College Professor Wish List of Skills for Incoming Freshman

By Jan Bridwell Amidon

I see a lot of posts about certain skills your child needs before kindergarten. I’m the college professor at the other side of their journey. I’ve been teaching for 20 years, so I made a quick list of skills that will help your child be successful on this next part of their journey. 

1. How to send a professional email (I.e. not starting with “hey” or “yo”). 

2. Basic skills of ordering food, tipping, paying bills, basic car skills, making appointments, being on time. 

3. Making eye contact and shaking hands. Social anxiety can be a real issue with college students. The more confidence they have socially, the easier it will be to transition to an environment where they are constantly meeting new people.

4. Laundry. Spend a couple of days this summer teaching them, then equip them with some awesome products and a basket in which they can haul it all around. Bonus points if the hamper has backpack straps to free up their hands! 

5. Time management. Most of my students really struggle with managing their time with so many demands. Discuss your own life and how you prioritize your time and then talk about how they can do the same in college. 

6. Setting alarms and waking up. If you’ve been their wake up call since kindergarten, it’s time to stop. Have them be responsible for setting their alarm and waking themselves up. I cannot stress how vital this is in college. 

7. Navigating tough days. There is a 100% chance they will fail an exam, have roommate conflicts, experience a painful breakup or lose a friendship. Often this can snowball into a depression they feel is insurmountable. Make sure your kiddo has coping mechanisms in place. Knowing how to navigate and to ask for help is crucial. 

8. A “code” for emergency situations. My dad and I had a code if I ever needed him to come get me from an uncomfortable or scary situation. It was a “no questions asked” code; I didn’t have to explain the why or how. If you can’t get there yourself, promise them an Uber will be provided for them. 

9. Confidence in them = confidence in themselves! “You got this!” “You can do this!” “I believe in you!” These phrases cannot be said enough! You’ve done an exceptional job preparing them. Love them, let them know they can handle anything life throws at them and that you’ll be there through all of it.. and then watch them become the amazing people you know they are.

Jan Bridwell Amidon is a member of the art faculty at Anderson University and the owner of Tiny Bird Bread & Bakery.