Parents of rising high school seniors:
How’d you like to have smooth sailing for your teen’s senior year?
Many rising seniors feel overwhelmed, anxious and uncertain about transitioning to college.
Stressors from family, friends, peers, Netflix and social media can influence how successful your teen is in viewing their college experience or expectations.
As a teen support center, we’ve worked with hundreds of teens who are college-bound and we’ve seen it all before…
“Senioritis” that kicks in October 1st.
Teens with a “bucket list” of risky behaviors to check off before they get to college.
(Real talk… teens actually don’t want to be the only one in college who hasn’t had sex or tried substances so some begin to take more risks in senior year.)
Teens that put SO. MUCH. PRESSURE. on themselves to maintain perfect grades and extracurriculars that they miss out on the FUN that comes with being the top dogs in high school.
What happens when pre-college stress isn’t addressed?
You have a moody, unhappy teen.
You have a teen who doubts themselves and who isn’t sure about the next steps… and may even self-sabotage out of fear.
You have a teen who works so hard to get to that ideal next step that they hate their lives right now and then realize (often when it’s too late) that they don’t like the college they worked so hard to get into anyway.
-- 1 in 3 college students don't’ return after freshman year and often times this is attributed to unrealistic expectations about school, based on idealizing a college.
You have a teen who shuts it all down because it’s just too much to handle, so they don’t do ANY of it and they end up with slipping grades and even lower self-esteem
That’s why support is SO important as a high school senior. It’s more than completing the common app and making sure your recommendations are sent off on time.
It’s so much more.
It’s learning to develop coping skills to manage stress and uncomfortable situations now so that when your teen is off on their own they’re equipped with the skills...
To say no
To ask for help
To cope with disappointment
To have a solid set of conflict-resolution skills for roommate troubles and group-work gripes
Defining a successful college experience starts in high school.
Our teens tell themselves that everything will be different once they’re in a new place and paying for their classes...
... but the truth is that without
Changing communication styles
Reworking entrenched habits
and shifting patterns of behavior that are currently problematic,
you’ll just be paying for the same problems in a new place without the familiarity of home and family for support.