The parents should point toward the academic counseling office and the psych counseling office, not tell the child what to do. They should point toward the bursar’s office and the financial aid office, and let the child find out the score, and not themselves tell the child what to do. IMHO. If the student should need time off to grow up, so be it. Let them take all of the time they need and then go back to school when the student is ready to do well.
Under zero circumstances should the parents be telling the college student when to go to bed. Seriously. This should have stopped at like the sophomore in high school time, unless this child is special needs.The student will figure out pizza at 2 am . . . the student will figure out “wow maybe I should have studied.”
If the student isn’t allowed to make mistakes and to see the real consequences of his/her behavior now, then when will that happen??? When they are out of school? That’s not a great time because now they have school loans to pay back. Better that lingering immaturity work itself out before the end of collete. College will wait for them. It’s always out there. 70% of colleges do not fill each year. If the child needs to start over, well then that needs to happen. if the child loses merit aid and has to figure out another plan, that’s the consequence. They will learn vastly more from that experience, IMO than if parents step in and “fix” all of the problems for them. Will parents also figure out the career path? Accompany them on the interview for jobs? Accompany child to grad school admissions interviews?
Seriously. The parents need to get a life.