High School

Teacher/Student Contact
Contact closer and more frequent (5 days a week).

Competition/Grades
Academic competition is not as strong; good grades can often be obtained with minimum effort.

Status
Students establish a personal status in academic and social activities based on family and community factors.

Counseling/Dependence
Students can rely on parents, teachers and counselors to help make decisions and give advice. Students must abide by parents' boundaries and restrictions.

Motivation
Students receive stimulation to achieve or participate from parents, teachers and counselors.

Freedom
Students' freedom is limited. Parents will often help students out of a crisis should one arise.

Distractions
There are distractions from school, but these are partially controlled by school and home.

Value Judgments
Students often make value judgments based on parental values; thus, many of their value judgments are made for them.

College

Teacher/Student Contact
Faculty members are available during office hours (posted hours each week) and by appointment to address students' concerns.

Competition/Grades
Academic competition is much stronger; minimum effort may produce poor grades.

Status
Students can build their status as they wish; high school status can be repeated or changed.

Counseling/Dependence
Students rely on themselves; they see the results of making their own decisions. It is their responsibility to seek advice as needed. Students set their own restrictions.

Motivation
Students apply their own motivation to their work and activities as they wish.

Freedom
Students have much more freedom. Students must accept responsibility for their own actions.

Distractions
The opportunity for more distractions exists. Time management will become more important.

Value Judgments
Students have the opportunity to see the world through their own eyes and develop their own opinions and values.

Adapted from Mullendore, R.H. and Hatch, C. (2000). Helping your first-year college student succeed: A guide for parents. Columbia, S.C.: OCM. and Texas A&M University (2000).