Making College Success A Family Goal

Making College Success a Family Goal What is a goal? A goal is a desired result a person (or organization, or a family)wants to achieve A goal can be Getting a College Degree

Making College Success a Family Goal Getting a College Degree is a big or Monster Goal It takes time  Commitment  Resources  Planning and  Perseverance

Making College Success a Family Goal It is considered wise to establish a time within which you wish to achieve your goal It is wiser yet, to establish specific “little steps” or mini goals that you need to take in order to achieve your Monster goal

Making College Success a Family Goal It is even wiser to make those “little steps” Realistic “Reachable” Measureable – You can clearly determine when you have reached or finished each “little step” Have a time by which they will be completed

Making College Success a Family Goal Your son or daughter has the goal of getting a college degree But without identifying the steps to do that, it will be a more difficult challenge

Making College Success a Family Goal In order to reach that goal they should establish A timeframe for reaching that goal Have little steps, or mini goals, that are  Realistic  “Reachable”  Measureable – You can clearly determine when you have reached or finished each “little step”  Have a time by which they will be completed

Making College Success a Family Goal But as important as their goal setting is, today it’s to have you think about the family setting a goal You and your family are here because you share your son or daughter’s goal of getting a college degree If you haven’t thought of it this way, and you may have, you need to Their getting a college degree has to explicitly be your goal too!!

Making College Success a Family Goal In a similar way, without your family identifying the steps it can take to help your son or daughter reach their goal of getting a college degree, it will be a more difficult challenge for them Not impossible, but much more difficult

Just like their successfully completing high school and meeting requirements for college did not happen without your help and support, neither will reaching the goal of earning a college degree happen without your help and support. During high school, and before, in what ways did you provide help and support for your son or daughter? Making College Success a Family Goal

There is no question that your child has the greatest responsibility for their success in college, but YOU can help and make a big difference by: Recognizing and accepting that things you do and say can contribute to your child’s success in college

Making College Success a Family Goal YOU can help and make a big difference by: Helping to create an environment at home that recognizes that being in college, and doing what is needed to be successful in college, is one of your son or daughter’s primary responsibilities. For the next four or five years, it is their primary “job”. Sometimes being the one to remind them that college is their primary responsibility.

YOU can help and make a big difference by: Helping them find or create a place at home where they: Can study and associate with studying Can layout their things and have a Place to put them away Have a space that is quiet and well lit A place to write (desk or table) Making College Success a Family Goal

YOU can help and make a big difference by: When appropriate, letting your child know that they are giving things up today to get a college degree, but you know they will benefit greatly in the future You may also tell them that they are setting an example for their younger brothers, sisters, cousins, and nephews

Making College Success a Family Goal YOU can make a big difference by: Supporting (and modeling, when appropriate) those things that help to be a successful student, like: Managing time wisely Not putting things off Making school a priority Are there things presented above that you have already been doing? How might they change now that your son or daughter is in college?

Making College Success a Family Goal YOU can make a big difference by: Learning about the “important” times in their school calendar when they might need extra support, understanding, alone time or just a little extra “slack”. During midterms Finals Week When papers are Due When They are preparing for a Presentation or Speech When Registering for Classes

YOU can make a big difference by: Learning at least enough about the college experience so you have an idea of what they are going through when they share things with you, you are able to discuss it with understanding and empathy. Understanding how hard it is: o To get classes and how that can delay their graduation. o Choosing a major, not being sure about their major, or thoughts about changing their major. How complex the university is and how hard It is to know all of the “rules”. Making College Success a Family Goal

Remember, parent/family involvement can help your child succeed in college. Parent/family involvement is the active participation of a parent and other members of the family in activities and relationship building that takes place at home to support their son or daughter’s learning, progress and success and as a college student. Making College Success a Family Goal