INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS AND THE TRANSITION TO COLLEGE

The next area to consider in this series are independent living skills.  Being accepted into a college indicates that a college believes a student can handle the academic expectations of the school.  However, that acceptance does not necessarily mean the student can handle living independently.  The decision to attend a college must be made not only through considering where a student is accepted, but where a student is capable of thriving.  I have worked with many students who achieve wonderful grades and have involvement in school activities, but nevertheless have difficulty waking up on their own, remembering to shower, or even remembering to eat.  These are skills that families should be aware of and address before a student leaves home for college.  It is very important that students attend colleges where they can be successful as people, not just with good grades.

Students might resist the need to work on independent living skills, and this is understandable from their perspective.  Instead of telling students to work on the skills, families can provide information to students about what will be expected when they leave home in the area of independence.  It might be helpful for a student to speak with a college student about what college life is like, or doing an overnight visit at a college. Taking small steps to work on skill building and making the learning experience positive can be helpful.  Here is a link to a post that is very informative.  Take your time considering this topic, as it is a very important area for families to be aware of when supporting their child through the transition from high school to college.