Dr. Grimes’ Bottom Line

Real Talk Podcast with Attorneys Susan Stone and Kristina Supler

As parents, the last thing we want to imagine is what might happen on a college campus that would involve hiring a lawyer for our kid. Fortunately, if we do end up in that situation, there are now lawyers that specialize in campus-related issues, from academic dishonesty to sexual assault or Title IX issues. I recently met two amazing women, Susan Stone and Kristina Supler, of KJK’s Student & Athlete Defense Group who are defense attorneys with a special passion for students with special needs and executive function skills.

I joined their podcast to talk about medical issues that college … Read more

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College Health Checklist: 12 Things To Do Before Your Child Leaves Home

*This post was originally published as a guest blog on one of my favorite teen parenting sites, RaisingTeensToday  Be sure to check out their site!

As parents, when we’re preparing to send our “kidults” off to college, we often spend the last few months before they leave cramming every possible nugget of wisdom into their brain – and rightly so.

And, even though our loving advice, (passed along with all good intentions, of course) might be met with an eye roll and an “Okay! I knoooowwww!” we have to press on because part of the separation process isn’t … Read more

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Top 10 Must-Have Items for Your College Student’s Finals Care Package

FINALS are approaching, and I’ll bet your fav college kid would LOVE to receive a great CARE PACKAGE! The key is gifting consumable, helpful products that won’t take up more space when it’s time to pack up the dorm in a couple weeks. Rather than the ever-popular “3Cs”(Cheetos, Chocolates, and tChotchkes), here is just what the doctor ordered to perk up your exhausted student:

*Please note that I have NO financial ties with these products, but I’m including links to those I use and recommend professionally for your convenience.

  • Eye Relief: Everyone has sore, tired eyes from unending
… Read more
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Struggling with Test Anxiety? Fix It Now… BEFORE Finals!

With Spring Break in the rearview mirror, the rest of the semester will start to fly by, and finals begin to loom large. If you are one of the 20% of college students with TEST ANXIETY (yep, that’s 1 in 5 students!) then this post is for you.

Start with objectively deciding if your test anxiety is APPROPRIATE, meaning that you put in hours and effort studying, but when you sit down to the test, you do not know the answers (proportionate to your study efforts.) THIS IS SUPER COMMON, especially for freshmen who never struggled to make good … Read more

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Is Your College Student Beach-Bound for Spring Break? READ THIS FIRST

Nervous about your beach-bound college student this Spring Break? If so, you’re not alone. SB2022 has definite potential for over-the-top “rebound partying” that could lead to a series of poor choices and outcomes, so let’s talk about some things that might help prevent some heartache, and be sure to share with your favorite young adult, because many of them are nervous, too. Note: This post is about student choices and does NOT address COVID concerns.

First, however, let me reassure you that roughly a third of college students happily choose NOT to drink (or have sex or use drugs for … Read more

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#1 New Release: The ULTIMATE College Student Health Handbook

Jill Grimes, MD with 2nd Edition
Cheers! I’m excited to share that the new, fully updated edition of The ULTIMATE College Student Health Handbook is now available both in stores and online!
What’s NEW? Well, I finished writing the first edition in December 2019, which was (barely) pre-pandemic. Updates obviously began, therefore, with COVID (*noting that recommendations will continue to evolve as we get more data). With online learning, the next immediate addition was practical and evidence-based tips for Zoom Fatigue. My favorite new topics, however, are ones we simply couldn’t squeeze into the first edition!  Happily, today,  they are just in time for Spring Break.
… Read more
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What I Wish Every College Student Knew

Welcome to 2022! College students are nearly all back on campus, though not everyone is having in-person learning yet. As we head into the spring semester, here is my short list of what I wish every student knew:

  • Spring semester freshman year (or transfer students’ second semester) is VERY often the time that things start to click. Especially if you felt alone or like you didn’t fit in during the fall, DON’T GIVE UP! Join study groups in your classes (even if virtual) and keep trying new organizations/clubs and going to different types of events. Schedule at least one event
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2021 Best Gifts for College Students (Especially Those that “Have Everything”)

Happy Thanksgiving week! Ready to shop for your favorite college student, but no clue what to get? I’ve got you covered! Here’s my 2021 list of the gifts that I order and recommend to promote HEALTH and HAPPINESS in your college student. (Please note that I have no financial ties to anything other than The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook.) 

For Stress Reduction: 

  • Weighted Blanket– These can be pricey, but for anyone dealing with anxiety and/or insomnia, they are worth their WEIGHT in gold. What weight? 15-20 lbs. (Bigger adult, heavier blanket. 15 lbs is plenty if
… Read more
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Fall Frenzy: How to Help Your Panicking College Student

BRACE YOURSELF, my fellow parents of college students, because with Halloween in the rearview mirror, we are now officially in what I often call the “FALL FRENZY” season. The realities of college are setting in- from suboptimal (sometimes shocking) midterm grades and academic scrambling to social extremes (either too many friends/parties or sitting alone in dorm rooms)- especially for freshmen and anyone new to campus life (which includes not only transfer students but also everyone who did off-campus pandemic learning last year.) As they struggle with classes or relationships, many students begin to question if they need to change their … Read more

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Is TikTok Tanking Your Student’s GPA?

Is TikTok Tanking Your Student’s GPA?

Whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, or any other screen-based distraction, chances are that your student is unknowingly self-sabotaging their learning and retention. We know from studies like this one that multitasking during lectures decreases your ability to memorize and retain information. Similarly, we all know that texting and driving takes our attention off the road and causes more accidents, right? Despite KNOWING these things, however, deep down, most of us honestly think we can handle multitasking as we answer emails or texts during meetings or drive our cars. Let me say here that what’s … Read more

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