Life Skills in College

Learning happens everywhere!  Our college freshman son is learning so many things in his classes this semester, but I've also been thinking about what kinds of life skills he is developing in and out of the classroom.  He is doing a lot of real life learning!  Going to college is not just about learning knowledge and information, but also about becoming more of an independent, emerging, young adult.  It's a way for students to go outside of the walls of their family home and to stretch themselves and to grow.  Below are some of the specific life skills he is developing in this first year of college:

• How to manage his time, including taking time to take care of his personal needs like eating meals, laundry, exercise, and sleep, besides time for studying
• Managing his finances, keeping tabs on his bank account and spending habits 
• Keeping track of how much gas is in his car, so he doesn't run out!
• How to access all of his online class syllabi, assignments, grades, feedback, and how to keep track of all of this information
• How to communicate with many different people including his roommate, suite-mates, students on his hall, his RA, professors, classmates, advisors, university staff, and other friends 
• Learning more about how he learns and figuring out what resources and accommodations are useful and helpful to him at the college level, with dyslexia and dysgraphia
• How he studies best, what environment is quiet enough for him, what time of day works well for him,  and where he can go to study if he needs a quiet place
• Scheduling classes, how to make changes to your schedule, and knowing that you don't have to stay in a class if it is not a good fit and how to take care of those changes before certain deadlines
• He is still learning about himself and his strengths and weaknesses while he is an Exploratory Studies major, trying out different kinds of classes that may lead to a choice of major or a career interest

I am thankful that our son has been able to go to college this year to learn, to be challenged, and to grow.   He is developing skills that he will use in everyday life for many more years to come.