Four Ways to Help Your College Student Grow Up

From the article which included lots of examples/situations, but pared down quite a bit. But I think it captures the gist, which is advise/guide, but do not DO.

  1. Encourage them to take small steps. If your student tells you something isn’t going well...encourage the student to take a first step: Send an email to an adviser on campus, or tap in a phone reminder to call an appropriate person and set up an appointment.
  2. Help them write “scripts.” If your student is scared to talk to a professor or feels intimidated by a dean, help write a “script” for the occasion.
  3. Encourage them to follow up... Your student should follow up with an email or another visit to the professor with specific questions like, “What can I do to be better prepared for the next exam?”
  4. Remind them to talk to more than one person. A professor, a friend or a teaching assistant might have one answer to a question, but others on campus might have advice of a different kind. Encourage your student to get to know other adults on campus who might be able to help navigate a less-than-ideal situation