Books for Your New Journey
Cynthia Price, associate vice president for academic affairs, offers the following books to help parents understand their students’ transition into college — and to understand their own transition as parents.
As I shared with many parents who joined us at our summer orientation programs, we are so delighted you are along for this ride — your student’s academic journey.
For both freshman and transfer students, the transition to college often is filled with excitement and anxiety. And these feelings can affect parents as well. Please know that while we are always here for your student, we are also here for you.
As I mentioned over the summer, there are many good books on the transition into college. Three that I especially like, and that I mentioned this summer, are listed below. May they aid you in this new journey. We look forward to seeing you on campus!
Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years
By Karen Leven Coburn and Madge Lawrence Tregger
This may be the most well-known book around about sending your child off to college. Using humor and honesty, the authors walk with parents through the transition of your school-age child leaving high school and moving into the adult years of college.
What I like most of all is its developmental approach to the college experience. The authors discuss the milestones for both parents and college students — from the challenging process of applying to college, to moving into the residence halls, and all the way through graduation.
Moreover, the authors examine the three psycho-social milestones critical to the development of young adults: identity, independence, and intimacy.
Don’t Tell Me What to Do, Just Send Money: The Essential Parenting Guide to the College Years
By Helen E. Johnson and Christine Schelhas-Miller
Doesn’t the title say it all? In a very accessible manner this book takes a number of common experiences of college students and provides the student’s and parent’s perspective on a given topic. The authors provide a scenario, provide background into the topic, and then offer helpful hints as to help parents know what can do and how to respond. The authors also discuss what would be best to avoid in a given circumstance.
So much of what you and your student experience is quite normal. What I feel is particularly helpful about this book is that the authors help parents understand the helpful and less-than-helpful ways to approach each situation.
Blessings of a Skinned Knee
By Wendy Mogel, Ph.D.
At first glance it would be easy to dismiss this book, as it’s aimed in large part at parents of children younger than college students. However, in a warm and thought-provoking way, Mogel reminds us that achievements and successes that come easily may not provide our children the experiences they need to grow.
The challenges of college may come in many forms — a lower than expected grade, disagreement with a professor, troubles in getting along with a roommate, or difficulty in managing one’s time. At these moments, we are reminded it is the “skinned knees” in life that teach our children what they will need to become resilient adults.
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