#096 Your Changing Role: Preparing to be a Great College Parent with Andrea Brenner

Flourish Coaching

Nov 14, 2023

In this episode, Lisa and Andrea discuss:

Struggles parents have in the transition between being a high school parent and a college parent.
Start the transition by finding out where your college-bound student has room to grow.
The areas of college readiness beyond academics.
Supporting students as they transition and build resilience.

Key Takeaways:

Start parenting your college-bound student as a college student, even while they’re still in high school.
Parents and teenage students will often have different worries – it is essential to compare those concerns and understand what work can be done while your student is still in high school.
Your student should assess themselves in their study skills, reading skills, and other academic skills. Understanding where they are can help prepare them for more complex skills in college.
Ask your student to come to you with not only their problem but also a possible solution (even if it is just a draft). You can brainstorm it together, but problem-solving is an essential adult skill.

“Families need to take a step back, and students need to take a step up. This is a time for students to become their own fixers.” – Dr. Andrea Brenner

About Andrea Brenner:

Dr. Andrea Malkin Brenner is the President of AMBrenner, LLC, and Founder of the Talking College™ card brand. She’s a speaker and college transition educator who brings 25 years as a “college insider” to her presentations for high school and college audiences.

Andrea is co-author of How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You’re There) (Macmillan, St. Martin’s Press), a student-facing book that guides high school graduates through their transition to college. She is the creator of the Talking College™ card decks, which provide insider tips and discussion prompts for college-bound students and their parents/guardians.

Dr. Brenner was a sociology professor at American University for 20 years, teaching classes to undergraduate students. Andrea also served as the Creator and first Director of the university’s first-year transition course, as Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Sociology, and as the Faculty Director of the University College Program.

Episode References:

#020 Teaching Your Teen “How to College”: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/podcast/20-teaching-your-teen-how-to-college/

Get Lisa’s Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career…(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).

https://flourishcoachingco.com/video