The Key to College Success: Helping Your Child Identify Core Values

Conservative college students need to find like-minded friends for support.

As parents, we all want our children to thrive in college, not just academically, but also in their personal growth and development. One crucial aspect often overlooked is helping them identify their core values before they leave for college. Understanding their values will provide a strong foundation for decision-making, career choices, and overall happiness. In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of core values and offer some tips on how to have a meaningful conversation with your college-bound child about this essential topic.

Why Core Values Matter

Clarifying one's core values is a foundational necessity before leaving for college

Core values are the fundamental beliefs and principles that shape an individual's character and guide their actions and decisions. They act as a compass, influencing priorities, relationships, and life goals. Encouraging your child to identify their core values before entering college can help them stay focused on what truly matters to them, even amidst the inevitable challenges and distractions that come with this new phase of life.

Start with Active Listening

Parents must take the lead to keep the lines of communication open.

Initiate the conversation with an open mind and a non-judgmental attitude. Create a comfortable environment where your child feels safe expressing their thoughts and emotions. Encourage them to talk about their aspirations, dreams, and fears. Listening actively will enable you to better understand their perspective and help them recognize their values organically.

Reflect on Personal Experiences

As college students develop into young adults they will benefit from learning about their parent's successes and challenges.

Share your own experiences and how identifying your core values shaped your life decisions. Relatable stories can be powerful teaching tools. By opening up about your journey, you not only bond with your child but also illustrate the importance of values in personal growth and fulfillment.

Encourage Self-Exploration

College students need encouragement to explore their world and passions. Help them to synthesize the experience by processing it with friends or family.

Guide your child to ask themselves essential questions:

What matters most to them in life?

What principles do they want to uphold?

What causes or issues ignite passion within them?

Encourage them to consider scenarios where they felt truly happy and fulfilled and explore what values were at play during those moments.

Discuss Potential Challenges

Resilience skills are necessary to stay the course in the face of adversity.

Acknowledge that living by their core values might present challenges, especially in new social and academic environments. Encourage them to anticipate and prepare for situations where their values might be tested. This will empower them to stand firm in their beliefs and make wise choices.

Emphasize Authenticity

Remind your child that embracing their true selves is far more fulfilling than trying to fit in with others' expectations. Emphasize that genuine connections and friendships will arise when they stay true to their values.

Support student's journey to express their true self in the world. It's OK to stop following the crowd.

Helping your college-bound child identify their core values is a valuable gift that will serve them well throughout their entire life. By engaging in open conversations, actively listening, and sharing experiences, you empower your child to make choices that align with their authentic selves, leading to a more fulfilling and successful college experience. Remember, the journey of self-discovery is ongoing, and your support as a parent can make all the difference.

The RISE Student Coaching program developed exclusively for conservative pre-collegiate and college enrolled students, empowers conservative students by teaching resilience and life skills such as communication, confidence, and effective community engagement.

RISE is a cohort based student development program that brings together conservative college students from across the country to learn from and support each other while moving through the “RISE Engagement Strategies”.

The coaching program also has a parent module to build a community of conservative parents and offers a new level of parenting skills that are appropriate for college-age students.

Book a complimentary coaching call with me and let's talk about your student and explore your options. https://www.kristinesposato.com/registration