The first reaction a college or university student has to misconduct charges threatening to expel the student is usually fright, confusion, concern, and grief. Within a very short time, though, students facing expulsion realize they have another challenge facing them in telling their parents. Telling your parents you may get kicked out of school raises a host of different issues and emotions. Some students just get it over as quickly as possible, calling parents before anyone else. Other students put it off as long as possible or don't say anything at all. That begs the question of what's the best approach. But there is no hard-and-fast rule. Whether, when, and how to tell your parents you may get kicked out of your college or university can depend on a lot of different factors and circumstances.

Don't Let Emotions Rule

Whatever approach you take toward telling or not telling your parents you face college or university misconduct charges, don't let your emotions rule. Calling your parents while still sobbing in terror over the charges won't help them and probably won't help you. Or refusing to tell your parents out of shame or out of fear over their reaction, when you know you should tell them, and you need their help, is also a bad approach. Get hold of yourself. Think as calmly and clearly as you can. Consider each of these factors before you decide whether, when, and how to tell your parents you face misconduct charges:

• Your parents' age, mental acuity, and physical and mental health, whether they can take what you have to share and can help you process it while they maintain their own health, or whether, on the other hand, their poor health or acuity will cause them to be a burden and distraction, and your disclosure may harm their health
• Your parents' current involvement in your life and schooling, whether you are already emancipated or are estranged on the one hand or, on the other hand, whether they are closely involved in your schooling and life
• Whether you have an older sibling, aunt, uncle, or other family member or very close and mature friend who can provide you with family support equivalent to that of a concerned and wise parent, when your own parents may not
• The resources your parents may be able to bring to bear on your misconduct problem, including whether they may be able and willing to help you pay for a skilled and experienced attorney advisor to defend and defeat the charge

Seek Professional Help Now

Recognize, too, that your parents are neither the cause of nor the solution to your misconduct problem. Instead, you most need the representation of a skilled and experienced college misconduct defense attorney. National college misconduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm has helped hundreds of students nationwide successfully defend and defeat college and university misconduct charges. Call 888.535.3686 or go online now to retain a premier college misconduct defense team. Get the help you need, whether you tell mom and dad or not.