A Transitions Guide

for Parents and Families

Students as Emerging Adults

As a supplement to our Supporting Transitions calendar, we’ve developed a list of “typical” college student issues based on research and practical experience for students after their fi rst year of college and beyond.

Jeffery Arnett (2004) defi nes emerging adulthood as the period in life from 18-29. He coined this time period “emerging adulthood” because most people in this age range do not consider themselves adults. While students in the 1950’s were eager to “settle down,” young people today see marriage, home, and children as obligations they will eventually want, but not yet. During college, students are exploring their identities and trying to answer questions such as “What kind of person am I,” and “What kind of work would I enjoy?” (Arnett, 2004). This time period can

During a student’s second year the initial transition to college is over. Looking again to William Bridges’ model, students have likely left the Ending, Losing & Letting Go phase and are fi rmly planted in the Neutral Zone. While the Neutral Zone will look different for every student, reality often hits hard for second year students as they try to make meaning out of life, fi nd out who they are, decide on a major, and deal with peer pressure. This period in their life is often challenging and a distinct period of growth occurs as a result (Schaller & Hunter 2011).

Nash & Murray (2010) say meaning develops in spiraling layers; that sophomore students transition from self-centered decision making to becoming more cautious and thoughtful about their decisions. An example of this can be seen in student involvement.

seem very self-focused as students explore, branch out, and move frequently, trying to answer these questions (Arnett 2004).

Involvement might shift from following friends to a student organization meeting to joining an organization because they believe it is a good cause. Perhaps you have seen this refl ected in your second year student. The following model provides a visual of sophomores’ decision-making development.

In the Sophomore Year

For today’s young people, the road to adulthood is a long one. They leave home at age 18 or 19, but most do not marry, become parents, and fi nd a long-term job until at least their late twenties. From their late teens to their late twenties they explore the possibilities available to them in love, work, and more gradually toward making enduring choices. Such freedom to explore different options is exciting, and this period is a time of high hopes and big dreams. However, it is also a time of anxiety and uncertainty, because the lives of young people are so unsettled, and many of them have no idea where their explorations will lead (Arnett 2004, p. 3).

In addition, sophomores often see their lives on an extensive continuum. For example, sophomores’ commitment to majors range from “I have no idea what I should major in” to “I came to CSU to be a civil engineer.” Sophomores often sense everyone else seems to have a plan in place and they are somehow “behind.” It is normal for students to be concerned about majors…it is also normal to be a little restless and ready to move on to more challenging classes. This makes it even more important to support students. Schaller and Hunter (2011) represent meaning making through the following graphic:

Students during their sophomore year have many tough decisions to make and life-choices to navigate involving academics, where to live, and getting involved - among other things. Here are a few questions to ask your student to help him or her navigate “year two” of the college experience. Academics • Did you know you must declare a major before you reach 60 credit hours? • Have you explored resources offered at the Career Center and through your Academic Adviser?

Living off Campus • Have you contacted Off-Campus Life to learn more about City ordinances and laws, being a good roommate, and a good neighbor? • Have you developed a budget for the year?

Getting involved on campus • Have you gotten involved on campus or taken on a leadership position? Or do you have an on campus job? • Have you checked out the Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement Offi ce, (SLiCE), Campus Activities, or the

Greek Life Offi ce for involvement opportunities?

Study Abroad • Are you considering a semester abroad? Have you talked with the staff members in the Study Abroad Offi ce or visited their website? How will we pay for this semester? How will this impact the 4-year plan to graduation?

Health and Safety • Do you know about the safety resources offered to you on campus? Have you tried to use the blue

light safety phones, Safe Walk, Ram Ride, and other safety precautions as needed?

It is important to remember the sophomore year is a time of learning and development. Students are struggling to make meaning, develop values, and learning to make choices (Schaller & Hunter 2011). This can make this year challenging, but exciting. Be sure to ask questions about their major, housing choices, and friends. They will appreciate you checking in with them.

(SLiCE), Campus Activities, or the

Authur Chickering developed a theory that provides an overview of the development issues faced by college-aged students. Chickering’s theory can provide a great deal of information about your junior student’s development. As can be seen in the chart below, junior students are developing mature relationships, establishing identity, and purpose. Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn (2010) write about what this means in terms of student development. In terms of relationships, this means that they are building lasting relationships that include acceptance and appreciation

Evans, N, Forney, D, Guido, F, Patton, L, & Renn, K.(2010).

of differences. Identity development is about comfort with one’s own identity including gender, race, sexual orientation, a sense of one’s cultural heritage, and a clear concept of self. Junior students are also actively developing purpose. Purpose involves students attempting to fi nd a life direction that makes sense (Evans, et al 2010). Junior students begin developing clear vocational goals, making meaningful commitments, and establishing strong interpersonal commitments. The graphic below is a visual representation of this development on a timeline of the college years.

In the Junior Year

Students may experience moving from dependent thinking to asking for advice and developing an interdependent relationship with parents and family members. To foster this type of development, think of your relationship with your student as a partnership. In partnering with your student, you might consider the following questions:

Academics • How do you access tutoring and workshop resources offered in your academic departments? • Have you considered asking faculty members for undergraduate research opportunities?

Leadership • Describe the leadership opportunities you have found to gain experience and make yourself more marketable in the workplace. • How do you search for leadership positions in professional organizations?

Preparing for internships / Careers • Tell me about your summer plans. Have you considered an internship? • Describe your mock interview experience. Tell me about your resume. • What do you think you will want to do as your first job? Have you started to explore different job openings?

In the senior year of school, students are still immersed in emerging adulthood and might not be ready to “settle down” immediately after graduation. Arnett’s research shows students are working through five factors as they are emerging adults: identity exploration; instability in love and work; self-focusing to find what they really want; feeling in-between – not a kid, but not quite an adult; and the possibilities of what could be. This doesn’t end with graduation. It is important to continue asking your student questions as they move from a “life plan” to a “life Plan” with a capital “P” (Arnett, 2004).

Academics • Your course work is increasingly difficult. How can I best support you?

Job search • Have you attended one of the career fairs hosted by the Career Center or participated in one of the individual Colleges on-campus interviews? What was this like?

In the Senior Year

• How are you going about your job search? Are you taking into consideration personal preferences, such as location and work/life balance, and position characteristics, such as opportunities for advancement, when making a final decision? • What is your ideal job after graduation? What is your plan to get to your dream job?

Graduation • Have you met with your Academic Adviser to ensure all graduation requirements have been met and all forms through the Registrar’s Office are complete? • Have you accomplished the 101 Things to do Before You Leave CSU, as recommended by Today@Colorado State (www.today.colostate.edu/ story.aspx?id=1728)? Which ones were the most fun? • Do you have a graduation party planned? Can I help with arrangements?

Alumni Association • Have you considered joining the Alumni Association to connect you with networking and career resources after college?

Life beyond Colorado State • What is your plan to repay student loans? It might be good to use a free tool like mint.com to create a budget. • Have you researched average starting salaries for college graduates in your field? • Where will you live after graduation? Will you move back home to save money or get an apartment?

Beckman (2011) notes it is rare for a student’s first job to be his or her dream job. Encourage your

student to make the best of the situation, do the work, and leave with an excellent reference. It is also helpful to have a conversation with your student about realistic expectations in terms of salary, professionalism in the workplace, time off, and work ethic.

Finally, you may remember William Bridges’ Transition Model (shown below) shared during Orientation when your student began at Colorado State. Students will soon be moving through the Ending, Losing, Letting Go phase, the Neutral Zone, and will eventually Look Forward to New Beginnings in their adventures post-graduation. You may also go through these phases as you transition into being the parent or family member of a college graduate!

References

Arnett, J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens to the twenties. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Beckman, S. (2011, April 6). Eight post-grad pitfalls you must avoid. USA Today College, Retrieved from http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/blog/8-post grad-pitfalls

Bridges, W. (2004). Transitions: Making sense of life’s changes. Cambridge, MA: De Capo Press.

Evans, N., Forney, D., Guido, F., Patton, L., & Renn, K. (2010). Student development in college theory, research, and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Nash, N., Murray, M., & Daloz Parks, S. (2010). Helping college students find purpose: The campus guide to meaning-making. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA.

Schaller, M. & Hunter, S. (2011). The sophomore year: A touch point for finding purpose. Proceedings of the NASPA Annual Conference.