Transition Tips
- Remember that your student is not leaving home forever, and your job as an active and supportive parent is not over. Family members are critical anchors as students embark on the college experience. At the same time, your student is becoming a young adult and must begin to make decisions on their own now.
- The balance between offering support and taking over can be difficult to maintain. Students themselves may want your advice sometimes and reject your advice at other times. As a parent, you should support your students' decision-making about the courses they plan to take and the activities they plan to be involved in, rather than making the decisions for them.
- Don't ask if you student is homesick. The power of suggestion can be a dangerous thing! Unless they are reminded of being away they will most likely be too caught up with activities, meeting new people, and adjusting to college life to realize how much they miss home.
- Send packages, notes, or even emails to your son or daughter. Even if they don't admit it, most students love receiving news or gifts from family members. Knowing they have your support and love will help them to be more successful here.
- If your student is homesick, the best cure is not to come home, but to get involved in college life. You can use the phone and email to stay connected but encourage your son or daughter to stay on campus over the weekends and get involved with campus activities. The Honors Student Board holds events every month throughout the school year that all Honors students can attend free of charge.
- Don't panic if you receive upset or distraught phone calls or emails from your student throughout the semester. Sometimes the results of an exam or a paper, particularly the first ones, might not be what the student was expecting. Keep in mind that for a student who has gotten straight A's throughout high school, even receiving their first B can be a traumatic experience. Help them to keep things in perspective, but also remind your student that there are many resources here on campus they can turn to if they need help. The Academic Success Center and the Student Counseling Center are just two of many offices here on campus they can utilize, in addition to the supportive faculty and staff members within their academic department and the Honors Program office.
- Stay informed. Knowing what is happening on campus can help parents just as much as students. You can become a valuable resource for your student to turn to when they are looking for something to do or somewhere to go. Your student will receive our electronic newsletter, Honors News & Notes, twice a month. This newsletter is also available online for anyone to access so you as a parent can stay caught up on the opportunities and events within the Honors Program from home!
