The U.S. State Department defines third-culture kids (TCK) as “those who have spent some of their growing up years in a foreign country and experience a sense of not belonging to their passport country when they return to it”.

In “The Global Nomad’s Guide to University Transition” Tina L. Quick gives practical advice to help TCK students and their parents successfully negotiate the transition to college. A parent of three college-aged TCKs, Quick believes that when families anticipate and understand the challenges that lie ahead, most notably the different stages of transition, the student’s college transition will be much smoother.

Quick identifies and addresses a number of the important issues that TCK students face, such as identity, which is often the result of feeling disconnected from their passport country and their peers. She also dedicates a section of the book to advising parents on how to prepare for and support their children during this period, informing them that delayed adolescence and rebellion are not uncommon among TCK students during this time as they struggle to grasp what is and isn’t considered appropriate in their new culture.

If you have a global nomad transitioning to college, this book is a must.