Parent to Parent

Congratulations! 

You have successfully raised a child to adulthood who is now primarily responsible for their own future. That means your role as the parent of a student is changing to one of support. For some of us, that was the toughest challenge. However, I would strongly encourage you to allow your student to establish their independence. (That means, at the very least, letting them get themselves up every morning and dealing with their professors.) Empower them to take responsibility for their success as well as their failures.

Encourage your student to stress academics as top priority. Even students who were successful in high school generally are not fully prepared for the amount of study time required to be successful at the college level and the amount of discipline it takes to set goals and stick to them. There are so many activities to become involved in that it can quickly become overwhelming to a new student who wants to try everything.

Stay involved with your student. Set up regular communications and ask things like how classes are going, how much studying they have to do, and if they are building a support system. Also, attend things like Parent’s Weekend, Terry Tailgates, etc. You will know faster than anyone if there are issues that need to be addressed if you have good communication and involvement.

Above all, remind your student that they have worked hard to get where they are today. There are so many people who believe in them. In addition to your love and guidance, they have lots of support available from the Terry Foundation and Heather Medley. I have to say that, as the parent of a Tech Terry Alumni, I couldn’t have asked for a better extended family for my child. I know you will soon see what I mean.

Best wishes,

Lorrie Coop
Brittany Coop's Mom