College will surely be a complicated period for your kids as it probably was for you – a time of challenge, fun, troubles, uncertainty, and potential.

Your teen or high-schooler nears the end of a whole chapter of grade school and starting college, an entirely new book! This comes with many questions and fears that can rack up the closer the high schooler gets to the move-in date. But you shouldn’t fear for them since college isn’t as scary as it may seem – and you’re here to assure them that.

Here are the college fears you can help your high schooler eliminate as early as now.

Making friends and adjusting is hard

Many students fear this as I do back then. If your teen is going to a school far away from home, moving to an entirely new place can be very daunting.

Thankfully, colleges have a variety of clubs with all sorts of interests for students. Your kid simply needs to find a club that catches their eye and they’re bound to find people with similar interests that might start a friendship.

In any case, students will spend a lot of time in classes with people in the same department. They will most likely spend the next four years doing activities together. Plus, they already found one thing in common - the same major!

If you’re like most of us, you also heard this from one or more of your fed-up teachers: “Just wait until you get to college, you won’t get away with this.” In reality, these precaution is all bark and no bite. Heck, some professors don’t even keep track if a student comes to class or not. Regardless, this freedom comes with responsibility, since the professors expect to work with responsible adults. They won’t go around following students to remind about assignments, and they won’t tolerate missing a quiz or exam because a student missed class one day.

Almost everyone but a certain few will experience this. PLENTY of students at universities worldwide aren’t exactly sure what field they prefer. Let your teens know that they have time! Most schools require their students to finish general education classes that introduce a variety of subjects. This is a chance for them to assess which classes they do and don’t like.

It can be, but not always. Sure, it’s a higher level of education, so it’s a given that it will be more difficult and require more work, but if your kids are able to choose the right major and field of study, it can be fun as well to see their personality blossom and develop.

Moreover, many campuses boast huge support networks that can help students with classes they are struggling with.

Money is an issue that will haunt us all in life regardless. However, choosing to go toward an education that can help students be successful in career and get a good-paying job.

Scholarships can also help! And the earlier, the better. Thousands of scholarships online can help pay for your kid’s college. It can aid in the financial burden of college students. Get your teen to start applying ASAP!

If you’re an expat family, then many of the above issues can be even more difficult, which is why choosing an International Curricula like International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) can help your teen effectively prepare for college.

As a background, IBDP is designed for students aged 16 to 19 years, the course offers balanced academic exposure, and lays the foundation for university life. IBDP produces students with excellent knowledge and skills to succeed physically, intellectually, emotionally, and ethically.

College life is definitely a challenging time for any student, but it’s certainly an experience you wouldn’t want your kids to miss. While starting in a new school is a huge step in life, let them know that these fears shouldn’t get in the way of them experiencing the best college life can offer.