Quote:
Originally Posted by Butter
Pretty much had this conversation with him 2 weeks ago. The "we believe in you" speech. In hopes it would kick him in the butt for the final few weeks of school. Seemed to have the opposite effect.
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I think if you were expecting a meaningful turnaround by a graduating senior who has already been accepted to college during the last few weeks of school, that's on you. I remember everyone being checked out by the return from spring break.
I'd focus the "believe in you" stuff on efforts moving forward. Again, just my quick take on what you wrote but it seems like you're downplaying some of the positive steps he's taken and the signs you should be optimistic. And I get that...after years of struggling and feeling exasperated by all of this, I'm sure it's really really hard. But if you want him to succeed, focus on those things. Talk to him about this job he's going to have and ask him questions about it regularly. Don't most incoming freshman classes have groups set up on Facebook? Encourage him to reach out to some of the kids that will be in this leadership institute, or that will be in his dorm, if that's feasible at this point.
He probably doesn't trust that you actually do believe in him, so look for opportunities to show that you do instead of just saying that you do. He probably senses the dread you have about all of this, and this sense of impending doom that you laid out in your post. But if you seem excited about this opportunity that he is about to experience, and optimistic, he might actually believe you and get excited about that too.