Your College Partner Program
Your child has made it out of high school - congratulations! But it seems like as soon as the celebrations are over, the worry begins. You’ve picked out and purchased all of the dorm supplies, but can’t help wonder if your child is prepared for the demands of college. You wonder:
“Are they actually ready to handle COLLEGE?!?”
Maybe you’re worried your child will fall behind or become overwhelmed, and the semester will end up being a waste of time and money.
These worries are valid. Nationally, 30% of college students drop out during or after their first year*. These fails are costly - costs in the form of thousands of wasted tuition dollars and crushed hopes.
Starting well is crucial to ongoing college success.
A strong start sets students up to take on increasingly difficult challenges. On the other hand, a student who struggles in the beginning has a much harder time catching up and staying on track to graduate in four years.
To achieve that strong start, it is crucial to have the right supports in place from Day 1. As a college professor, I witness the need for this support first-hand each year as some students flounder and fall, while others thrive.
College is different
College is different - in so many ways - from anything your student has experienced before, no matter how well they did in high school. For some students, this results in overwhelm, a top complaint among college students. Overwhelm snowballs quickly into missed work, an inability to complete courses, and failure.
I can help!
That is why for more than 20 years I have worked to support students as they start college. I teach tried-and-true methods for school success - helping students build the habits and mindsets, along with the confidence and capability they need to thrive during their first year of college. And beyond.
Many students have already benefited from their time with me! Meet two of them and hear how working with me helped them achieve a strong first year of college:
Matt's story
Matt was a generally good high-school student who entered college with a mix of effective and ineffective study habits. He left California for a selective private university in Texas. He followed my program in his fall semester and avoided the common pitfalls of new freshmen:
overwhelm and procrastination.
Here’s how his mom describes the outcome of the program:
“I’m just so impressed by you in every possible way. Your kindness, thoughtfulness, caring touches, combined with your brilliant coaching expertise is simply magnificent. With your help, our son is not only getting by, but THRIVING. He has found new academic confidence and has developed, with your help, a toolkit for goal-setting and time management. I feel so lucky to have found you...It’s wonderful to know that someone like you is caring for him during this transitional time.”
Julia's story
After dropping out of two colleges in two consecutive years, she began a new college with my program at her side. She took on a new major of Art & Design at an intensive school in downtown Minneapolis. Through hard work and a changed outlook on her academic abilities, she ended the first semester with a high GPA, top of her cohort. She says:
“Tina showed me that I am fully capable of doing well. I just had to hold myself accountable and set goals in new ways. I learned how to break things down into little milestones that made my schoolwork much less overwhelming. I started college unsure of myself. I wanted to do well, but I didn’t know if I could. Now I am much more in control of my learning.”
Your student can benefit from these strategies and support through my online program, Your College Partner: Foundations for Success.
Through participation in this program, students gain:
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Specific tools for time management, organization, and motivation
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Insights about effective engagement with faculty and campus staff
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Structured practice for study habits that work
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Perspectives on college-level assignments, including massive reading and writing assignments
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A supportive partner when the going gets tough (and it always does)
What is included in the program:
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8 weekly modules specifically designed to address the key problems faced by first-semester college students
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Each module includes:
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a short, engaging video about the topic
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a planning guidebook for designing personalized action
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a live group discussion
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an interactive chat with me to ensure progress
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$249 by July 31
$299 starting August 1
BONUS: If you book your spot before August 1, your student will get access to my Finals Week prep series in November and December. They include small group webinar-style meetings to help students plan out their finals’ strategies and calendar. During a follow-up meeting, each student can then tweak or update their plan. These sessions give the boost and structure most students need to get over the finish line well.
Learn more at Your College Partner
We all do better when we're in a community!
Join the free Your College Partner Facebook group for parents of college-aged students.
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Won’t my student be too busy with their classes and activities to take on an extra program like this?Your College Partner program is purposefully short and sweet--all the components can be done in less than an hour using separate 20-minute chunks through the week. And the work addresses already existing assignments, so using YCP actually makes your student’s “regular” school work go faster. For tips on how to suggest YCP to your student, see this brochure.
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What if my student doesn’t do the YCP modules?The weekly interactive step of the program requires each student to submit their action plan, based on what they learned in the video and pdf guide. If a student misses 2 plans in a row, their parent or guardian is notified of the missing interaction. At that point they can get back on track or cancel (if it’s still in refund period).
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What if we start the program, and it’s not a good fit?"No problem. YCP is fully refundable until week 4. Try the first 3 weeks and decide for yourselves whether the extra support is worth the investment.
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I think YCP is a really important add-on to my child’s first semester! How can I get him/her/them to see it as a good idea?You’re right to note that we must have the student’s buy-in in order for the program to work. Fortunately all students have one thing in common: they want to do well. (If they don’t, they are intentionally sabotaging their future, and we should consider some more serious interventions about that!) I take that central desire for success and couple it with lots of humor, good will, and expert support. This recipe usually converts even the most skeptical of students. For tips on how to suggest YCP to your student, see this brochure.
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What if they follow the program, but forget the ideas after their first semester?"Great news! You get to keep the YCP modules forever. I always recommend that students go back in a year and re-watch to parts that would serve as helpful reminders. They can re-work the planning guide and create limitless action plans to help them manage the increasing challenges of their future.
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Doesn’t my child’s school already offer support like this? Why pay extra?Possibly, yes. Every institution is different. The effectiveness of support services varies widely, but more importantly, whether a student fully engages those services varies even more widely. Some reasons that campus support may be less effective: Because their services are on campus, some students are reluctant to show up. They may feel uneasy about which classmates they’ll see and/or whether it’s safe to talk about faculty problems there, etc. Many students report that even the best-run support centers are mass produced, serving thousands of students at a time. YCP has a smaller, limited enrollment so that I can provide more personalized attention to each student cohort. Most college support services are not run by college faculty of education--my knowledge about student learning and my perspective as a professor is unique and impactful. One module in YCP guides the students to get to know the campus services that are available to them. I see YCP as a vital stepping stone to students learning how to use their campus support options more effectively, whatever those supports are.
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Can I be inside the program too? I’d like to see what they’re learning.Sorry, this one is a no. Given the vital role of independence in college, students need to do YCP alone. Including parents inside the work reduces its effectiveness. Of course I hope your student will fill you in on their experience--and if it’s less than super happy, let me know. Also, our “syllabus” of modules is on this site to inform you of the key topics. You are, however, strongly encouraged to join my free Facebook community “Your College Partner,” a group just for caring parents like you! You’ll meet other parents and can post questions and responses to others.
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I’m still not sure if this program is right for us. How can I get more information?Let’s chat! Use this form (link to website) to request a call and I’ll gladly talk through the decision with you and your student. I’m fully committed to the success of every student and will gladly dialogue with you about your situation.
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I’d like to purchase this program, but money is tight. Are there any discount options?"I am committed to providing this program to any student who needs it. If you and your family are experiencing financial hardship, I’ll be glad to identify ways to reduce the cost for you. Use this form (link to website) to request a scholarship and we can go from there.
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What about students whose parents aren’t able to advocate for them? Am I hurting them by providing more opportunity and privilege to my child?Equity in education is a serious concern for me, as an education professor and former school social worker. We strive to offset this problem by donating 10% of all YCP profit to organizations that address educational disparities. Fall 2020 donations will be made to Breakthrough Collaborative. Know that while your student is doing well, you’re also doing good in our world through our contributions!