In this episode, Karen Southall Watts talks about the habits of “A” students, including

* Study skills

* Organizational skills

* Time management

Watts and a colleague developed a workshop called, the Habits of A Students. “We found that many students come to college without all the skills and strategies that they really need to succeed in adult education,” said Watts.

A strong high school student is not necessarily going to be a strong college student. The transition to the adult education world is very different from the high school world. Students have to make the switch from being a student to an adult learner, who has to be much more accountable to their education.

Parents should have conversations with their student about what is required at college. Ask these questions:

* What’s your strategy for doing this?

* How do you plan to finish this project?

* What do you think will happen after you finish this section of your work?

Listen to how they verbalize their strategies. Or are they unable to verbalize their strategies? If so, they should take part in the Habits of A Students workshop.

Inter-Personal Skills

College students also need to have strong inter-personal skills, which include:

* Being polite

* Being on time

* Being able to engage in a conversation with someone whose opinions differ

Preparing High Schoolers for the Transition to College

Again, Watts stresses the importance of working on the inter-personal and accountability side of the transition. “A students are adaptable and collaborative,” said Watts.

* Ask your student for their opinions

* Engage them in conversations about the transition

* Address time management

Technology in Classrooms

With so much technology available today, some colleges have implemented rules about cell phones, tablets, and other devices. “Colleges have a real difficultly laying down the law around technology…because we are dealing with adults,” said Watts.

The Habits of A Students workshop raises awareness about what it means to access technology during class. Using technology in the classroom can mean students are not paying attention and disrespecting the instructor. “We’re looking down the road towards the workplace,” said Watts.

You don’t want your boss and co-workers to feel like you are not paying attention or that you are being disrespectful! “When you go into the workplace, you can really give people your total undivided attention and that’s going to make you stand out,” said Watts.

Big Brother

When students go to college, they do not have someone watching over them to make sure they do their homework. So sometimes they fall behind and do not hold themselves accountable. “That is one of the ways that parents can begin prepping their students to go to college is to provide them with a few opportunities without giving them the structure,” Watts said.

Provide low-stress opportunities to practice the skills of time and task management as well as self-direction. Then when they get to college, it is less of a shock.

Struggling Students

If you get a phone call that your student is struggling, “Resist the urge to be a helicopter parent and go in and try to fix it all,” said Watts. Helicopter parents are those who hover over their children long into adulthood. But students won’t learn anything if the parents do everything for them. The students need to fix things themselves. There are support services on campuses for students to utilize in such cases. Services may include:

* Counseling for stress and relationship problems

* Tutoring

* Accessibility (learning and physical disabilities)

* Coaching/peer mentoring programs

“There’s typically a whole list of things that are available to students,” said Watts.