Over the last several years, parents increasingly ask, "What can I do to help prepare my son or daughter for college?" Here are some tips we have found to be helpful as a guide.
1. Students must be willing and able to advocate for themselves.
Whether going to a professor or staff or an office on campus to ask for help, or talking with their roommate about differences and disagreements, they should be ready to tackle these problems on their own and know when to ask staff and faculty at the university for help.
2. Students must be willing to acknowledge and discuss expectations.
Students have expectations of you as their parents and of the university. You, as parents, also have expectations of your student and the university. It should therefore be no surprise that the university has expectations of both you and your student. Please discuss with your student your expectations and their expectations of you. Some of the most common discussions will be about finances and how the cost of attendance will be covered and contributions made, and also how grades and progress toward graduation will be shared. We recommend having these discussions before your student even begins classes.
3. Students must show a strong sense of independence and be willing to feel comfortable being uncomfortable for a time while they establish themselves.
This is especially important when making new friends, figuring out a whole new academic system and finding new ways to get involved on campus. It will take weeks, or even months sometimes for them to feel comfortable with their new surroundings. This is especially challenging for a generation where they are so used to instantaneous responses.
4. Students must be willing to respect, and be willing to become a respectful member of our diverse LMU community.
Community and diversity are a very important part of the LMU campus. Students will be asked to be open to learning about and appreciating our diversity, dedicated to being a strong, contributing member of our community.
5. Students must be willing to follow procedures and policies as a member of the LMU community, being responsible and accountable for their action.
This would include a willingness and readiness to read and respond to e-mail messages to be sure to keep up with critical and timely messages from the university.
It is important for you and your student to honestly assess if they are ready for college. Not everyone is ready for college right out of high school. Discuss with your student their readiness and the expectations to determine whether they feel prepared for this experience.