As students from physical campuses rapidly make the shift to online learning, many students are back at home, trying to complete their classes online. For those that returned to a residence with a parent or guardian, this can pose an unprecedented parenting challenge. How do you support a student who is trying to tackle online distance learning for the first time? 

A recent article by Dr. Perri Klass for the New York Times tackles just that question. What steps can parents and guardians take to give their online college student the best support they can? Dr. Klass assembled her advice for guardians by interviewing students on a Zoom conference and asking what advice they would give to parents during this time. 

First and foremost, many students mentioned having prioritized time on shared computers when possible. Though this can be tricky to execute given the reality of many adults also working from home, making sure that students have enough time on devices to complete homework assignments and attend Zoom classes when applicable helps to keep them on track with their schoolwork. This also includes being understanding of existing time differences between where a student is and where their classes may be. 

The top request from these students was more space from adults at home when completing assignments. For students used to doing their work in quiet dorm rooms or libraries on their own schedule, suddenly being thrown back into a hectic family household, or having adults checking in on them, can be incredibly disruptive to their progress. Dr. Klass describes this as needing, “less supervision and more support.” It may also do adults well to remember that their child doesn’t have more free-time now that they are at home. Making demands to spend more time with family may very well result in less time to complete required work. 

According to Dr. Julie Lumeng of the University of Michigan, it is also crucial for parents and guardians to remember that college students should be spending time with people their own age or with their same goals – not necessarily with their parents. Giving students time to catch up with friends can reduce feelings of isolation and depression and ensure that the student’s social circle is intact when going back to school.

Another popular request among the students was being understanding of a student’s biological schedule, which may look different than the rest of the household. Demanding a student wake  up early with a parent or shaming them for sleeping late disregards the fact that their routines are different due to late nights of studying, taking classes, or completing schoolwork. 

Finally, the students Dr. Klass interviewed simply requested that parents and guardians be understanding of their students’ stress and sadness through this time. Students are being heavily affected by the events of the world and should be allowed to grieve skipped trips, missing friends, and cancelled events. Being supportive and kind can do wonders for a student’s mental health in a rough time, allowing them to cope better and complete the rest of their work. 

If you have a student at home, this is no doubt a time of unprecedented stress for the whole household. By being supportive and patient with students, they’ll be able to finish the semester strong. 

Read Dr. Klass’ full article here.