Tag Archives: college

4 Steps To Help Kids Prepare For College

06/29/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

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Your kids going to college is one of the bittersweet moments of any parents’ life. While you might be more proud than you could ever imagine, you’re also worried about how they will cope in the big world all by themselves. Of course, there are thighs you can do before they go to college that will prepare them, and this includes everything from knowing how to stand out to how to stay sensible.

Know How to Stand Out

You can help your child prepare for college before they even get accepted to any specific school. For many, this could be what gives them the edge over other applicants, and services such as college consulting will allow them to stand out from the crowd and hit the ground running once they arrive. If you or your partner never went to college, these services can be vital for helping your teen understand what’s expected of them and how to make sure they can handle the work (and the freedom) that often trips unprepared college students up.

Learn Some Independence and Responsibility

Going off to college is often a child’s first taste of freedom, which can go one of two ways. Either they take their freedom for granted, or they understand how to have fun and stay on course. Before they pack their life away and move into a campus dorm, you can encourage them to get a summer job to teach them responsibility and earn some money so that they have some financial independence, as well as an idea of what a career could be, for the semester and beyond.

Encourage Them to Socialize

Back in the day, college students showed up at their dorm and introduced themselves to their roommate for the first time. But, this is not the case any longer. Social media will give your teen the chance to chat with other freshmen starting at the same time. Some colleges will use Facebook or other platforms to put people in touch with one another so they can learn a little about other students, giving them a fledgling network of fellow students (who could become friends) before they even arrive.

Remind Them You’re Just a Phone Call Away

You might be freaking out about your child heading off to college, and although they are putting on a brave face, they might be equally as terrified. They might get cold feet on the day of the big move, so you must be strong and remind them that you’re just a phone call away. You won’t be able to solve all of their problems, but you can offer advice whenever they need you, and this can be enough to encourage them to follow through with their college career and feel confident.

Life’s Next Step

While not everyone will (or should) go to college, there is a significant portion of the teen population that will, and they will have the time of their lives. But, as it is the first taste of freedom for many, there’s a risk of struggling to maintain a routine. By helping them prepare for college, you can send them off ready to succeed, and set them up for life, too.

Guest Post

Back to School Gifts for the College Student

09/22/2016 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Fall is here, and with it, hordes of students are heading back to college campuses across the country. If you have a loved one that’s soon packing up and starting their higher education career, consider these fun and practical gifts perfect for the studious scholar.

Dorm Decor

Cramped spaces, shared bathrooms, and cafeteria food—ah, the joys of dorm living. Help them make their own mark on their living space with some great dorm décor. Instead of sticking to those boring old posters that have more crinkles than a linen shirt, help your college student outfit their living space with some up-to-date art. Finding great, unique pieces doesn’t have to mean spending a small fortune. Sites like Minted.com offer a bevy of art prints that will appeal to every style preference. Order the prints framed or stand alone for a great gift that will help transform a dorm room from a glorified closet into a stylish abode.

A New Backpack

Backpacks aren’t just for elementary school, but the college student you love probably wants something a little more sturdy and stylish than the good old JanSport packs of childhood. As they mature in age and fashion choices, keep up with their changing tastes and make sure they have all the school supplies no matter the class with any of these refined Touch of Modern backpacks. Tailored and high-end, these packs will help them move from school to professional world with ease.

Some Sweet Treats

College students are notorious for their snacking habits, and you can’t go wrong by appealing to these sensibilities. Whether they need some savory snacks to get them through those boring afternoon lectures, or need a bit of sugar power to help get them through those late night study sessions, you can’t go wrong with a delivery from CarePackages.com. Send the package of your choice right to their door to make for a fantastic surprise during midterms or finals week.

Some Fashion Sensibility

If the college student in question is a young fashionista or “fashionisto”, consider contributing to their wardrobe. If you’re not sure about the styles they prefer, or you just have a hard time narrowing down your selections, consider a subscription service like StitchFix. This awesome company will pair your college student with a personal stylist who will send collections

A Special Alarm Clock

We all know college students are notorious for their strange sleeping habits, but if they’ve got a morning class, there’s nothing more valuable than a great alarm clock. Make this gift unique by checking out the Shape Up Alarm Clock. Designed to add a bit of fitness to anyone’s morning routine, this gadget will definitely make sure they’re open for that early morning lecture. When the alarm goes off, they’ll have to stand up and lower and raise the dumbbell shaped clock thirty times in order to turn off the blaring. They’ll make it to class on time and have chiseled arms—talk about a win-win.

The Gift of Experience

Even the most studious of college students needs to take a break from the dingy interior of their campus library and head out into the world to get some real life experiences. What could be better than an experiential gift from FunSherpa.com? This awesome website allows you to type in a zip code, then gives you a list of all the fun activities and experiences available in that area. Whether it’s a day spent white water rafting or time spent galloping sat astride a valiant steed, they’re guaranteed to appreciate this gift idea. It will also help them get more involved in their college town area, and show them the opportunities knocking at every door. Life is about collecting amazing memories—this is one of the most important lessons they’ll learn in their college years.

It’s rare to see a college student on campus without headphones jammed in their ears. Whether they’re listening to educational podcasts or the latest radio jams, you can make sure they hear all their favorite beats and sounds in the highest quality possible with some new experiences.

Life, Parenting

1st Week of NFL Football and I Don’t Care

09/14/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

The 2015 NFL Football season has arrived! This means it’s time to gather round and sit in front of the TV to watch the big game….or a small one if you haven’t upgraded to an 80″ LED 2160p TV. 🙂

Going Mom and I enjoy watching a good game, but we don’t schedule our weekend (or a Thursday / Monday night) around it. For us, a new football season is exciting because of the changing weather and seasonal produce starting to sprout. We still care about football, but we don’t care about all of the excitement from the 1st week of the season. I was involved with sports betting a few years ago, and hated how much it ruled my life, so no more betting or fantasy leagues for me. Although, a lot has changed in the betting world since I dabbled in it. For example, now that sports betting tennessee websites are up and running, this would make it a lot easier for me!

Every year, as the football season approaches, you can feel the excitement all around with stores stocking their aisles with “the essentials”, new TV deals suddenly seem more abundant, and Fantasy Football drafts going on everywhere. And that’s completely cool, but over the years, I’ve found that I’ve lost interest in football hubbub.

Yep, years ago we used to chime in with the excitement, but with each passing season, my wife and I shared the dying of the football flame. Like I said, we enjoy watching football, but most certainly can not sit through an entire game, and will only watch if doesn’t get in the way of whatever else we’re doing.

Take, for example, this past weekend with the first week of the NFL season, we totally forgot because we were focused on cooking, exercise, landscaping projects, and enjoy the outdoors. When we weren’t pinned down by our crazy toddler that is.

Besides, we are more college football fans, and follow our Oklahoma Sooners more than any NFL team. We missed the game against Tennessee (see above reason), but got the highlights, and wow, sorry we didn’t see it! Go Sooners! Although, Avery’s reaction to Mommy’s OU jersey isn’t very promising that she’ll be a fan of our alma mater.

I grew up with a step-dad who sat around watching TV a lot which didn’t leave a good impression. Now, as a father myself, I don’t want Avery to see me staring at a TV when we could be playing together as a family or just sitting and reading to her.

We actually turned on part of a game this weekend and Avery fell silent and just stared at the TV. Our fun, rambunctious little girl turned into a zombie locked in on the bright screen with no awareness of what was going on around her. That was the end of TV for the weekend.

Again, we don’t hate football, and as I said already, enjoy watching a good game, but what I’m saying is that I don’t care that it’s the first week of the season. Probably won’t think much about the second week either. I’ll still root for the Cowboys (just checked and saw that was an awesome win against the Giants) since, by default, they’re our home team, and follow the Sooners a little more, but no matter the outcome, life will go on for us. I was involved with sports betting a few years ago, and hated how much it ruled my life, so more betting or fantasy leagues for me.

What did we do for the 1st week of the NFL season? Well, my wife planned out and started her next backyard landscaping project and I started a new strength routine along with cooking multiple meals including our local, pastured chicken from our CSA. I’m severely deficient with gardening and landscaping, so I helped in the form of manual labor. I see it as an extra workout, Kelley gets my help, it’s a win-win!

In sum, I feel it’s too easy to get wrapped up into the games as I have done in the past, and find it much more rewarding to keep away and be productive around the house. Then, once everything’s done, maybe we can sit down at night to catch the end of a good game.

Did you watch any football this weekend?

Excited about Monday Night Football tonight?

Do you like NFL or College better? Or, like me, don’t get too wrapped up in either?