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

College and Career Clarity

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
Connect with Andrea:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/andreambrenner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamalkinbrenner/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ambrennerllc/
Website: https://ambrenner.com/
Talking College™ Cards: https://www.ambrenner.com/shop
Connect with Lisa:
Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co