Going Away to School vs. Staying at Home

Should I go or should I stay? The dilemma on whether to go away for college or whether to stay locally can be a tough one for some. It’s a big decision that can determine the rest of your life, so here are the benefits of both to help you make the decision just a bit easier (or harder!).

STAYING HOME
One of the biggest benefits of staying home is the convenience--it can be helpful to be able to continue to live at home, rent-free and to not worry about moving your entire life to a dormitory in a new city.  This is quite beneficial if you’re looking to save some money.

Another bonus of staying home is that you get to stay close to friends (at least the ones that also chose to stay) and family.  You already know the area, and if you have friends who haven't gone to college, it's also easier to keep in touch with them.

One of the downfalls of living at home, however, is the possibility of missing out on the “campus experience”. Most colleges have societies and other events going on, and if you're going home every day, it takes a lot more conscious effort on your part to get involved with them. Also depending on how far away the college is from where you live, you can spend a lot of time and money travelling to and from college every day.

GOING AWAY
Leaving home and starting over in a new city is an adventure—new city, new place to live, new friends, new people! Starting over makes you gain a greater sense of independence and is great practice for when you finish college and want to move out. Your friends and family will still be around, and are most often just a phone call or email away, but going away to college helps you test your own ability to make it in the world.

If you go away to college, you will also have a lot of experiences that you probably won't have if you stay at home. There is generally a real feeling of community at colleges, because you're all in the same situation together. It's a great opportunity to try out hobbies and join clubs that you've always wanted to try. No matter how excited you are about going away to college, you will get homesick--everyone does. It may not be in the first week, it may not be in the first month, but there will always be a point when you want to see your family or friends. It is important to know that there will always be someone feeling the same way, and there will always be someone who can listen to you and help you.

The final decision is ultimately yours, and whatever decision you choose, it is important to make the best of it and have fun--after all, these are the best years of your life.

How to Catch Up On College Work if You Fall Behind

There are few things worse when you are a student than that feeling of being completely out of control with your workload. Here are some ways to help you get caught up with everyone in your class.

Talk to your teacher or tutor. Explain to teachers what may have leaded you to fall behind and ask what you can do to get caught up. Also, ask which assignments is priority and which you should aim to complete first. Your teacher may also be able to connect you to additional resources, like tutoring, check-ins or counseling. Try to get additional help and support from tutors--they were students too once upon a time and will probably be happy to give you some advice.

Write a list of everything you need to get done. It can be scary, but you need to be able to determine exactly how much you have to do–look about a month ahead and factor everything in to get on top of it all. If you don’t write everything down, you could easily forget it all together and fall even further behind. As you finish each task be sure to cross it off of the list; that way you will see yourself making progress and will know how much further you have to go.

Take an hour. Even if you feel totally swamped with little to no free time, chances are you can find time to sit down and get started on one piece of work. Try to find an hour somewhere--between lectures, before or after dinner or in between TV shows. Even if you don’t finish what you started to work on, it will certainly help you to make progress.

Hand in all upcoming work on time. Make sure not to fall behind while you work on catching up—the last thing you want to do is get further behind. Set aside time every day to gather all upcoming assignments and make a detailed plan for how you will complete them.

Get a study partner. Having the support of a real person can be helpful, so finding someone to work with is a great idea. Organize study sessions in the library, set deadlines together, compare notes and ideas or even just meet for coffee and take time to talk about things. You may find that the added support and development of good study habits helps you to stay well ahead, rather than lagging behind.

Don't be ashamed about falling behind. It happens to everyone, and the important thing is that you are dealing with it now and taking care of it before it gets out of hand.

College Freshman Survival Guide

If you feel overwhelmed by your freshman year in college away from home, you are not alone! The first semester away from home is a difficult time for about every college student--you're not just learning college curriculum, you are also learning the challenge of how to be a college student. Here are some basic first year survival tips.

Be responsible for your own learning. No one is going to remind you when your papers are due or hold you responsible for doing your homework every night instead of socializing. Make sure that you go to class every single day unless you have an extremely good reason not to go. Now that you're no longer forced to be in class, it will be tempting not to go. Just know that if you don't go, you're not going to do well. When in class, take good notes and pay attention—no text messaging your friends or updating your Facebook status.

Try to meet new people. Be sure to take advantage of freshman orientation week--if you go home to visit old friends and visit family, you'll be missing out on the opportunity to make friends and build an independent life away from your family. Face your fears and your homesickness and stay on campus, at least for the first month or so. The same goes for if you have high school friends on campus with you-- avoid hanging out with them all the time and take the opportunity to make new friends and meet new people.

Learn to be financially responsible. Even if you're lucky enough to have parents who can help you out financially, you need to learn to spend money wisely. Also, be careful with credit cards--credit card companies prey on college students heavily, and before you know it, you may be in more debt than you thought possible. Make sure that you have an emergency fund for things like medical bills, car repairs, etc., so that if something goes wrong, you're prepared to deal with it.

Eat right and stay healthy. Try to eat well, exercise a reasonable amount--walking around campus counts, get regular medical checkups, and get enough sleep. Make sure you understand basic nutrition and how to eat right--college is full of junk food temptations and if you're not careful, you'll be packing on the dreaded "freshman 15" in no time and may make yourself sick in the process. Be careful not to have too much sugar or caffeine, and avoid consuming too much alcohol.

Seek out help if you need it. Academic and psychological help is available on all college campuses, but you need to take the responsibility to get the help you need. Don't be afraid to ask professors for help if you are feeling depressed or psychological overwhelmed.

If you follow these simple steps and guidelines, your first year as a college student will go much more smoothly. Take the time to educate yourself now to guarantee a great college experience.

Coping With Kids Going Off to College

You've waited so long for this day--your son or daughter is proudly off at college! In many ways, it is culture shock when a child leaves home for college and parents left behind may react in a variety of ways. If a parent is elated, they may immediately be measuring to turn the now vacant room into that hobby room they have always wanted. If a parent feels lonely and depressed, he or she may tend to sit home more often and wonder what to do with themselves. The goal for getting through this life change is to reach a happy balance.

Keep in touch….
Missing a loved one is okay—especially when you know that they are off bettering their lives. The key is to keep in touch with your student so that you don’t end up missing them too much. Now may be the time to learn instant messaging on the computer, or texting on a cell phone. Staying in contact with your student is very important, as is setting ground rules for how often you are going to communicate—maybe a phone call every Sunday evening when the family is together for dinner and a text or email once or twice during the week. Being able to communicate in a variety of methods gives you more freedom and will likely result in more effective communication with your student.

Try to look for small, inexpensive, yet meaningful things to send the student in an occasional “care” package. Their favorite chocolate bar, a gift card to a local area restaurant or coffee shop is a nice way to show that you are thinking of them and want them to be comfortable in their new surroundings.

A Life Outside of Family
You've spent many years of your life raising your child and now, all that hard work has paid off. You deserve some time for yourself, so do something that you have always put off doing. Keeping busy will keep your mind focused and occupied so that you won't have as much time to spend worrying about your student.  If you don't already have a job, this may be the perfect time to find one, even if it is just part time. You will not only earn some extra money, but may make new friends or learn a new skill.

If working is not for you, but you are still interested in learning, why not take a course or attend a class at a local community college. Look around your community and see what opportunities are right around the corner. Be careful not to overdo it though--sometimes a parent may have a tendency to do too many things. Some parents may go out every night or be so involved in activities that the rest of their family barely sees them because it's too lonely for them to be at home. Catch yourself if you feel you are starting to overdo it, and change your thinking paths.

Sending a child off to college is as much an adjustment for the parents as it is for the students. Look at this time of life as an opportunity to grow in more ways. You will always be a parent, regardless of how old your student is, so give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done, and take the time now to better yourself and your environment.