It’s best to start building your children’s education, even before they are born. There are many things to do and the more you clear them, the easier it will be for you and them in the future. And college would be the biggest challenge to overcome for everyone involved.

Considering how busy your life may be and the fact that there are many things to prepare, you may not have enough time to do everything. Fortunately, you can access Guide to Student Life to help you and your children prepare for college.

1. Prepare your children for challenges

According to the latest report, only 1 in 4 college freshmen can finish their studies in 4 years. The rest will take longer to do it or even fail. This proofs that the challenge is real, and your children should be prepared long before they got into college.

You can have ongoing discussions throughout the summer to talk about all the challenges your children are going to face later. Prepare some potential topics including the majors they can choose, general college life, and any questions your children may have about college.

2. Create a homework space

Doing homework and studying at home can be more difficult than you think. It is your job as a parent to create the best homework space where your children can study and do homework optimally.

This means no noise and distractions. Dedicate an entire space as a place where your children can study and do their homework. Preferably far from busy areas, TVs, and other noise sources.

3. Establish some rules

To be a successful college student, it is important to have a stable schedule and be disciplined. Therefore, you should establish some rules in the house, to help your children get used to having a schedule.

Feel free to be as strict as you want, to teach them to be disciplined. Create a schedule that goes well with their activities at home and school. And if you are worried about being too strict, you should read the next tips.

4. Offer rewards

It’s fine to be strict and firm, but your children will break at some point and stop following the rules that you set up. The solution is to offer them rewards for a job well done. Rewards or incentives are always a good motivation for anyone to keep working hard. Don’t go too overboard with the rewards, and you can ask your children what they want to get some ideas.

5. Encourage them to read

Being a college student means you have to read a lot of books. If your kids are not used to read books, then they’re bound to fail their studies. There are so many places where you can get books for free – physical or digital ones.

Encourage them to read a book and finish it. One book per month should be a great place to start. It can be any kind of book too, it doesn’t have to be about academics. Once they get used to reading books, give them more difficult books related to their study. And if you’re up for it, create a quiz about things contained in the book that they just read.

6. Ask them about their passions

Do you know that some students failed their studies because they didn’t like their majors? Some parents are just way too imposing that they forced their kids to major in a field. But this is wrong and not a solution at all.

It is important that your kids are majoring in a field that they are passionate about. Of course, you can discuss this with them, and tell them that you have some inputs regarding what major to take. If there are some disagreements in the discussion, ask them whether they’re sure about their decision. It’s recommended to listen to your kids about their passions and discuss all the available options you have.

Conclusion

Preparing for college is always busy and sometimes chaotic. There are many preparations to take and studying to do. Communication between parents and children is always important and could even be the deciding factor of the children’s college success.