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While it’s important for your student to learn and make decisions for their future, parents and loved ones still play a crucial role in helping them process those decisions and prepare them for their next big step.

Here are some helpful tips to help parents and students prepare for college:

Research is Key

College is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly. Make sure your student is looking into the different aspects of college life. From the student experience to which degree programs are offered, this information plays a vital role in the decision-making process. Check out our .

Take a Tour

Taking an on-campus or virtual tour is a great way to explore your student’s top choices. Encourage them to tour their top three to five colleges. At Embry‑Riddle, we .

Prioritize Learning

Whether it’s getting good grades, studying for standardized tests or encouraging students to look at educational elements in their college search, prioritizing learning is an important element in college preparation.

Think Through the Logistics

As parents and guardians, we often make decisions without explaining the reasoning behind our decisions to our children. Help your student to think through how distance, campus activities, degree programs, etc. will impact their college decisions.

Look Into Scholarships

Whether it’s search engines like , and , or books such as The Ultimate Scholarship Book, there are many resources to help you student find ways to mitigate the cost of college.

Encourage Them

Reassure your student that it’s okay to ask for help when they need it. Researching and comparing colleges can be overwhelming. Help them to determine what elements are most important to them and prioritize what factors should be at the top of their decision-making list. If they get discouraged, remind them they aren’t the only ones overwhelmed, and help them to take it one step at a time.

Time Management

Knowing how to make the best use of your time can be a huge learning curve for students on their own for the first time. Be sure your child knows now that no one is going to manage their time in college, and help them to plan accordingly.

Most importantly—this a time for your student to learn self-reliance and independence. Give them the autonomy to make their own choices, but also be available to help them work through concerns and questions. There are always bumps in the road when you are a college student, but if you let your child learn to be an adult by working it out on their own as much as possible, you’ll be amazed at how much they can grow in just their first year in college!