4 Pitfalls Your Teen May Face In College And How To Avoid Them

This is the concern that should be on your mind if you'll soon be sending your teen away to college. Without the right skills and support network, thousands of teens find themselves unprepared and unable to cope with the demands of college life. In many cases, this means they end up dropping out and moving home. If you don't want this to happen to your teen, look over this list of 4 major reasons they might struggle and see what you can do to get them prepared. 

4) They don't have the right study skills - This is often true for teens with high natural intelligence. They aren't used to having to work hard or study diligently to get good grades. When the demands of college surpass their natural ability to grasp new information, they have a hard time buckling down and working to get good grades.

3) They aren't prepared for the responsibility of independence - Living alone is a big transition, and if your teen is used to having you take care of all their needs it might seem overwhelming to be completely independent. Start making your teen take more personal responsibility immediately so going to college doesn't come as such a shock.

2) They're used to being able to get away with not doing the reading - Preparing for class is much more important in college than in high school. Getting good grades is not simply a matter of showing up anymore. If a teen doesn't realize this right away, they can quickly find themselves falling far behind.

1) They'll be exposed to a lifestyle full of substance abuse - At home, it was easy to control what your teen was exposed to and this included drugs and alcohol. Once they get to college, they'll be surrounded by peers who are encouraging them to experiment with illicit substances. For many teens, the temptation proves too much and they end up using these dangerous drugs.

This article was sponsored by At The Crossroads, helping young adults transition into life.