It’s that time of year when just about everyone, every publication, organization and media outlet is doing a “Year in Review” or “Best Of.” Taking stock is often a good thing. Reflecting is always a good exercise before moving forward. Looking at how we’ve come to where we are often helps us set some goals and find our direction for the future.
So before we look ahead, make plans, make resolutions we probably won’t keep, or set goals for 2023, we’d like to take a moment to look back at 2022.
We invite you to take a few minutes to reflect with us, and to think about how you view your role as college parent. How have you grown into the role over the past year or how have you prepared for the role? Where might you and your college student go next year?
We continue to grow
Numbers certainly don’t tell the whole story, but sometimes they’re a reasonable place to start.
We’ve added 54 new articles to our site this year. We now have over 830 articles! That’s a lot of information, and much of it is still relevant and helpful. If you’re new to this college parent thing, or new to College Parent Central, take some time to browse our topics and find the information you need.
Here are our top five personal favorite new articles this year. Some of them take a new spin on some standard topics. See what you think.
26 Admission Questions You May Not Have Thought Of
Why Your Student Should Visit Colleges They’re Not Interested In
Your Student’s Senior Year of High School Should Be Hard
And here are the most visited articles this year. Some topics don’t change over time.
Should My Student Consider Retaking a Course?
Should My Student Consider Withdrawing from a Class?
Is Your College Student Investing Enough Time Studying?
What to Do If Your Student Is Academically Dismissed from College
15 Tips to Help You and Your Student Cope with Change
Academically Dismissed from College? Ten Steps to Move On
As We Send Them Off – – and Let Them Go: 25 Quotes to Guide You
Still podcasting . . .
We’ve also added 23 new podcast episodes over the past year, including ten interviews with some of the best informed experts in their fields. This year’s interviews have covered topics such as internships, advising and helping struggling students, the admission process, transitions, student health, college cooking and self-advocacy. Check out our full list of all 79 episodes to find what speaks to you.
We looked at the most listened-to episodes this year and there was a wide range. Supporting our college students – whether preparing or transitioning to college or supporting them when they struggle are concerns we all share. Here are the top six most in-demand episodes, including one of our first episodes ever!
#004 – Here We Go! It’s Final Exam Time! (Season 1)
#045 – Transitioning from Summer to College: The Importance of the First Six Weeks (Season 2)
#048 – Your Freshman is Off to College: An Interview with Authors Laurie Hazard and Stephanie Carter (Season 2)
#025 – College Parenting Up Close: When Your Student Lives at Home (Season 1)
#046 – A Story of Hope for Parents of Struggling Students: An Interview with Marie Force (Season 2)
#043 – Using Summer to Help Your Student Prepare for College (Season 2)
Looking ahead
Looking back is important – because it helps us move ahead. As we reflect on the past year, we’re also thinking about where we’re going in the future – at least the near future of 2023.
First of all, we want to continue what we’ve always done. We want to continue to provide as much information and insight as we can to help you prepare and support your student and to find and understand your role as college parent.
So what might change?
- We want to include your voice. We want to know the topics you have questions about or that you’re struggling with. We do what we do to help you – and we need to know what help you need. Please leave us a comment below or send us an email (vnelson@collegeparentcentral.com) and let us know what you’d like to hear or read about. What information/support do you need?
- We will continue share what we’re seeing on the front lines. We’re college parents here at College Parent Central, but we’re also educators out in the field of higher education. We see and hear from our students every day what the struggles are. We want to help you understand what we see so you can better support and guide your student.
- We’re changing up the format for the podcast just a little to find new ways to bring you the information you need. Listen to the first episode of 2023 (releasing January 4, 2023) to learn more.
- We going to focus even more on how to use the high school years to help ready your student for college. Success – and college parenting – begins well before your student enters college.
- Finally, we’d love to meet you in person. While we write and share our thoughts on the website and in our podcast, we think there’s nothing like the conversations we can have in person. If you’d like to have us visit your school, church, or work group – or just a group of your friends, contact us (vnelson@collegeparentcentral.com) and let’s talk about the possibilities. Find out more about what we can share with your group on our Workshops page.
And so we come to the end of 2022. It’s been a good year for most of us as we work to remember what normal life was like before Covid. Students are different because of the experience – and so are we all. But some things don’t change and continue to hold true. We love our children and we want the best for them. We want to support them and many of us need to know how to do that best. We’re here for you as you enter and move through this journey.
As we bid farewell to 2022, here’s to 2023!
Related articles:
5 Words to Share with Your Student for the New Year
Reflecting on the First Year of College
