Not having any experience with being an empty-nester, I cannot say I understand what it is like to go through watching your child leave you for college. I can imagine that it is complex and challenging.

Children leaving home to create a new life is one of the most important parts of their lives, and, undoubtedly, yours. This chapter opens the doors to so many more, where numerous ventures await on the other side. Whether a career or a relationship, graduate school or pursuing alternative education, entering college is a chance for the student to spread their wings and learn to soar, or crash, on their own. Both are needed lessons in the game of life.

While college students may appear to have their life together, there are still gifts and ways for parents or guardians to provide students that help them succeed.

Give Space

The first thing college students need is possibly the most important: space. Not to be harsh, but a student's last need is smothering during this transitional time. That is not to say you should kick your ward to the curb once they hit eighteen or enter college. It is to say that there needs to be some level of understanding that the college-age student will not follow every piece of advice you may give them.

For example, they will stay out late, probably far later than you would like them to. Their reasons: studying for a midterm test, perfecting a big presentation or paper, working an after-school job, or building solid relationships with significant others, friends, or classmates, may be valid. Conversely, their intentions may be more nefarious, like partying. Whatever the case, they need to have the space to make their own decisions.

There is a time and a place to offer them advice, like encouraging more sleep, healthy eating, spending time with family, or looking to their future in other ways. It does no one any good to force these ideas onto unwilling ears. They need to come to their conclusions. Despite what many might believe, college is truly a place for a person to learn how to think for themselves, not what to think.

Encouragement

Another significant gift you can bestow upon your student is the act of encouragement. Too often, parents try to choose the majors for their students. Research shows that forcing your college-age child into a major or profession they do not wish to participate in can lead to early burnout and increased college dropout rates.

Instead, parents or guardians might focus on encouraging students to find their passion. Yes, that goes against much of the typical advice today—where students navigate undue stress to find a career that will pay more. Remember, college is not merely a place to churn out professional degrees. It is a place of learning and connecting knowledge to your interests, no matter the practicality or perceived lack thereof. As parents, the first goal is to ensure your child can learn to manage their own lives, not determine the salary they make. Focus on helping students choose a major or program that interests them paves the way for bigger and better things.

Learn to Listen

Finally, this article offers one more task that parents, guardians, and other caregivers and family members can each use to aid the ir college students along the way: offer a listening ear. Sometimes the student may not fully grasp the school/work/life balance. Referring to your own experiences can help them adjust to this change.

If a student has trouble choosing a course of study, try reminding them of things of their strengths and gifts. Activities from high school or earlier may serve as valuable guides for the next steps in college. Encouraging them to pursue their interests—helping them come to that conclusion with an open ear and a gentle nudge—can increase trust and further receptibility. Few will know the inner workings of a child's mind or their desires as well as their parents. Use that special, privileged knowledge to help and support them no matter their course of action.

Concluding Remarks

Finally, this article offers one more task that parents, guardians, and other caregivers and family members can each use to aid the ir college students along the way: offer a listening ear. Sometimes the student may not fully grasp the school/work/life balance. Referring to your own experiences can help them adjust to this change.