," Lee said. "College has changed so much over the years. Even if we get someone that's not from a first-generation home, but a second-generation home, everything's changed. You don't have to have to take that on alone."
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: College starts soon. Experts say parents should do these five things
