Are You Ready? The College Transition

A program to help parents and students plan for the challengs of the college transition.

Today’s high school senior is at risk of a number of mental and physical health risks when he/she enters college. According to Dr. Richard Kadison, Chief of Mental Health Services at Harvard University Health Services, a student in college today has the chance of almost one in two of becoming depressed to the point of being unable to function; one in two that binge drinking will become a regular habit and one in ten students will seriously consider suicide. College counseling centers across the country report increased frequency and severity of students’ mental health concerns.

The transition poses challenges for parents, too, as they watch their child take another big step toward independence and wonder how to stay connected while letting go, especially when the child may be hundreds of miles away.

A curriculum created by UW-Extension in cooperation with college campuses in northwestern Wisconsin aims to help students and their parents to plan ahead for a smooth transition.

UW-Extension county faculty from Washburn, Pierce, Dunn and St. Croix counties conducted local research at UW-Barron County and UW-River Falls, and combined it with additional research from statewide and national sources to prepare a curriculum that focuses on real solutions for preventing problems during post-high school education.

Research Report - Focus Groups (42 pages, 154 KB)

This program will help high school seniors and their parents:

• Understand and manage the normal conflicts that result from this major transition
• Increase communication skills
• Create a plan for the student to use when faced with needing to address these conflicts or issues.
  

Topics covered include:

• best practices for academic success
• financial planning and “who pays for what” 
• staying connected and letting go
• making new friends while keeping the old
• getting along with roommates
• dating
• values
• diversity
• healthy choices
• stress
• sleep, nutrition
• balance
• personal safety
• alcohol and drugs

Teach this curriculum as a three-week program or a two-hour workshop. Curriculum contents include:

• User Guide (11 pages, 87 KB)
• Video on a DVD
• PowerPoint presentations
• Handouts
• Marketing materials

WHERE TO ORDER

Order this curriculum from University of Wisconsin-Extension Publications, The Learning Store, http://learningstore.uwex.edu
Stock No. B3863
Cost: $45

To prepare students and parents for the transition to college, this curriculum emphasizes academics, finances, relationships, and healthy choices. High school students and parents will learn how to understand and manage normal emotions and conflicts, increase communication and problem-solving skills, and create a plan for students to use when faced with specific issues, conflicts, or crises. Contents: one DVD and two identical CD-ROMs (one for parent group and one for student group).

PROJECT PARTNERS

This project was funded through a UW-Extension Program Innovation Fund. Partners included University of Wisconsin-Extension in Pierce and Washburn Counties, University of Wisconsin-Barron County, University of Wisconsin River Falls. Additional partners include UW-Extension Dunn County and St. Croix County.

If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact: