We recently received an email from a parent with a question. This mom was concerned that in spite of a number of supports, her son was struggling and not doing well. She could see far enough down the road to be fairly certain he was going to fail and she wondered whether failing was the only way he would realize that he needs to use his supports more fully. This mom wants to hold on to the hope that her son will come through - and she asks for some strategies to guide him. In this episode Vicki ...
Mar 20, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 107
Vicki and Sarah spent some time recently at the Region 1 conference of NACADA - the National Advising Association. There's a lot to learn about how staff and faculty advisors work to guide your student throughout their college career. In this episode, Vicki and Sarah compare notes and share some of the themes that bubbled up at the conference. It may help you understand a little more about your student as you hear what some of the people who work with students every day had to say. The more you ...
Mar 06, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 106
In this, our first crossover episode, we joined with Elizabeth Hamblet (one of our new cohosts) as she hosted a Facebook Live discussion with four guests who work in programs for students with disabilities - Brittany Cortinas of the University of Arizona's SALT Center, Ann-Marie Stripling of Focus Collegiate, Mary Sokolowski of College Internship Program, and Adam Lalor of Landmark College. Our panel shared information about how to evaluate what's right for your student and how different program...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 105
In this episode we’re “meeting the team” in two different ways. We introduce you to our new College Parent Central podcasting team as we are joined by new cohosts Elizabeth Hamblet and Sarah Shane, and we also reintroduce Vicki Nelson and Lynn Abrahams for new listeners. But we’re also talking about the team of people at most colleges who are there to support your student. With so many different support roles it’s easy to wonder who does what. We discuss the differences between academic advisors...
Feb 07, 2024•57 min•Season 5Ep. 104
The transition to second semester of college is so important – and often hidden – that we’ve decided to share this episode again. You and your student may be taken by surprise when the start of the second semester of college seems so difficult. In this episode, Vicki and Lynn explore why some students may experience the “second semester blues” and why some parents feel they need to increase their involvement. We share strategies you can use to calm your fears and help your student make the most ...
Jan 17, 2024•41 min•Season 5Ep. 103
As a follow-up to our earlier episode on communicating with professors (#83), Lynn and Vicki explore some of the benefits of relationships with professors, what those relationships might look like, and how students might approach and work with faculty members outside of the classroom. We often assume many of these social skills are second nature and common sense, but post Covid, students may need help in developing these skills. Parents may be one of their student’s most valuable coaches. Thank ...
Jan 03, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 102
In this episode Vicki and Lynn take a look ahead to Season 5 of the podcast and describe some of the exciting changes we’re planning. We introduce two new co-hosts who will be joining the College Parent Central Podcast Team. Elizabeth Hamblet and Sarah Share will be adding their voices to the season ahead. We’re excited about exploring new topics and perspectives while continuing to provide the support for parents we’ve shared in the past four seasons. We also reviewed a few of the themes we may...
Dec 06, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 101
We’re 100 episodes in! Lynn and Vicki take some time to look back at some of our most popular episodes, some of our favorites, some trends and themes we’ve noticed, and what we’ve loved about getting together to create this podcast. We also take a look at some of the themes we think might surface for college students and parents in the future – and there’s more to come about that in our next episode. Stay tuned! Thank you for listening! Much more information for college parents can be found on o...
Nov 15, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 100
Vicki and Lynn spent this episode in conversation with Ron Lieber author of The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make . Ron helped us unpack how complicated the financial aid system is and how crucial it is to understand how it works. The Price You Pay for College examines how our feelings and our ideas about success affect the choices we make about what we are willing to pay for college. Ron also shared information abou...
Nov 01, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 99
So many mysterious terms and acronyms to understand when your student heads off to college! In this third College Lingo installment Vicki and Lynn define and discuss several of the insider terms that colleges use that may not be clear to parents. We cover topics from Disability Services and Priority Registration to Satisfactory Academic Progress, Minors, the College Catalog, and the Clery Act. We’re only scratching the surface of this new language, but it should get you started being able to und...
Oct 18, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 98
It’s natural for students to struggle with college work. The problem we see isn’t the struggle or challenge, it is that students don’t always ask for the help they need. Colleges work hard to make sure students know about the resources available, so why don’t more students make use of them? In this episode, Lynn and Vicki explore some of the reasons students may be reluctant to get help and how parents can encourage their student to recognize and advocate for what they need. Thank you for listen...
Oct 04, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 97
In this episode Lynn and Vicki took a tour through the college calendar. We focused on several of the touchpoints students experience throughout the year. We highlighted conversations to have with your student at the important milestones in each semester. Understanding what is happening for your student will help parents provide the support needed at just the right time. Thank you for listening! Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central Find us...
Sep 20, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 96
Callisto is an organization whose mission is to provide resources and to empower survivors of sexual assault. Sarayfah Bolling , Callisto’s Director of Programs and Strategic Engagement joined us in this episode to help us learn more about sexual assault on campus and why parents need to know more about this topic. She also shared essential information about Callisto’s encrypted online services soon to be available to anyone with a .edu email address. Callisto is sponsoring a dialogue series to ...
Sep 06, 2023•49 min•Season 4Ep. 95
It isn’t inevitable that your college student will experience homesickness, but if they do, knowing why it happens and what to do will help you be prepared. In this episode, Lynn and Vicki discuss the factors that can cause college student homesickness, how to prevent it, and some strategies for how parents can help their student cope. Thank you for listening! Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral Sign ...
Aug 16, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 94
After a summer of ups and downs, tension and excitement, the time has arrived to deliver your student to school. In this episode Vicki and Lynn share some of their memories of Move-in Days with their sons and daughters. Along the way they share some of the lessons they learned and some suggestions for how to make this emotional day go more smoothly. Patience is the operative word. You and your student will get through this, and they will be off on their new adventure. Thank you for listening! Mu...
Aug 02, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 93
Tracy Badua, lawyer by day and novelist by night, joined Lynn and Vicki to talk about her new novel This Is Not a Personal Statement . The story follows a graduating high school senior who goes to some great lengths to attend the college of her dreams. Both students and parents will find in the book messages about the pressure of trying to be perfect and about discovering internal motivation and authentic identity. Tracy writes from her Filipino American background and infuses her characters wit...
Jul 19, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 92
We’ve spent a lot of time helping parents understand the college experience and talking about how to support their student’s transition to college. It’s time to turn the tables and focus on how parents can take care of themselves as they make their own transition as well. In this episode Lynn and Vicki discuss the Empty (or emptier) Nest Syndrome. Why does this happen? What is going on? And what can parents do as they experience the potential roller coaster of emotions? This can be a time of gro...
Jul 05, 2023•39 min•Season 4Ep. 91
Moira McCullough joined Lynn and Vicki in this episode to talk about how to reduce the time, money and stress that can go into planning college visits with your student. Moira’s advice about how to communicate with your student will help them discover what matters to them as they begin the college choice process. She shared ideas about how to help your student get beyond the official college message to find the information they need to help them with their admissions decisions. Moira established...
Jun 21, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 90
In our annual collection of book suggestions for parents, Vicki and Lynn share some of what we’ve been reading this year. This year’s books cover a wide variety of topics that will help parents broaden their understanding of students’ academic and emotional worlds, why they might struggle and how to help empower students to face their challenges. Thank you for listening! Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central Find us on Twitter at @CollParCe...
Jun 07, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 89
As parents, it’s in our DNA to worry about our kids. In addition, the messaging about success and failure is all around us and reinforces our worst fears. In this episode, Lynn and Vicki discuss some of the reasons we worry, the effect parental fears can have on our students and how we can address these fears so that our students will own their experiences and believe they are capable. Thank you for listening! Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent ...
May 17, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 88
In this episode we had a wonderful interview with Jay Gosselin, Founder and Director of Discover Year, a year long program that helps young adults build essential skills for their career and life. We explored why students might need or want a gap year experience and the benefits of taking that year between high school and college off from traditional school. We were also joined by Marie Shea, whose daughter Grace chose to spend the year after high school as a Discover Year student. Marie shared ...
May 03, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 87
Jeff Selingo’s book There is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow is a hidden gem. Whether you have a student in high school, in college, or a recent graduate, this is a wonderful resource to share with your student. We think higher education professionals will also find this book eye opening and motivating. In this episode Vicki and Lynn touch on some of the key themes and how they have seen these reflected in toda...
Apr 19, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 86
Elizabeth Hamblet joined us for a second interview to share highlights of the new edition of her book: Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities. Elizabeth helped us unpack some of the complexities of college accommodations and student responsibilities that help students make a smooth transition from high school to college. The more parents and students know and understand about the differences in laws and the nature of college support the more successful students ...
Apr 05, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 85
We’re trying something new and we invite you to join us! If you’re a regular listener you know we love to talk about books that help us in our role as college parents and help us support our students. We’ve picked the book There is Life After College: What Parents and Student Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow by Jeffrey Selingo to read over the next several weeks and we invite you to read along with us. We hope you’ll share some of your thoughts, questions a...
Mar 15, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 84
In our post-pandemic teaching we’ve noticed that many students seem nervous about reaching out to their professors and are unsure about how to connect. We know that this relationship is critical to student success. In this episode Lynn and Vicki explore some of the strategies parents can share with their students to coach them in their interactions with professors. These conversations can help students feel more comfortable talking with professors and making their meetings productive. Thank you ...
Mar 01, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 83
Lynn and Vicki were joined in this episode by Dr. Eric Loucks author of The Mindful College Student: How to Succeed, Boost Well-Being and Build the Life You Want at University and Beyond to talk about the impact that mindfulness can have on student success. Dr. Loucks helped us understand what mindfulness is and how it can help students deal with stress, attention and focus, self-awareness, emotional-regulation and even career choice. This information is not only helpful for college students but...
Feb 15, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 82
In this final episode of our 3-part series on pandemic fallout in college students, we share suggestions of how parents can work together with their students to address current challenges. Parents can aid students in developing strategies to feel in control of their living and learning in the college community. This partnership with students can help them articulate goals and maintain high expectations for themselves and establish a path forward. Thank you for listening! Much more information fo...
Feb 01, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 81
This is the second of our 3-part series on pandemic fallout in our students. We discuss what has caused these issues and why they matter for students moving forward. We examine how students bring their high school pandemic behaviors into the college classroom and the impact of online learning on in-person classes. We discuss how these changes in student behavior can affect students’ relationships, mental health and career and professional aspirations. In our next episode we’ll conclude with seve...
Jan 18, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 80
In this, our first episode of Season 4, we begin a 3-part series about what we’re seeing in our students who spent their final high school years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Vicki and Lynn share student survey information and observations of their first-year students both in and outside of the classroom. Not only are students experiencing rising depression and anxiety, we also see students with academic learning gaps, engagement and social challenges, difficulty following through on work, and g...
Jan 04, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 79
As we close out the third season of the College Parent Central Podcast, Lynn and Vicki look back at their favorite episodes of this past year. It’s been another year with some wonderful, informative interviews and a host of topics that can help you parent your college (or almost college) student. We also consider some of the trends we’re seeing in our students and in the field of higher education and invite you to join us for whatever Season 4 may bring. Thank you for listening! Much more inform...
Dec 07, 2022•42 min•Season 3Ep. 78
