Parents, the student and life at 3rd Level - free talk for parents

So much focus is placed on the points race that we, as parents, spend our  time during the Leaving Certificate cycle motivating our children to study, guiding them on the right career choices, ensuring that they have completed their CAO forms correctly and other such important issues, that we ourselves fall into the abyss of ignorance regarding the life of our children when they enter third level institutions.
 
It is when the 18 year old starts 3rd level education that we realise for the first time that the contract between the college/university and our children has no place for us – it has in fact absolutely nothing to do with us as far as the third level establishment is concerned. It is between your child and them. For the most part, 3rd level eduction runs smoothly but, in those early months there can often be a sense of loneliness and uncertainty for the student. Worse still, realisation of wrong course choice or even career path can appear.
 
Our support as parents needs to be there at these critical times. We need to be armed with information, need to be aware of the issues and have the information to offer our child, or under the terms of the contract mentioned earlier, our mature 18 year old.
 
COMPASS (Co-operation of Minority Reliions & Protestant Parent Associations (Post Primary) has organised a talk for parents entitled "Cracking the College Code".  Aimed at parents, its speaker Catherine O’Connor, an educational consultant who works as student recrutment specialist at Trinity College, will be giving a free talk on Saturday 23rd November beween 10am to 1pm at Dundalk Grammar School and the parents of Stratford are welcome to attend.
 
Catherine’s talk will address the changing relationship between students, parents, schools and addresses the many challenges faced by students making the transition from secondary to third level. Catherine examines the demands placed by the college system and questions the expectations of parents and students alike in the current economic situation. Moreover, she explains the support systems within the third level institutions – an invaluable source of information to both parent and student even before they cross the threshold.
 
Should you like to register please contact the school or email stratfordcollegepa@stratfordcollege.ie.

Stratford College Parents Association

[Image: www.ucd.ie]