Survival Tips For College Prep Stress
Its coming up to the end of the school, and is the time that most high school students start to look at colleges and maybe start getting ready to go off to college. This extra pressure on top of the everyday stress that they normally have, its no wonder that your teen is freaking out. Even trips to the guidance office can leave more question than it answers and create huge do to lists that most teens are not going to get done before they head off to college. And that’s if your teen knows what they want to do. If they do not know what they want to do with their lives in the last year of high school, they are going to get sick of hearing the question of what they want do with their lives. So what can you
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Do not take over. While checking grades is a good idea to make sure that your teen is getting their work done, you should only worry about it if your teen is failing a course. You also do not need to order information about the college that you think your teen should go to. And do not sign your teen up of SAT or other college prep tests prep classes. While these things make you feel better as a parent, it most likely making your teen feel bad about themselves, and inadequate. But you do not have to sit back the whole time, there is things you can do to help.
Agree With Them
While you may not fully agree with your teens ideas, but you should be able to support them enough to say you agree with them. Disagreeing with your teen can lead to major fights and can cause them in a career path that they are not going to enjoy. Most parents are guilty of this, and can waste time and money on schooling or retraining later on.
Listen One of the most important things to learn to help your teen is to really learn to listen. You are going to learn to keep your month shut, and let your teen vent, before you start even thinking about offering solutions. If you start offering solutions before you know what the really problem is, only going to end up fighting as they believe you are not really listening to what they are saying, which is most likely true. Also remember that what they are ranting about is not what really is brothering
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Being the target of your teen’s anger is never fun and can lead to more hurtful things being said from both of you. Even just leaving to get a snack for your teen, can give them the space they need too cool off.
Plan
Having a plan is important when it comes to college prep, and getting through the school year. This does not mean that you are allowed to take over. Sit down with your teen and help your teen break down what they need to do, and when they need to have it done by. Break each task into to easier smaller tasks to make them easier to complete and to helpful not freak or stress your teenager out.
Organize
Once you have a plan in place, your teen is going to need to get organized to be able to get it all done. Having some sort of organization is very useful, as it keeps your teen on track. You may have to help with this at some points, but do not take over as your teen is going to need to do this for themselves in the very near future. And do not force the system that you works for you on to them as it may not work for them, and could make them not want to use it. It does not matter how much you love your planner, it may not be what your teen needs to stay organized. Help your teen pick out things that may work for them, but make sure that they want to try the organization methods that you pick