Tips for Success

Top 5 ways to pray for your student as they decide on their college

Pray your student will find a university that will help them discover their God-given purpose … their divine design.

Pray that your student will find a university that can provide them with a life-giving community.

Pray that your student will find a university that will come alongside them on their spiritual journey.

Pray for a positive roommate experience and the establishment of life-long friendships.

Pray that your student will find a university that equips them professionally, not just for a career, but for work that gives them personal fulfillment.

Tips to help your student adjust to college life

Visit ahead of time

While visiting a university's campus and surrounding area should be a key part of the decision making process, it should also be part of the preparations before campus arrival, because then the campus and city will feel more like a second home . Sign up to visit SEU anytime at SEU.edu/visit . In fact, SEU offers in-person and virtual Fast Track Orientation sessions each summer for students who are starting classes in the fall These sessions give students the chance to not only visit campus and meet other students, but also to take care of many items that are usually handled during Welcome Week in August .

Set up a budget

If your student hasn’t managed a budget before, now is a great time to start . Before they leave for campus, discuss the expenses they are responsible for and the anticipated source(s) for how they will be paid (e .g . financial aid funds, their wages from a job, help from you, etc .) .

Advise healthy time management and life balance

Students who focus too hard on academics burn out quickly, while students who don’t focus enough struggle to achieve their goals Encouraging balance between activities and studying is key . . . and remember, we have plenty of resources at SEU to show them how .

Encourage healthy relationships with their friends/roommates

College friends and roommates can become a wonderful source of support for your son or daughter Encouraging them to form friendships from the beginning makes for a much more pleasant and productive college experience and can result in long-term friendships .

Give them the freedom to change their mind

College is a time of learning, but it’s also a time of self-discovery . Many students end up majoring in the same field as originally planned, but just as many have an experience that shows them a new path Knowing that they have the freedom to go where they feel they are being called will set them up for an even higher level of success

Encourage them to get involved on campus

The more students are engaged in campus life and activities, the more connected they feel to the campus community . In fact, most students who have transferred to SEU from other institutions are quick to say how welcoming the SEU community is in contrast to their prior schools .

Allow them time and space to get adjusted to campus life

Adjusting to college life takes time … and just how much time varies from person to person

There is no set time frame in which students will feel adjusted Some students feel settled after just a few days while others feel more acclimated after several weeks (or even months) have gone by .