Blueprints for Student Success-Montana

The Local Loophole: Why Seeing Your College Student Is Okay It’s okay to see your local college student! Ditch the “total blackout” myth and build a bridge, not a wall. Try 5 low-pressure ways to connect.

We’re already two weeks into the spring semester. How time flies!

College students have returned with a renewed commitment to their success. I’ve been posting tips and ideas for parents to share with their first-year college students on how to make the most of campus resources on the success.prints page.

I invite you to follow the page and ‘leave a comment’ on one of the recent posts about the value of Office Hours and connecting with the staff at the campus Academic Learning center. Thanks so much!

All the best,
Tricia and the Blueprints for Student Success research team

Scholarships are real opportunities, but they require awareness, planning, and follow-through.

The Success Prints Crash Course games help students practice decisions around time, effort, and opportunity in a realistic college simulation. Through play, students see how academic habits, engagement, and persistence influence financial outcomes.

Help students practice scholarship-ready decision-making before the stakes are real. https://www.successprintscrashcourse.com

College scholarships often require students to file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in order to be considered. Don't leave money for college on the table! Assemble the financial materials needed and submit the by Dec. 1.

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Apply anyway. You do not need to be perfect to win a scholarship. Some recognize potential, resilience, and personal stories. Your experience matters.

Do not forget to complete the FAFSA. It connects you to financial support you may not know about.

If you need help filing the FAFSA or completing a scholarship application, reach out to a teacher, school counselor, or mentor. You do not have to do this alone.

The research done under the Blueprints for Student Success-Montana banner, has resulted in commercially available college readiness & success games. Follow success.prints and see how the power of play can promote college prep!

We reached a big milestone last week. More than 500 people now follow Success Prints Crash Course on LinkedIn. Thank you to the educators, families, and student success advocates who are part of this growing community.

Now we would love your help growing our Facebook and Instagram pages. If you believe in learning through play and want more tips, research, and stories about college readiness, follow this page and invite others to follow as well. Every like and share helps more students and families discover these resources.

Thank you for supporting student success.

"College isn't a vending machine where you put in tuition, go to class, and get a degree", wrote Bridget Burns of the University Innovation Alliance in her LinkedIn post.

I couldn't agree more. College is not a transaction. It's relational. It's engaging. It challenges and supports students as they struggle and learn.

It's why we created the Success Prints Crash Course, college success games. Students get to practice and play going to college so they can learn the academic and social behaviors that will help them when the consequences are real. Want to learn more about the games? Follow success.prints for all the updates and ideas for using games to help students become college ready!

OPINION: Higher Education must help shape how students learn, lead and build the skills employers want most The real question about college isn’t whether it prepares students for careers. It’s how. And the “how” of the college experience is more complex, personal and misunderstood than most people realize.

For years, I have dreamed of a way for students to 'practice and play' what it is like to go to college. A place where they can learn from missing class and blowing off assignments before the consequences are real. Now it's coming!

✈️ Pilots train in simulators before they ever take flight. Shouldn’t college students get the same chance?

🎓 Success Prints Crash Course lets you test-drive college life before the consequences are real — first with a strategic board game that challenges players to manage time, juggle priorities, and navigate the unexpected… and starting in October 2025, with a single-player digital simulator that brings the experience to life on a virtual campus.

📚 From pop quizzes to peer pressure, roommates to registration holds, this college simulator builds the habits and mindset students need to thrive. Think ahead. Stress less. Succeed smarter — all while having fun.

Play to prepare. Learn the rules before the game gets real. www.successprintscrashcourse.com

Nearly 10 years ago, we began to share findings from our research study, Blueprints for Student Success, on this page. Like building a house from a blueprint, we believed students could craft a successful college experience from their own blueprint.

With college move-in day just around the corner, we're sharing ideas and insights about making the most of college at success.prints. I wanted to take a moment to invite you follow the page. Please ‘leave a comment’ as you have so much to offer students and families as they embark on this exciting transition.

🎓 𝗙𝗔𝗙𝗦𝗔 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁! 🎓

The 𝗙𝗔𝗙𝗦𝗔 (𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱) deadline is 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟯𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱. Which is next Monday!!

If your student has not submitted their application yet, now is the time! Completing the FAFSA opens the door to grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and federal student loans.

✅ Even if you're unsure about your plans, submitting the FAFSA keeps your options open.

📅 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟯𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭:𝟱𝟵 𝗽.𝗺. 𝗖𝗧 📍 Apply at FAFSA.gov
Don't leave money on the table. Submit your FAFSA today! 💸

I post ideas and insights on how to thrive in college at success.prints Please follow the page!

Yesterday, I met with a group of incoming first-year students during college orientation. Someone asked a simple but powerful question:

“𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀?”

My answer? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

Show up—𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺. But more than that, 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁.
• Go to class.
• Talk to your classmates.
• Ask your professor questions.
• Be curious about the course content.

In over 20 years working in higher education, I've learned that 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 is the key to college success—not just attendance.

That’s why I’ve channeled what I’ve learned into two college simulation games: a board game and a video game. Both help students explore how to thrive in the college experience before they ever set foot in a classroom.

I share what the games teach (and tips for students) over on success.prints. This week, I’m posting a whole series about how to make the most of orientation.

Follow along—and feel free to share with students in your life who are starting this exciting journey.