As they make the transition from high school to college, students also are making a transition into adulthood. They still need support, but they also need some measure of independence. In college they will be expected to (in fact, required to) take personal responsibility for many areas of their lives. You, as concerned parents, can help them do this.

Communicate regularly with your son or daughter. Ask about what projects or papers they are doing for their classes, and about their grades. If they are having difficulty, there could be a number of underlying problems (e.g., not attending class regularly, poor note-taking skills, test anxiety, trouble understanding important concepts, etc.). Encourage them to talk with their UD (or UD-Affiliated) Academic Advisor about their specific problems, and to follow up by getting help from one of IUB's many academic support services (their UD advisor can tell them which one would be most appropriate).

Most of all, just be supportive. It's very common for new students to have difficulty with some aspect-academic, social, or both-of this transition! They need to make their own decisions about how to move through this experience; you cannot do it for them. However, what you can do is be "there" for them . . . and let them know it.