College Parent Central Podcast

Dr. Lynn Zlotkowski, Director of Advising at Southern New Hampshire University first joined us in episode #061 to talk about Advising and Student Success. We know that no matter how much support students receive from their parents and their college, no matter how much they take advantage of the college resources, some students flounder and fail. In this episode, we asked Dr. Zlotkowski to help us understand some of the reasons stud...

The college admission process can be overwhelming, anxiety-producing, and thrilling all at the same time. We had a conversation with Dr. Aviva Legatt founder of Ivy Insight College Counseling and author of the book Get Real and Get In: How to Get Into the College of Your Dreams by Being Your Authentic Self. Dr. Legatt shared advice for how students can avoid working to impress admissions officers and focus who they truly are in ord...

Although the transition into college in a common topic, we don’t talk enough about college seniors and their transition out of school. In this episode Lynn and Vicki explore the reasons so many college seniors feel paralyzed, disconnected, and anxious. Understanding the factors that influence a student’s ability to cope with the changes they are experiencing can help parents support their student through this time. Parents can help...

We had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Lynn Zlotkowski, Director of Academic Advising at Southern New Hampshire University to talk about the role of academic advising in college. Our conversation was wide-ranging and covered the shifting role of parents throughout their student’s academic career. Lynn brought her tremendous insight, energy, humor and fresh perspective to the discussion of how both the college and parents can b...

As parents, we often worry about how our student will fare in college. But college is just a stepping-stone to the rest of their lives. In this episode Vicki and Lynn discuss the results of a poll conducted by Perdue University and Gallup Inc. that identified six factors that influence graduates’ well-being after college. While colleges have a role in providing these experiences, we emphasized the student’s role in in taking specif...

Bob MacNeil has worked in radio and television for many years, but most recently has served as Internship Coordinator at Curry College and has taught courses preparing college students for their internship experiences. Bob joined us in this episode to share a wealth of information about the things students can do during college to prepare for their career and to set themselves apart from the competition.  Both students and parents ...

Listening is one of the secret weapons for communicating and building relationships. As parents, we often don’t listen very well. In this episode Vicki and Lynn talk about why our students sometimes tune us out and some of the listening habits parents fall into that can become barriers to communication. We share some tips and suggestions and new ways of thinking about this undervalued skill. Good listening takes effort and practice...

So many mysterious terms and acronyms to understand when your student heads off to college! In this second College Lingo installment Vicki and Lynn define and discuss several of the insider terms that colleges use that may not be clear to parents. We cover topics from Accommodations and Assistive Technology to Degree Maps, Degree Audits, Registrar and Academic Probation. We’re only scratching the surface of this new language, but i...

In this podcast Vicki and Lynn followed up on an earlier episode about professionalism by talking about some of the practical things that students can do during their college years to prepare for career. Students who start early and think about all of their college experiences as preparation for the world of work, will have an advantage. We discuss characteristics that will set students apart as well as how to learn and practice a ...

The ever-lengthening road from adolescence to adulthood has impacted students’ preparation for their professional lives. College provides the ideal environment for students to experiment with and practice those skills that will help them advance their future careers. In this episode Lynn and Vicki use Jeffrey Selingo’s book There Is Life After College as a framework for discussing how students approach this task of career preparati...

This is a sensitive and important issue for anyone who has a student living on a college campus. Susan Sorenson, author of the book After Campus Sexual Assault: A Guide for Parents, and professor at the University of Pennsylvania joins us to discuss how students, parents, and colleges deal with sexual misconduct. Susan shares advice on how parents can talk to their student before college as well as how to respond if their student s...

20-50% of students enter college undecided about a major. That’s a lot of students! In this episode Vicki and Lynn unpack some of the reasons students may not be ready to make a decision, some myths about undecided students, and some of the questions parents can ask to help their student take control of the process of exploring options. Being an exploratory student may be the best option for some and will help relieve a bit of the ...

We were joined in this episode by Amanda Morin, author of Adulting Made Easy: Things Someone Should Have Told You About Getting Your Gown-up Act Together.  Amanda shared with us why the skills she includes in her book are so important for this generation of students. We covered a host of topics including how to engage in small talk, how to register to vote, how to find the right fire extinguisher for your first apartment and how to...

We’re thrilled to be celebrating the 50th episode of the College Parent Central Podcast! We hope we’ve shared helpful information, advice and support in our first 50 episodes. We had fun brainstorming 50 helpful tips for parents and students to celebrate our 50th episode. They range from “Go to Class” (for students) to “Don’t Call Professors” (for parents.) Find the suggestions that speak to you and your student and see how many yo...

In this podcast episode we had an opportunity to talk with Laurie Hazard and Stephanie Carter, about their book Your Freshman Is Off to College: A Month by Month Guide to the First Year. This book should be on every new college parent’s bookshelf.  Laurie and Stephanie highlight information about healthy transitions from high school to college, how to support students in their growing independence, and how parents can shift into th...

So many mysterious terms and acronyms to understand when your student heads off to college! In this episode Vicki and Lynn define and discuss several of the insider terms that colleges use that may not be clear to parents. We cover topics from FERPA through disability laws, admission waitlists and various faculty roles. We’re only scratching the surface of this new language, but it should get you started being able to understand an...