Fun Friday – Your College Student is Home: Five Signs They’re Struggling to Readjust

Photo Credit: University of Southern California

Campus life ended abruptly for college students. Living on their own, coming and going as they pleased, all came to an end. Hanging out with friends was replaced with social distancing. The normalcy they knew, crumpled. The pandemic hit – the Coronavirus, COVID-19, Rona.

My two sons are among the college students struggling to readjust to life back home, unexpectantly, not by choice. They are handling this new experience in unique ways. Just for kicks and giggles, let's look at 5 signs that my son is struggling to re-adjust.

1.      Sleeping in – “Please don’t wake me before noon.” When I gave a response he said, “Most of my friends are not getting up before 2pm.”

2.      Chores – I shouldn’t have to unload the dishwasher; I don’t really live here.

3.      Laundry – I don’t want my clothes washed with the general population.

4.      Disinfecting – Why is MY Lysol being used all the time.

5.      Classwork – This is too much work for only a few points. There’s a reason I didn’t sign up for online classes.

Is your college student struggling with finding a new normal? They’re in the home stretch with the end of the school semester within reach. Keep them encouraged by creating new family memories together. Here are a few tips for keeping your student encouraged.

1.      Work Together – when your student sits down to complete classwork, make this a time that you work on a project as well.

2.      Set a schedule – schedule times for classwork, breaks, and playtime.

3.      Celebrate the small things - you don’t have to wait for a large accomplishment in order to celebrate. My son had to write a two-page (short) paper on a current event on the topic of diversity. He looked exasperated trying to come up with a topic. You would have thought he was asked to write a dissertation. We chatted a few minutes and he came up with a topic. He wrote a paragraph, then needed a break. In his case, small increments or work time are best. We celebrated with a dance break and a short competition on his video game system.

What are you doing to help your college student remain focused during this national pandemic?