Nine Proven Strategies For Frustrated Parents With Their College Children

By Author: Jony Gibson
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Introduction

• Are you prepared for the ever rising cost of a college education for your child?
• Do you have a child who is underachieving in college and causing you financial hardship by prolonging his or her college education?
• Do you wish your child was better prepared for life and employment after he or she graduates from college?

These are common concerns shared by hardworking parents at the ever increasing costs of a college education and their children’s inability to swiftly complete their degree programs. Sadly, today’s college education is bankrupting many families’ dreams of a better life for their children. This article provides frustrated parents solutions to assist their unprepared college students with greater employment opportunities.

More Americans are feeling the reality of a financial crisis. However, most parents are bitter due to the continual tuition hikes. According to the College Board, the average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges for 2012 rose 8.3% and with room and board now exceeds $17,000 a year. Administrators often proclaim ...
... these hikes are necessary. However, their explanations do not ease a parent’s financial concerns. Furthermore, some students are taking more than four years to get their Bachelor’s Degrees due to numerous distractions. Many parents are losing confidence in their college children. Regardless of where you stand on today’s college students, it is clear that some intervention is necessary if the students are to be successful in this troubled market. The following strategies may save you hundreds of dollars in the long run:

(1) Evaluate alternative incomes to help cover the rising cost of education. For example, getting your child to serve as a high school tutor to a local student nearby, providing extra spending money.
(2) Set expectations early about finishing college in the required number of years for the specific major.
(3) Stress the importance to your child on maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA in college because many corporate opportunities require high academic achievement.
(4) Encourage students as freshman to sign up in the college career services to receive preparation for employment.
(5) Require your child to either work or volunteer to some organization in the summer so that he or she has plenty of experience about commitments following graduation.
(6) Encourage your child to participate in a study abroad program in college so that he or she can compete in a global market.
(7) Suggest that your child commit to learn a foreign language fluently in college for greater employment opportunities even abroad.
(8) Extend your child’s network globally with social media platforms such as Linkedin.com.
(9) Insist that your child receive special training or certifications to become more competitive.

Are you adequately preparing your child for future employment challenges? If you are dissatisfied by the current status quo for your college child, this article should have begun a call to action for discouraged parents. With the rising costs of a college education, parents cannot afford to risk using the same approaches as the past. As the economic crisis continues to spiral, many frustrated parents wonder how their unmotivated child will survive these difficult times. You can help your child better achieve a successful college experience followed by gainful employment by planning ahead. Parents need to start today before it is too late.

© 2012 by Daryl D. Green

About Daryl Green:
Dr. Daryl Green has done extensive research on cultural issues impacting today and future leaders. His last book, Job Strategies for the 21st Century: How to Assist Today’s College Students during Economic Turbulence, has been rated number one on Amazon.com. For more information, you can contact him at leadership training development or nuleadership.com.