Navigating Your Teen’s Hesitations About College

Hearing your teen say, “I don’t want to go to college,” can be a heart-stopping moment for many parents. This is especially true if college has been a long-anticipated step in your child’s future. However, it’s important to approach this situation with patience and understanding. College may not be right for everyone.

Before the door to higher education closes entirely, there are several steps parents can take. These steps can help their teen reconsider college in a more thoughtful and informed way.

Here are five practical steps to guide you while navigating your teen’s hesitations about college:

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Understanding Hazing: What Parents Need to Know

When my daughter was in college, she pledged a sorority. I had my concerns. Turns out, they were valid. Even though it was against campus policy for any fraternity or sorority to use hazing on its members, it happened during “hell week”. The hazing not only affected her health but her first semester grades.

As a parent, I voiced my concerns and wanted to report the sorority. My daughter begged me not to get involved. In hindsight, I wish I had.

hazing
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How to Spot Changes in Your Student’s Mental Health

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Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Recently released numbers from the CDC show that the number of students suffering from persistent sadness or hopelessness fell from 42% to 40% between 2021 and 2023.

“This may seem like a small shift, but in terms of the numbers we’re talking about, that means roughly 840,000 fewer U.S. students are suffering now than they were in 2021,” says Dr. Michael Olla, a psychiatrist at Valley Spring Recovery, a premier addiction treatment center. 

“However, youth mental health is still an ongoing and major problem in the USA, so it’s important to spot the signs of mental health issues early to effectively intervene. Look out for these five signs of poor mental health in kids, and approach a health professional if you do spot them.”

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Is Your Teen Ready for College? Key Factors to Consider

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

As your child approaches the end of high school, the question of whether they’re ready for college looms large. It’s natural to have mixed emotions—pride, excitement, and maybe even a bit of anxiety. College is a significant step toward adulthood, but how can you tell if your teen is prepared to take it? Here are a few key factors to consider when determining if your teen is ready for college.

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Are You Worried About Paying for College?

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Image from Pixabay

As a parent, I would say paying for college was on my top 10 lists of worries as my children entered high school. We were caring for my elderly father and great aunt, along with battling with breast cancer. It was all we could do to stay afloat with medical and elder care expenses breathing down our necks every month.

My son was looking at a military career, but I knew he wanted to go to college. He also knew that we could not afford to contribute. My daughter was two years behind him, and I knew she had her heart set on Boston University, an expensive private college in the northeast. I worried day and night that her dreams would not materialize, and my son would have few options other than joining the military out of high school.

My children were not first generation students. However, I did not attend college, and my spouse attended a local college that basically accepted anyone who applied. I was lost. My circle of friends were not college graduates and were not encouraging their kids to apply to college. My parents did not encourage me to attend college, so I was clueless about the process. I had no idea where to turn for help and the school counselor was responsible for hundreds of students at a large public high school. She had little time to advise students about colleges and even less time to help with figuring out how to pay.

Dealing with all the family drama and concerned about finances, my son made the decision during his junior year to join the Marines. I was supportive but worried the decision was forced on him because he felt he had no other option. The day he signed a letter of intent, I decided to focus the next few years on my daughter’s dream—attending college.

I knew I had to research colleges, look at finances, and make sure she had a stellar academic and extracurricular record to back up her applications. When she entered her senior year, we had a plan. Here’s what we did:

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Settling into the New School Year with Your Teens

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Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay

The start of a new school year brings a mix of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation—especially when you have teens at home. As they transition from summer freedom to academic responsibility, it’s essential to support them in finding their footing. Helping your teen focus on their studies early on sets the tone for a successful year ahead. Here’s how you can make this transition smoother and encourage academic excellence.

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Alternatives to College

College has, for quite some time now, been proposed as the desired route for a young person to take before entering the professional world. However, this approach is not without its problems, such as the finite number of graduate jobs waiting for people fresh out of school, as well as the positions that are going unfilled because people aren’t looking at other career paths.

There may be alternatives to college that prepare you for the workforce and a career that doesn’t require a college degree.

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Non-Clinical Medical Career Options

When most people think of medical careers, minds immediately jump to clinical roles like doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and nursing assistants. However, the medical field could not operate without the vital support of many other highly dedicated and qualified people. Indeed, there are so many other non-clinical career options in the medical field that are not only hugely rewarding but also essential to the field. The good news is that you can read about four of the very best non-clinical medical career options below. 

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Helping Your Student Get Into College

What can you do to help your child get into their chosen college? This is a good question, and one that we think parents should be asking more regularly. Of course, your child has to do the majority of the work as it’s their college place, and they are the one who has to work for it. But, this does not mean that there are not things that you can do as a parent to make it easier for them. That’s what we’re going to be focusing on today, so keep reading if you are interested in learning more about this.

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10 Tips to Help Your Teen Get Ready for Back to School

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Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

As the summer draws to a close and the new school year approaches, parents and teens alike may feel a mix of excitement and anxiety as they prepare for back to school. The transition from vacation mode to school mode can be challenging, but with some thoughtful preparation, it can also be smooth and successful.

Here are some tips for parents to help their teens get ready for back to school.

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Helping parents navigate the college maze