College Parent Central Podcast

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! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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 the parent perspective and helped us realize that although each student’s story is different, we are all on a journey together. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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 today’s students. Understanding some of the issues facing students as they prepare for a career will help you support and guide your student. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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 will be. We learned so much about how different colleges approach support and the questions students and parents need to ask to find a good match. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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 and reactions with us. In this episode Lynn and Vicki share why we chose this book and how you can participate in our virtual book group. Once you hear more about the book, we know you’ll be excited about participating in this adventure. We’ll be sharing everyone’s responses soon in episode #86. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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 for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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 for parents as well. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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 several suggestions of what parents can do to help students address these pandemic challenges. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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 greater reliance on parents. We’ll continue examining Pandemic Fallout in our next episode when we consider what has caused these issues and why they matter and finally in Part 3, we’ll talk about how parents can help student overcome these problems. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

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! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

As parents, we often worry about a lot of things when our students head off to college – and our student’s health can be top of mind for many of us. This special episode is a recording of our college student health panel held earlier this year. We are joined by college student health and wellness experts Dr. Jill Grimes and Jill and Dave Henry who share their insights and expertise about helping our students stay healthy while in college. Topics were wide-ranging, including the greatest health challenges facing college students today, some of the most common stressors students face, the importance of sleep, and what your student should do when they get hurt or feel sick. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

In this episode Vicki and Lynn answer some of the questions they have heard from parents. Topics include transferring colleges, readmission and appeal, timing of internships, and how to figure out how things are really going for your student. We don’t have all of the answers, but we share our observation based on our professional and personal experience. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

The concept of Executive Functioning is a popular way of looking at some of the skills that college students need to succeed. Understanding how your student’s brain develops during the college years will help you support your student as they practice managing their lives. In this episode Vicki interviews Lynn to learn more about the challenges that college students often face as they struggle to master planning, organizing, prioritizing, and problem solving. Lynn shares strategies that help students grow their abilities – and some of the success stories she’s seen. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

Whether your student has learning differences or not, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Many students find the challenges of the first year of college overwhelming, not because they aren’t academically ready, but because they still need to develop independence and self-advocacy skills. In this episode, Judy Bass draws from her years of experience counseling students and families to share ways in which parents can foster these skills in their student to help them make a successful transition to college. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

We see sleepy students every day in our classes. Why? They aren’t getting enough sleep. In this episode Vicki and Lynn explore the connections between sleep and learning, the reasons students don’t get enough sleep and what happens when they are sleep deprived. We also share some suggestions to help students make their sleep hygiene a priority. Talking with your student about sleep can help highlight this important issue– and it might even improve everyone’s shuteye! Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

Once your student has made the decision to commute to college, they’ll need to think about how to make the most of their experiences. Parents also need to think about how to best support their commuting student. In this episode Lynn and Vicki share some ideas about questions to ask during the admission process, shifting dynamics at home, and what both students and parents can do to make the college transition smooth and fulfilling. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

Although most students on campus have a meal plan, many students either don’t have the time to hit the dining hall or they don’t like the food. When Sarah Long’s oldest daughter went to college, she needed some recipes she could prepare in in her dorm room. After texting many recipes, her mom decided to put them together in a cookbook. In this episode Vicki and Lynn talk to Sarah about her book, and her suggestions for using everything from a microwave and blender to an electric skillet and slow cooker to prepare healthy meals – and a few treats as well. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

In episode #068 we talked about how to tell if your student is ready for college. In this episode Vicki and Lynn discuss strategies, conversations and actions that will help your student increase their readiness. We talk about academic readiness, time and self-management, life skills, relationships and emotional readiness. If any of these areas present particular challenges for your student these suggestions will help you better support and prepare them for college. Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”

Wouldn’t it be great if your student could create a successful college experience where they feel connected and supported instead of simply navigating their way through. In this episode Vicki and Lynn talk with Elliot Felix, author of How to Get the Most Out of College: 127 Ways to Make Connections, Make It Work for You, and Make a Difference. Elliot brings his background in college consulting and design to his practical, action-oriented tips that cover everything from knowing options to mastering technology, building relationships, and finding your community on campus. So much to share with your student! Thank you for listening! College Parent CentralSign up for our newsletterPlease leave us a review at “Love the Podcast”