How can we prepare students for a successful and memorable college experience?
Jo gets answers with author and professor Dr. Alex Chediak from his latest book, Preparing Your Teens for College: Faith, Friends, Finances, and Much More. Alex shares helpful tips on academic excellence, work balance and building a Godly character. We also review the top 10 common mistakes students make out of his book Thriving at College.
Although you won’t be able to make every decision for your student(s), you can still counsel them into making wise choices. Dr. Alex Chediak explains how important it is for students to have good support circles and remain strong in their faith. Being intentional is a major theme throughout his book, exclaiming that choosing friends with Godly character qualities and being a good friend to others is quite necessary.
Now that your students aren’t in high school anymore, they begin to learn important life lessons as they learn to do more things on their own.
“There is less accountability and much more expected out of them as college students” -Alex Chediak
Life-altering decisions are made on a regular basis by students and a parent helping them out plays a very important role. As the saying goes, “Mother/Father knows best” this is also true of our heavenly Father. Though most college students are past adolescence, they still need valuable guidance.
“Parents, help your students think of the ramifications of their choices because they are going to have to live with them…not you” -Alex Chediak
If a student doesn’t believe God’s ways are best for them, most likely they are going to stray from their faith. As if the classroom isn’t busy enough, students also tend to overcommit themselves; adding extra pressure and stress into their lives. The importance of having a good reputation is something many students don’t always realize, so encourage them to maintain balance and integrity is a great solution.
“Everyone has a reputation that precedes them” -Alex Chediak
Dr. Chediak also speaks briefly on social media in the classroom and how we can easily “Distract ourselves more than we think”. His advice is to turn cell phones completely off and get ready to learn!
Helping launch your students into a fruitful adulthood is definitely a part of this year’s curriculum.
