Crucial Conversations for College Students

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Crucial Conversations:

Keys to Open Dialogue with Your Returning College Student

So, your son or daughter is home from college for the summer. Here’s a list of questions to open honest, crucial conversations to help them process their college experience as well as their goals and choices going forward.

What are you learning at college? Is what you learned this past year interesting to you such that you want to continue? If not, why?

Are you learning anything about yourself and your passions/interests based on the classes you’re in? Do you feel supported and growing in those passions and interests?

Is there anything you’ve learned in any class that made you question core fundamental beliefs you held before attending that class?

Have you found your opinions or beliefs or core values changing as a result of what your professors say or what you’re reading or by talking with your friends?

Do you find your values or way of life supported or criticized by what you’re learning and/or hearing?

Have you made any meaningful friends? If so, what kind of activities are you doing to bond with those friends?

Have you found a faith community that you feel part of?

What are you most proud of this past year? What do you wish you had done differently?

Do you feel you’ve grown in any specific areas this year? What contributed to that growth?

Is there anything you would like to change as you look ahead to the next year of your education?

What are the best ways that we as your parents can support and encourage you this summer?

What would you like us to pray about with you?

If you discover that your students’ faith, values, and rights are being seriously challenged at college, there are several great organizations to help. They are also great to prepare your student BEFORE they go to school;

  • Summit Student Conferences: apologetics training for young people to know why they believe what they believe.  (Summit.org)
  • Leadership Institute/Campus Reform: trains students to stand up against ideological attacks. (CampusReform.org, LeadershipInstitute.org)
  • ADF: free legal support for those students whose constitutional rights are being trampled. (ADFLegal.org)

Our key message as we have these conversations with our college student?

We love you, we want to ensure that the path you’re on is going to lead you to experience the full life Jesus has for you!

“We are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created to do good works, that God has prepared in advance that we might walk in them!”

Ephesians 2:10