My College:

Meet Adina Glickman! CollegiateParent's advice columnist has practical and compassionate advice on all matters related to supporting your teen or young adult.

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It Was Just a Basic Question

Dear Adina, I read "Did your student hit their first rough patch?" and it sparked a question based on my freshman-in-college daughter's response to me asking about any tests and what she thought about them. Just a basic question...and I was shut down with the answer, "I don't like tests, […] Read More

Will I Ever Stop Missing My College Student?

Dear Adina, Need advice on how to cope with sadness and anxiety every time our youngest son returns to college after being home on break. He’s a junior now but it’s not getting easier for me. Feel depressed and miss him. He attends out of state 8 hours away from […] Read More

What Are My Parental Rights When My Child Goes to College?

Dear Adina, Having a relationship with my 17-year-old freshman is severely discouraged by the other parent and the parent's spouse for several years, although I've managed to stay informed of their education. Until my child realizes the other parent's alienating tactics have been unjustifiable, how can I stay informed of […] Read More

Is My Grad Student's Dream Realistic?

Dear Adina, My daughter is just completing her master's degree in Educational Psychology. She now realizes this degree will not help her towards her dream job of being a school guidance counselor. She is considering starting a new master's degree program. The problem I see with this is that her […] Read More

Is My H.S. Senior Ready to Apply ED?

Dear Adina, How do I know if my child is ready to apply to college ED (Early Decision)? Dear Parent, The decision to apply to a college using the Early Decision process is usually born of two mindsets. The first is one of clarity. The student absolutely without a doubt […] Read More

How Do I Help My Student-Athlete Balance School and Sports?

Dear Adina, My daughter is a student-athlete at the moment. She even enrolled in a recruitment platform and seems to be motivated to pursue to play soccer in college. She complains that training is a lot of work and academics also involve a lot of time. She struggles with her […] Read More

Should I Say Something About My Kid's Racy TikToks?

Dear Adina, Today I saw a couple of TikToks on my 21-year-old’s account that I would call “questionable.” They were sexually suggestive but seemingly in good fun. My main concern is that as a rising senior this could negatively impact his job search if a potential employer were to find […] Read More

Will Encouraging "Safety Schools" Demoralize My Child?

Dear Adina, With application numbers off the charts and no competitive school being a true "safety school," how do you advise your child who works really hard, gets good grades (A-/B+) but is less developed on the extracurricular front to further explore less competitive, less known or established programs? And […] Read More

Do I Have to Support Their Preference for Online Classes?

Dear Adina, What if your student wants to take web-based classes when in-person classes with a live professor are available and the parent would rather that they attend live, in-person classes? Dear Parent, This topic is deep and complicated, and warrants a conversation with your student that begins with your […] Read More

How Do I Get My Kids to Finish College?

Dear Adina, We need professional advice on how to get our sons back to college. They started, and then 2020 happened, and gap semesters and mental health, and now? We cannot get them focused on going back to finish the degrees (one is two-thirds through and the other less than […] Read More
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    2 weeks ago
    CollegiateParent

    For a mother’s love, past present and future. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day filled with cherished memories & moments 💖 ... See MoreSee Less

    For a mother’s love, past present and future. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day filled with cherished memories & moments 💖

    Comment on Facebook

    WHAT THE HECK IS SO WONDERFUL ABOUT LIVING BY YOURSELF??..DID THE WRITER LIVE BY HERSELF BEFORE SHE GOT MARRIED..??..AND APPARENTLY IT WAS NOT SO WONDERFUL FOR SHE GOT MARRIED..…I DO NOT GET YOUR ADVICE ?????AGAIN I ASK….WHAT THE HELL IS SO WONDERFUL LIVING BY YOURSELF..AND BY THE WAY..GOING AWAY TO COLLEGE IS NOT NOT NOT LIVING BY YOURSELF !!..THAT IS LIKE GOING AWAY TO CAMP WITH A MILLION BUDDIES AND CLONES OF YOURSELF…..WHY WHY WE HAVE THIS LOCKSTEP OF COLLEGE IS SO DAMN RIDICULOUS…VERY FEW. WILL GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL…….A GOOD WAY TO GO NUTS IS LIVE BY YOURSELF FOR ONE MONTH…WILL DEBATE THIS ANYTIME..JUST TELL ME WHEN AND WHERE..

    2 weeks ago
    CollegiateParent

    It was my first Mother’s Day mug.

    And I was a Rookie Mom.

    The first of my friends to have kids, I was a bit lost, trying to find my way.

    Throughout the years there have been many times where I have felt like a Rookie Mom.

    When my second child was born, being a Mom to two children now was new to me, in that I was a Rookie Mom and I was a bit lost, trying to find my way.

    But somehow, like all of us, I navigated through the phases of parenthood.

    The ins and outs and ups and downs.

    As my youngest graduates from college in just a couple of weeks, perhaps it is time to retire the Rookie Mom mug.

    But yet this true Empty Nest phase is now new to me, and I am a bit lost, trying to find my way.

    So I’ll hang onto it a bit longer.

    Maybe one day, if I’m lucky, I will trade it in for a Rookie Grandma mug.

    Yes, I already checked. There is one on Amazon.

    For now I will savor the phase where I am, and enjoy a fresh cup of Lemon Ginger tea in my Rookie Mom mug this Mother’s Day, for the 26th time.

    Happy Mother’s Day!

    🩵 ☕️ 🩷

    - Shari Bender
    ... See MoreSee Less

    It was my first Mother’s Day mug.  And I was a Rookie Mom.  The first of my friends to have kids, I was a bit lost, trying to find my way.  Throughout the years there have been many  times where I have felt like a Rookie Mom.  When my second child was born, being a Mom to two children now was new to me, in that I was a Rookie Mom and I was a bit lost, trying to find my way.  But somehow, like all of us, I navigated through the phases of parenthood.  The ins and outs and ups and downs.  As my youngest graduates from college in just a couple of weeks, perhaps it is time to retire the Rookie Mom mug.  But yet this true Empty Nest phase is now new to me, and I am a bit lost, trying to find my way.  So I’ll hang onto it a bit longer.  Maybe one day, if I’m lucky, I will trade it in for a Rookie Grandma mug.  Yes, I already checked. There is one on Amazon.  For now I will savor the phase where I am, and enjoy a fresh cup of Lemon Ginger tea in my Rookie Mom mug this Mother’s Day, for the 26th time.  Happy Mother’s Day!  🩵 ☕️ 🩷  - Shari Bender

    Comment on Facebook

    So heartfelt and true, Shari! I believe we are all always Rookie Moms, all along the motherhood miles, even in our roomier nest years. Because we are always someplace new we've never been exactly with our children before. They are different, we are different, the terrain is different. Thus, the same grace we needed to give ourselves when we were moms to babies is entirely appropriate and needed as moms of young adults or young marrieds or middle-aged kids or career kids or college kids or military kids or workforce kids. All of which is just to say: keep that mug in service ! ❤

    Shari, I love this perspective! There’s always something new we face in every season of motherhood, so in a sense we are “rookies” again and again. How refreshing!! Happy Mother’s Day!! 💝

    I relate to this so perfectly! It’s my 26th Mother’s Day, and my youngest is graduating from college in 6 days! Love this perspective so much, and proud to look back at how far I’ve come!! Bless you, Friend! 💕🙏✝️😇

    3 weeks ago
    CollegiateParent

    Put your best foot forward. The way you present yourself on paper may show a hiring team the kind of employee your might be in the future. bit.ly/3AMq8q1 ... See MoreSee Less

    Put your best foot forward. The way you present yourself on paper may show a hiring team the kind of employee your might be in the future. https://bit.ly/3AMq8q1

    Comment on Facebook

    With a daughter graduating, this is super helpful

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