Where will they live?
College students are making multiple decisions about living arrangements. Some have been invited back to campus, many have secured apartments with friends near campus, others are taking a leave from school and living and/or adventuring in new places, and still more are living at home. No matter where your college student is living, you want to make sure that you have that conversation about safe living including managing their finances, keeping their place clean, acquiring the supplies they need to be successful, following a positive routine, and staying healthy despite raging pandemic numbers across the country.
Budgets
With regard to managing their finances, it's good to sit down and discuss your child's budget. Similar to living arrangements, budgets will great differ from student to student and home to home. That said, it's important that college students don't incur deep and troubling debt during this time, and that their dollars spent are good investments in quality living and learning experiences.
The long view
You and your college student need to discuss the long view, and how they can work towards that view with the limitations that exist. For example, the isolation that the pandemic brings to many provides a good time to research future internships, jobs, scholarships, and learning/travel opportunities. Encourage your child to think about their dreams for the future and work on how they might make those dreams a reality. It is also a good time to write that resume, organize computer files, and think about the courses that will lead them in the direction they want to go. You might even talk about the kind of lifestyle they hope to have and what that lifestyle demands by way of finances, location, friend groups, jobs, and hobbies too. Working for the long view during challenging times like these can put your college student in a very good place once this pandemic passes.
Celebrations and special events
Put some celebrations and special events on the calendar--events that you can look forward to. For example, my husband and I are planning a road trip this fall that includes stopping in to visit my college son and another son that lives far away. Just knowing that you'll be stopping by, helps to keep your college student focused. Plus you can bring those missing items down to them if they live away.
Celebrations also provide good times to look forward. Think about how you will celebrate with pandemic limitations--perhaps it will be a bike ride rather than a dinner out or a picnic birthday celebratio. Maybe you are all working towards a post-pandemic family trip or vacation. Whatever you decide, having something fun to look forward helps you to stay the course during tough and challenging times like this pandemic.
Good conversation
Pandemic isolations and limitations can prompt you to work on deepening your relationships, conversation, and connections. Take some time to listen to your college student discuss their coursework and how those studies are affecting their outlook about life and choices. Perhaps engage in a shared pursuit such as planning a trip together or participating in a future athletic event. Think about the kinds of conversations that better relationships and move you to more of an adult relationship rather than a parent-child relationship. This will be positive post-covid as well.
Make time to think about how you'll coach your college student during these times. Find ways to discover the potential and promise of this unfortunate episode in our lives and society. If you have more ideas to add to this discussion, please share as I think we're all trying to figure out the best ways to coach our college-age students forward at this time.