Sending a child to college changes parenting overnight. Parents want to stay involved, but college students need room to advocate for themselves, make decisions, handle conflict, and ask for help.

In this episode of The Whinypaluza Podcast, Rebecca Greene welcomes her special friend Kate Burrow, a higher education professional with more than 20 years of experience working with college students. Kate also helped Rebecca navigate Max’s first year of college, making this conversation especially personal.

Kate offers honest, practical advice about college move-in day, homesickness, academic expectations, roommate problems, campus resources, career exploration, internships, and the difficult transition from managing a child’s life to supporting a young adult.

Listeners will learn:

✓ Why students who struggled in high school may be better prepared to persist in college.

✓ How parents can support their college students without immediately stepping in and taking over.

✓ What to say when a student calls home and says, “I hate it here.”

✓ Why “optional” tutoring, study sessions, and review classes should rarely be treated as optional.

✓ How communication, practical life skills, and asking for help can determine whether a college student struggles or thrives.

Kate also reminds parents that an uncomfortable experience is not necessarily an unsafe one. College students need the confidence to handle hard moments, use available resources, communicate with roommates, and solve problems while knowing that their families remain firmly in their corner.

Listen to The Whinypaluza Podcast on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-whinypaluza-podcast/id1534167756

Please like, follow, and share the podcast with another parent preparing for the college years.

About Kate Burrow

Kate Burrow holds a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and has more than 20 years of experience working with college students at colleges and universities across the country. She has taught numerous career and major exploration courses, as well as college success courses designed to help students navigate academic and personal transitions.

Kate has also earned a certificate in Leadership Coaching and is currently learning to become a Proactive Conversations conflict management communication facilitator.

She is a wife, a mother of two, and enjoys reading, attending theater events, and arts and crafts.