Resources for Families
Welcome to our resources page, designed specifically for families with college students in arts and humanities fields. Here, you'll find valuable information and tools to help your student navigate their career path, from internships and networking opportunities to skill-building workshops and job search strategies, ensuring they are well-prepared for a successful future.
Supporting the College Transition
- Financial Essentials
- FAFSA & CADAA: Submit forms early; Parents may need to provide tax information. Visit studentaid.gov.
- Cal Grant / Scholarships: Check eligibility and deadlines! (GPA, Confirm Attendance, etc.)
- Family Contribution:
- Discuss the budget, savings, and how expenses will be covered. Understand the costs of housing, books, travel, and more!
- Contact the financial aid and Basic Needs & Student Support office to discuss support
- Tip: Revise the Financial Aid award letter and the estimated cost of attendance sheet
- Emotional readiness
- Encourage Independence!
- Support students as they take charge of their academic and professional journeys. Whether starting fresh, transferring, or returning, remind them you’re there if they need extra support.
- Let them manage their schedule, deadlines, and new responsibilities
- Encourage them to seek out faculty and upper-division opportunities
- Trust and celebrate their ability to juggle academics, work, and personal expectations
- Support them in building new friendships and peer networks
- Remind them it’s okay to ask for help when needed
- Encourage reflection on their personal and academic growth
- Encourage Independence!
- Set Expectation
- Respect Study & Work Time!
- Help students set boundaries so they can focus on coursework, jobs, and personal responsibilities
- Promote Life Skills!
- Encourage independence with cooking, laundry, budgeting, managing daily tasks, and navigating campus resources
- Encourage students to seek solutions, make decisions, and advocate for themselves while knowing guidance is available
- Remind transfer and returning students to use previous coursework, work experience, or life skills to succeed in new settings
- Support students in managing stress, building healthy routines, and scheduling downtime by sharing your own strategies and experiences
- Tip: Encourage your student to visit Academic Advising to create a plan for graduation
- Tip: Believe in them every step of the way! Their confidence grows when they know you trust their journey, no matter the path they’re on!
- Respect Study & Work Time!
How Can I Get My Student Involved?
Communicate
- Ask open-ended questions about campus life and give advice when necessary.
Campus Resources
- Remind students about on-campus support like tutoring, counseling, and career centers.
Campus Events
- Join your students for campus events, lectures, or sports.
Family Events
- Attend orientation programs or participate in family weekends.
Informed
- Regularly check in with your student through calls, texts, or video chat.
Clubs
- Suggest attending club fairs and activities.
Organizations
- Or by joining organizations by browsing options in campus directories.
Independence
- Offer guidance and listen, but encourage your student to solve their own problems.
Parent Communities
- Join Parent associations to stay informed and engaged
- Volunteer for campus events or mentoring opportunities.
Foster
- Encourage your student to join clubs, study groups, or residence hall activities.
Connections
- Support community service or campus service projects to help them connect with others.
Advocate
- Participate in parent advocacy groups to help improve the campus experience.
Stay Informed
- Familiarize yourself with campus resources to better support your student.
Looking for Ways to Support your Student?
College can be a big change for students and parents. Even if it's your first time, staying involved and offering support can make a big difference in your student's success.
4 Ways to Support
- Have conversations
- Show interest in your students' school life
- Talk about their interests and goals
- Ask how their classes are going
- Listen and offer encouragement
- Be Open-Minded
- Support your students' major even if it's unfamiliar
- Focus on the skills theyre learning, not just the major
- Encourage them to try new things
- Remember: college is about growth and exploration
- Get Involved
- Stay updated so you can better support your student
- Learn more about your students' school life
- Attend campus events when possible
- Meet faculty, staff, and other parents
- Stay Informed
- Strengthen your bond through shared experiences
- Learn about your students' majors and classes
- Explore career options tied to their field
- Use school websites and parent resources
Quick Tips for Communication & Advocacy
Communication
Why is effective communication important?
- Builds Relationships
- Networking
- Receive clarity in learning
- Ask clarifying questions, participate effectively in class
- Understand assignments more thoroughly.
- Engage in collaborative learning
- Advocate for your needs
Self Advocacy
- What is self-advocacy?
- The action of representing yourself or your views/interests.
- What does it mean to be a self-advocate?
- You are responsible for your education in college
- You are the main person who ensures your rights are respected
- Does NOT mean you have to do everything yourself
- Friends, family, and even campus support groups can help
- Key strategies for self-advocacy:
- Know your rights
- Build self-awareness
- Develop strong communication skills
- Actively seek solutions
How to Help Your Student Advocate for Themselves
Building Self-Awareness & Understanding
- Help students understand their learning styles & preferences
- Determine their strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles
- Reflect on past experiences
- Analyze what has worked well and what has not in previous academic settings
- Familiarize them with their rights
- What accommodations are available, and how to access them.
- Promote a growth mindset
- Help them understand that self-advocacy is a skill that can be developed and improved with practice
Develop Essential Skills
- Effective communication
- Encourage clear and assertive communication
- Encourage them to NETWORK with professors, advisors, & other students
- Problem-Solving
- Teach your student a step-by-step approach to problem-solving
- Include identifying the issue, brainstorming a solution, & evaluating options
- Time-management & Organization
- Help them develop strategies for managing their time, prioritizing tasks, and staying organized.
Practical Support & Guidance
- Encourage the use of disability services
- Help them connect with their college’s disability services
- Support them in meetings
- Practice introductions, discuss accommodations, and role-play scenarios to build confidence
- Help them understand campus resources
- Familiarize them with tutoring centers, writing labs, and other academic support services
- Encourage them to seek out mentors
- Pathways to Success offers an amazing peer mentoring program
Foster Independence & Empowerment
- Gradually increase independence
- Provide opportunities for them to make choices, manage their own schedules, & take responsibility for their actions
- Celebrate success & acknowledge challenges
- Provide positive reinforcement for their efforts & offer support when they encounter obstacles
- Encourage them to take ownership of their learning
- Empower them to make decisions about their academic path and advocate for their needs
Careers in the Arts and Humanities
Skills that Employers Want
Arts and Humanities graduates excel at in-demand skills such as:
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Research
- Adaptability
- Critical Thinking
- Creativity
- Innovative
- Cross-Cultural Knowledge
Career Possibilities
- Art & Design
- Teacher, Curator, Designer
- Communication & Media
- Journalist, PR, Broadcaster
- English
- Editor, Writer, Librarian
- Liberal Studies
- Teacher, Counselor, Policy Maker
- Music
- Performer, Technician. Educator
- Philosophy
- Lawyer, Writer, Journalist
- Theater Arts
- Performer, Technician, Educator
- World Languages & Literature
- Editor, Translator, Educator
Did You Know?
- Over 80% of employers value communication and critical thinking skills over a person's major
- Arts/Humanities grads work at Google, NPR, the UN, local schools, and more
- 76% of arts and humanities grads are employed full-time within six months of graduation