Helping Your Child Make the Transition to College

For most incoming college students, it’s the first time they’ve lived away from home, and the change can be overwhelming. There are many new responsibilities that they now have to take care of—both with their academic and personal lives. You can visit University Villages West in Clemsonto see what their life will be like on campus and learn how you can help make the adjustment easier on your child.

Choosing a Career Path

One of the major responsibilities a student has to deal with during their time at college is choosing a major and a career path. Obviously, this can have a weighty impact on their entire future, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Encourage your student to sit down with you or with a school counselor to talk about their options and make a plan to fit in all the necessary classes and other requirements. It doesn’t hurt to remind them, at the same time, that many people change their major partway through college, and it isn’t the end of the world if they change their mind.

Taking on Financial Responsibilities

College is a good time to let your child learn how to handle their own money if they haven’t already started to do so. Even if you’re paying for their tuition, you might want to make them responsible for items like clothes and music. It’s a good idea for them to get a bank account and even a credit card. Using a credit card responsibly and paying it off on time every month will help them to start establishing a good credit history, which will be invaluable in the future.

Adjusting to Independent Living

A third major adjustment for your child will be living away from home for the first time. They will be responsible for doing their own laundry, tidying their room or apartment, and possibly even making meals. If you help teach your child these skills while they’re young, it will make the move a lot easier on them, and you’ll never have to worry that they can’t take care of themselves. You can also visit University Villages West in Clemson before the semester starts so you know what furniture or other belongings your child will need as he or she starts their new life away from home.

Living the Successful College Life: Juggling Your Schedule

If you haven’t snagged a scholarship (tip: it may not be too late! Keep looking!), you don’t want to get into serious debt before you graduate by taking out loans. Unless you have parents or rich uncles with the income to pay your college tuition, you may find it necessary to work while you attend school. Figuring out a good schedule that allows you time for a job, study, sleep, and recreation can be tricky, but it’s not impossible to do. Having a job while attending school can be a drag, but try to think of it as a lesson in responsibility and growing up. If you’re lucky enough to live in LA Tech housing or other campus housing that provides furnished living spaces and easy-to-access social and exercise areas, the task becomes easier. Here are some steps to take to prevent yourself from burning out even with a packed schedule.

Determining Your Priorities

It’s time to be a grown-up, which, though it isn’t always as fun as the more carefree life of childhood or adolescence, is a good time to develop positive habits that will benefit you the rest of your life. Besides, being responsible doesn’t mean nothing is fun anymore. Determining your priorities for your scheduling also helps you avoid a lot of stress that develops from procrastination, worry about the future, and money issues. Reducing stress helps you feel free and productive. Sit down when you have some quiet time to think and ask yourself what is most important for you to be doing right now. As a college student, you are likely working toward a degree that will increase your chances of enjoying your career as well as being able to earn enough money to support yourself and a future family. If working at a job is a necessary component, this is also a priority. Adequate sleep will help you have the energy to meet your commitments. This might mean your social life suffers a bit, and you won’t be able to attend quite as many all-night parties as you’d like; but if you’re going to college merely to party, you might want to re-think the whole college thing for the time being. While you prioritize, realize that if any one area is taking up so much time that you’ll never get a chance for doing something you like (recreation), you’ll probably burn out. Adjust your priorities and schedule accordingly. Maybe take fewer credits or apply for some grants.

Plan Your Schedule on Paper

Once you know where your priorities lie, work out your schedule on paper or on some electronic calendaring system. If you are naturally drawn to having a structured schedule, this step will be easy and enjoyable. If you like things more flexible, a bare-bones schedule will do as long as you firmly include your top priorities. Depending on how necessary your job is for your financial well-being, you will also need to work your classes and other activities around working hours. Perhaps you can work early-morning hours, finishing your work day before classes start so you don’t have daytime conflicts. Or nail down a job before registering for classes so you know exactly what class times are best for you. Assign yourself some time during the day or week to study or complete homework. What time is left over is yours to do with as you please.

Finding the Fun in Adulthood

Being responsible for yourself while living in LA Tech housing doesn’t mean all the fun is over. Part of the joy in life is having new experiences, making new friends, and meeting challenges head-on. If there isn’t something to look forward to, your life will become dull and boring. Even adults are allowed to enjoy life. Parents, responsible relatives, student advisors, and mentors can help you find a good balance that works for you as you put together your student schedule.

Which Murray State Housing Is Right for You?

Murray State housing has much to offer young college students. One can find villages or communities that are within walking distance to campus that offer both privacy and social interaction. Modern amenities accompany these communities, including pools, hot tubs, laundry facilities, high speed internet connections, and much more.

Stressful Preparation

There are many stresses involved in preparing for college life. For example, young people often feel like they must decide right now what they want to do for the rest of their lives. They must then pick a handful of colleges that they would enjoy attending and hope that one of them will accept their application. They are forced to consider how they will be paying for school and where they will live while they are attending classes.

With average student debt amounts on the rise, many students are concerned about living expenses. Should they get a job on campus? Should they sacrifice their standard of living by choosing to live in crummy apartments that probably still cost too much?

If there is one piece of advice that many college graduates could offer new, incoming freshmen, is that they should just relax and stress as little as possible. In order to do this, new students should just take the time to think about what is most important to them and pursue it rather than get overwhelmed by the enormity of choices available.

What’s Important? 

When it comes to college life, students can be as involved as they want to be in social activities. Consider, though, that this is an important time in life to choose to be social. College is the time and place where proper balance is established between studies and play and where lifelong friendships are forged.  

It is also important to be close to campus and to live among people who have common ages and interests. For example, one single woman of twenty-five searched only for living quarters that had older students rather than freshmen living there.

Murray State housing boasts of a variety of options for students. How to narrow the list down must depend on what is most important to you.