PARENTING/LIFE
Navigating College Life When Things Don’t Go as Planned
Helping your child adjust when the college experience isn’t all it was cracked up to be
“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” — Kakuzo Okakura
At a recent gathering, I had a heartfelt talk with an old friend I’ll call Pam.
We met years ago while volunteering for a PTA workday at our daughters’ elementary school. They’d both been in the same gym class, so we introduced them, and they quickly became best friends — inseparable all the way through high school. Sadly, as happens, the girls drifted apart after graduation and lost touch. Pam and I, though, managed to hold onto our friendship.
But back to the conversation.
Pam opened up about the struggles her daughter, let’s call her Vanessa, has been facing. Vanessa just started her freshman year at a large public university, and it’s been anything but smooth.
Most of Vanessa’s high school friends ended up attending a big city university surrounded by restaurants, clubs, and even boating. But Vanessa ended up in a small, quiet town where not much is happening.
She feels isolated and hasn’t adjusted…
