A Publication of Christian Schools International
|
Spring 2014
23
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avebreakmedia
By resisting the urge to step in when
their high school students face a diffi-
cult situation, parents communicate to
them that they believe in their ability to
figure it out. Acknowledging their suc-
cessful resolution of a problem tells
students they have support and trust.
Parents do well to remember that one of the goals of higher
education is to help young people develop the capacity to
think for themselves.
Stretching the technological umbilical cord, or cellphone, is
a relatively new issue for parents. Researchers believe that
reliance on cellphones undermines a student's ability to plan
ahead. The immediacy of electronic communication gives stu-
dents more opportunity to procrastinate and push deadlines.
Planning and managing time are essential tools for college
students. The ability to plan resides in the prefrontal cortex
(PFC), the executive branch of the brain. The PFC is a critical
part of the self-regulation system, and it's deeply implicated
in depression, a disorder increasingly seen as caused or
maintained by unregulated thought patterns--lack of intel-
lectual rigor. Parents can reduce the risk of anxiety and
depression in their child's college experience by encouraging
and modeling consistent daily, weekly, monthly, and semester
calendar systems. Setting goals and seeing progress as they
work toward meeting the goals help students develop strong
feelings of competency and power.
Many high schools do not require the use of an organizer
or planner, so parents and students can investigate what is
offered at the local college bookstore or online. By making
planning a family practice through sharing calendar entries,
parents model the importance of planning in daily life. Daily
evaluation and adjustment of the planner are essential for its
most effective use.
Successful college students have learned how to put all
course assignments and exams onto their calendars within
their planners. High school students can begin to practice
this habit using the class syllabi offered by their instructors
and school calendars provided by the school administration.
The key to successful planning is breaking down each as-
signment into parts. To prepare effectively for an exam or
assignment, students need to identify
exactly what will be covered, gather
the materials needed, and set a start
date and a due date. Some students
find it beneficial to designate an
artificial deadline and a real deadline
in order to give themselves time to
tie up loose ends. This process, called "prep planning," also
breaks the material to be studied into steps, with estimated
amounts of time for each one. Each of these steps should be
assigned a place on the monthly and weekly calendars. By
doing so, students can identify particularly busy weeks and
adjust the study prep times accordingly.
Parents can further help their students develop their planning
skills by encouraging planning throughout the weekend. This
is where students have the most flexibility and opportunity to
make their own decisions as to how to allocate their time. It
is illuminating to many students to see how much time they
actually spend watching television and playing video games.
A physically and mentally healthy student enjoys a balanced
life full of a variety of activities and hobbies.
College students have also discovered that meeting with
their professors is crucial to success in their coursework.
Indeed, research shows that meeting with the professor can
tip up a grade in the course from a B to an A, a C to a B, or
a D to a C. Students who visit their professors report greater
satisfaction with the courses. High school students should be
encouraged by parents to visit with each of their teachers,
preferably right after the first exam. Students are more en-
thusiastic about the process when they go into the interview
with a list of questions. Asking a teacher what led him or her
into the field enables students to establish a rapport that
can transcend into the classroom. Determining what other
students have done in the past to do well in the course can
provide a high school student insight into successful study
strategies. Sharing his or her planner with the teacher dem-
onstrates a high school student's goal of being a successful
student and also allows the teacher to provide clarification on
upcoming assignments.
With the development of a planning system, students are
able to organize their lives and manage their time. Students
who consistently and effectively use a planner increase
the likelihood that their goals will be achieved. Identifying
personal and academic goals, along with a plan to achieve
them, reduces the risk of anxiety and depression in college
students. Parents can support their high school students by
providing them with planners and modeling planning behav-
iors. The skills developed through the process of planning
will serve students well as they navigate the maze of higher
education.
H. E. Marano (2013). A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of
Invasive Parenting. Retrieved from psychologytoday.com.
Dr. Tami Prichard is a freelance writer and adjunct professor at
Wayland Baptist University. She and her husband, Pat, have two
adult children: Carson, a recent Texas Tech University graduate,
and Shelby, a Duke University graduate.
The immediacy of electronic
communication gives
students more opportunity
to procrastinate and
push deadlines.