What to expect as the kids come home from college

By Suzanne Groenewold
River Valley Community College
The holidays are finally here and family connections at this time of year are so important. Welcoming your college kids home for the holidays after their first semester away can be tricky. Give them space. L isten to their stories. Let them know you are there to support them, no matter what.

This is a busy time of year for New Hampshire’s community colleges as we start hearing from students who did not have the best experience at college during their first semester. Sometimes they cite the cost and the fear of debt they’re accruing; other times, it is the distance from home. It could be they don’t feel supported or have not had good roommates. Hear them out. Let them tell you.

Continuing their studies at a community college has many benefits. Tuition costs are less than half of what they’re paying or borrowing. Living at home will also save your student thousands of dollars in room and board costs. With scholarships available for community college students, many will have little or no debt when they earn their degree. They will also be able to enter the workforce sooner and start earning a competitive wage or transfer to a four-year college.

Community colleges have open, rolling admissions for most programs, which means they can get started right away in the spring semester, transfer the credits they’ve already earned and start working toward a new goal. River Valley Community College offers programs in healthcare, business, accounting, early childhood education, computer science, Liberal Arts, social services and more. Most classes start Jan. 16 and some start even later, in February.

River Valley will also be taking a break over the holidays to reconnect with our families and friends and will be closed from December 25-January 1. For information about programs and courses offered, visit our website at www.rivervalley.edu.

Happy Holidays from all of us at River Valley Community College and the Community College System of New Hampshire.

— Suzanne Groenewold is the director of enrollment and marketing at River Valley Community College.