Blueprints for Student Success-Montana

10/01/2026

College is an epic road trip. Students need good company for the journey. Who would you add to the crew?

By week five, college can start to feel a little different.

Exams are coming. The workload is real. And students may be wondering: "Am I really cut out for this? Who can help me?"

In Parent Confidential III, Dr. Tricia Seifert compares college to a road trip. Your student is in the driver's seat, but they shouldn't be traveling alone. Advisors, professors, friends, parents, and campus support staff all have expertise that can help along the way.

One of the most important college skills students can learn is knowing when to ask for help and who to ask.

Read **Parent Confidential III: It Takes a Crew** and help your student build their college road trip crew. https://www.successprintscrashcourse.com/blog/college-road-trip

03/17/2026

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.

01/24/2026

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

11/23/2025

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.

11/11/2025

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.

10/15/2025

"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!

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.

10/04/2025

The college simulator video game is coming! Perfect for college students and . Check out Success Prints Crash Course success.prints for more.

09/21/2025

A video game that is a crash course in going to college? YES, please!

09/09/2025

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

07/23/2025

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.