Research and experience show that parents can help their students prepare for (and succeed in) college, in several ways: Establish the expectation of success – Students who plan to enroll in college and expect to succeed, are far more likely to do so than those who don’t. This begins at home with parents who nurture high expectations. Teach time management skills – Average students who manage their time well are usually more successful than strong students who lack these skills. Parents may be the best teachers of time management. Encourage math – The probability of earning a college degree goes up 40% when students take Algebra II and Trigonometry in high school—assuming they do well. It’s even higher with pre-calculus