5 Key Questions For Parents to Ask Students Before They Go to College

College Advice For Parents of College Students

Here are 5 key questions that all parents should ask their college student before they go off to college.  Asking these questions and beginning to explore the answers will help send your student off to college with clarity and confidence.  We can no longer just sent college students off to college and hope that they find their way.  College is way too expensive and life is too short to just push our kids out the door and hope they land on their feet.  This college advice for parents will create a straight path for success for college students.

1. Who are you?  Obviously, we spend our lives trying to fully answer this question and often times college is the starting point.  It is the first time that many young adults have the time and independence to explore this answer.  However, asking this question before your child heads off to college helps them approach college and independent life with the proper framework.  

2. What excites you?  There is no greater feeling than to see a smile on the face of your child.  One major key to a successful college life is for the student to find what excites them and to put themselves in a place to be successful and happy.  There are classes, majors, clubs, and activities that are available on all campuses to put students in a situation that excites and motivates them.

3. What are you passionate about?  This goes a little deeper.  As students approach classes, major selection, and a career path, they must consider learn to align these choices with what they are passionate about.  This is just one of the key factors in making these decisions

4. What is your One Unique Gift? You may never have heard of this concept but it is very important and dear to my heart.  Everybody has one unique gift.  This is something that you are born with and it is the way that you process the world.  This unique gift defines how you take in information, how you view everything around you and defines who you are and makes you different.  

5. What concerns you about the world?  Finding your life calling is often gained through life experiences.  College students may not have had too many life-changing events, but each event shapes who they are and what is important to them.  Taking a look at how their lives have been shaped by life experiences and finding what moves them is another key piece of information that will allow your child to make the most out of college and create the straightest path to success.

College Advice for Parents

If you are interested in learning more on how to help your student answer these questions and tie it all together for a successful college to career path visit our programs page at www.onetruezone.com.  Check out our Own Your Zone Career Discovery Academy.  We also have more tips, videos and other information.