Center for International Education CIE-Radar Provide Information for Study Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services, and Academic Resources.

Spring is in the air. I remember being a high school senior and spring had never been so beautiful. I was about to graduate, teachers started taking it easy on us, and the prospect of going off to school was a few short months away. Luckily for me, I had already made the decision earlier in the school year about where I would go to college. However, not everyone is like me, and for some people, the college admission process can be a hard pill to swallow. So how does a family navigate through the college admissions process and keep their sanity? Well, you will have to pick the strategies that work best for you. However, this article will help you understand what to do and not to do while your child is waiting to hear from their dream school.

If your child is attending a traditional college, the chances are that they will be waiting for an envelope in the mail from the second they send off their application. We are taught to think that not getting into your dream school is an epic failure. However, as a parent, you can decrease the stress that this puts on your child. If your child is rejected from their dream school, it will be your job to let them know about the different options that they will have.

First and foremost, it will be your job to help them understand that sometimes these things are just out of their hands and that it does not mean that they are less valuable. In fact, many great students have to be turned away from their dream schools. With budget cuts and tight funds, colleges have to turn away students that would be otherwise qualified.

Another thing to keep in mind when helping your child is the fact that one in three students will eventually transfer in their college career. So just because they think a school would be their dream choice, it could actually be a blessing in disguise that they did not get in. There is a reason for everything. Let them know that if their dream is still to go to that school then they have options. They can attend community college and get their basics out of the way or attend another university and then transfer.

Another option altogether for students now is to attend college online. Some students find that they enjoy the atmosphere better than that of a traditional school. It of course would have to depend on how your child learns, but it is an option to consider nonetheless. When attending an online school, students can work and make their own schedules. Some can even stay at home if they have a fear of going off somewhere foreign.

Make sure as a parent you keep an open mind. Your child will be looking to you to help guide them through all the stress that this process can bring. Keep in mind how much things have changed in our culture and how this affects the ways in which they can learn. With your help your student will be on their way to obtaining their degree.

Back to school time can be enjoyable but can also be extremely expensive. Most parents feel that it’s difficult keeping up with school supply lists for their elementary school students however when it comes to back to school shopping there isn’t anyone who has more difficult a task then those parents with college freshman who are going away to school.

Parents and children alike like to purchase all new items for back to school but honestly when it comes to furnishing a college dorm room there may perhaps be some items that you can use from your teens room in your own home to help save you money. A hamper and some linens are merely a couple of the things that you do not have to purchase new but it is likely that you’ll want to and if you do it’s important that you do a little shopping around on the web because you will likely find that many retailers carry a very small collection of dormitory items simply because there is only a small demand for them at back to school time.

Many parents prefer shopping online with their teens and young adults for the dormitory items that they need and discover that doing so can afford them the luxury of shopping together and comparing prices together with coordinating styles and colors with the items that you already have covered. This can help provide a lot of flexibility at a time that could get fairly hectic.

Another incredible advantage of purchasing back to school dorm items online is that you can have them shipped right to the school and this will save you having to pack them up and ship them yourself or trek them half way across the country. Many freshmen enjoy this convenience and love when they arrive at their new home with all new items waiting for them.

Back to school could be a fun and exciting time for students entering college for the first time and the whole college dorm experience however it can also be a financially and emotionally trying time for the whole family. Enjoying the planning and preparation can help to create some nice bonding time before this change of life takes place and can help to put everyone at ease. Back to school shopping on the internet can take away a lot of the pressure and can permit you and your young adult to discover everything they need and coordinate items from the comfort of your own home on your own time schedule making it a nice calming experience for all.