By Kristin Economos, M.Ed., owner and founder of The Life Skills Launch, LLC
As a leadership educator, I’ve spent fifteen years working with high school and college students as they prepare for their transition from late adolescence to early adulthood. While pop culture and societal messaging tout this season as one of excitement and adventure, it can also come with stress, unease, and a general sense of confusion when a “road map” is no longer provided. Here are three essential tips to help you prepare your high school or college student for their upcoming launch to adulthood:
#1 Develop self-awareness
We live in a world that often criticizes young people through over-generalizations about their work ethic, entitlement, or use of technology. Instead of succumbing to that narrative, provide your student with opportunities to identify and celebrate their natural skills and talents. Researcher Angela Duckworth explains that when students develop a sense of confidence from who they are, they avoid the temptation of tying their worth to how they perform. Assessments like the High5 Test or CliftonStrengths™ provide students with language that identifies their natural gifts and provides them opportunities to consider how they might apply those talents in their personal, academic, and professional lives, aligning their natural talents with meaningful work. Providing your student with opportunities to develop this kind of self-awareness gives them a sense of authentic confidence that allows them to try new things and take a genuine interest in the ideas and perspectives of others.
#2 Get organized
Data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers suggests that organizational follow through is the single most important skill needed for young adults to thrive, and one that is often missing among high school and college graduates. The good news is that this skill set can be mastered without any previous experience, and when implemented, can build a great professional reputation. Encourage your student to create an organizational system that incorporates these four items:
- Where to be (calendar)
- What to do (tasks)
- What to reference (notes)
- What to communicate (email)
Once they’ve developed these four components, encourage your student to reference and update each part of their system regularly, identifying necessary tasks and appointments one day at a time to ensure air-tight follow through without being overwhelmed. As best-selling author David Allen says in his book, Getting Things Done, “our brains are for having ideas, not holding them.”Â
#3: Maintain realistic expectations
Data suggests that it takes the average young adult between 12-18 months to feel settled after moving to a new place after high school or college. With this in mind, remind your student to maintain realistic expectations, as it takes a significant amount of energy to get acclimated to a new location, a new home, or a new roommate, particularly when there aren’t other anchoring points of familiarity keeping them comfortable. I often share with young adults that their next step may often feel like the “wrong” choice until it becomes familiar. It’s normal to question or second guess decisions around what to study, where to live, or who to love as students begin a new chapter, but making rash decisions based on limited information is a mistake that can be avoided by setting realistic expectations up front. If your student shares a strong reaction to their new surroundings, remind them that they don’t have enough information to make a well-informed opinion just yet. Encourage them to withhold judgment until they’ve spent at least a full year in a new place before reevaluating how that particular campus, academic major, or first professional job is aligning with their goals and interests. In addition, remind your student that adjustment means discomfort, and while stretching outside of their comfort zone can often feel exhausting, it provides significant benefits in creating resilience and grit; two skills that are crucial for personal and career success.
Conclusion
As a parent or caregiver, your support is a critical part of your student’s launch to their next chapter. Remember that much like a six-year-old on a soccer field, our students can’t get better at something they don’t practice. Encourage them to initiate appointments, speak up with questions, and reach out to find resources on their own first before you step in with your help. If you’re looking for more specific coaching and resources to ease the transition from student life to adulthood, reach out to me for private coaching and group workshops at www.lifeskillslaunch.com or kristin@lifeskillslaunch.com. Have a wonderful start to the fall!