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AUGUST
What’s happening with your student?
- They’re adjusting to new responsibilities, new roommates, relationships, and freedoms that college life presents. The initial weeks may be challenging for new students navigating unfamiliar surroundings, especially when they may not know any other students yet.
- They’re excited about moving away from home, but may still feel homesick.
- They are starting over and are not sure of what to expect from their new life as a college student.
- They are unsure of what to expect academically: the unknown workload and expectations from faculty.
What parents and guardians can do:
- Understand your changing role as a family member. Your new role is likely to be that of a mentor, providing support, encouragement, advice, and guidance.
- Encourage your student to be independent and embrace these new experiences. Be an empathetic listener, but refrain from “coming to the rescue” when they face problems.
- Encourage your student to become part of the Shepherd University campus community through involvement in activities, such as organizations or campus jobs. Remind your student of their own personal talents, and encourage them to get involved in related activities.
- Create realistic expectations for your student especially regarding academics, financial responsibility, social involvement, alcohol and drug use. Try to discuss these topics in a non-judgmental manner, and be open to listening to your student.
- Read and learn about what resources are available at Shepherd University for both you and your student. This will help you help your student more effectively.
-August Helpful Hint-
Don’t forget to take care of yourself! This is a period of adjustment for you too. Your mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, pride and loss, are normal. There will be a void in the family and some roles may adjust, especially if younger siblings are still at home. It’s a good time to refocus on your own hobbies and interests. And remember that your student still needs you and loves you, even if they don’t say it.
SEPTEMBER
What’s happening with your student?
- They are learning about what Shepherd University has to offer, enjoying the energy of campus in the fall, and the excitement of a new environment.
- They may be embracing the school spirit of Shepherd by attending football games and other student events on campus.
- They may be questioning their identity, pushing boundaries, and experimenting with new things.
- They may be experiencing time management conflicts and are starting to understand that what worked in high school won’t necessarily work in college.
- They may be experiencing relationship problems with roommates or an increased dependence on high school friends, enabling them to avoid getting involved with new people and the Shepherd University community.
What parents and guardians can do:
- Listen to your student’s concerns and be reassuring. Your student will still rely on you for guidance on occasion. Make sure to actively listen to your student’s problems and issues.
- Provide your student with time management techniques or refer them to the Academic Support Center, which offers various resources for time management and academic success.
- Continue to encourage involvement both academically and socially.Tell your student about all the great opportunities on campus and encourage your student to attend the annual Club and Organization Involvement Fair in the first few weeks of the Fall semester. Remind them when struggling with classes to talk to their professors or form study groups with their peers.
- Help your student place minor disappointments in perspective (i.e. not being selected for Fraternity and Sorority Life recruitment). It is inevitable that your student will face some sort of setback. Remind your student that it’s not the end of the world and come up with a plan to rectify the situation together.
-September Helpful Hint-
Be on the lookout for Family Weekend (TBD; September or October 2017)! This is a great opportunity to meet with other Ram Families, while attending some terrific events. Family Weekend is about midway through the semester, so it’s a good excuse to return to campus and check-in with your son or daughter. They may not want to admit it, but they will miss you by then.
OCTOBER
What’s happening with your student?
- Students might be stressed about tests and midterms and may receive their first grades on papers and projects.
- Midterm grades* are submitted in mid-October. Students may be disappointed or discouraged because they are unaccustomed to receiving poor grades.
- They’re facing social demands. Some students may get involved in too many campus organizations and may have trouble balancing the demands of the organizations with their academics.
- They are learning to manage their own money, and may have trouble sticking to a budget. College presents many pressures to spend money and they may run out sooner than expected.
- Encourage your student to meet with an academic advisor or faculty advisor and to make appointments early to avoid complications and stay on track for graduation.
- Registration for spring classes begins and students need to meet with an academic or faculty advisor before registering for classes through their Remote Access Information Line (RAIL) account.
What parents and guardians can do:
- Help your student to understand academic achievement in a college environment. It is not uncommon for students to experience a GPA drop from grades they received in high school.
- Encourage your student to take advantage of the academic resources on campus, including the Academic Support Center, ShepOWL, and the Office of Student Success.
- Be sympathetic, but try not to “fix” problems for your student.
- Help your student to establish a budget and teach them how to stick to it. Educate your student on financial responsibility before it becomes a problem.
- Each student has been assigned a Retention Intervention Team Advocate. This is a group of staff members who are available to assist your student in navigating the campus setting, both academically and socially.
*Midterm grades are good indicators of your student’s performance and are normally reported by professors the seventh or eighth week of classes, typically mid-October for the Fall semester and late February for the Spring semester. October is also when your student will first experience midterm examinations. Utilize this time to gauge where your student is on the grade scale in each class by asking specific questions about assignments and performance. Finals week and the preparation for it will be especially daunting for a new freshmen; this occurs in the beginning of December for the fall semester and at the end of April for the spring semester.
-October Helpful Hint-
Roommate conflicts do happen. They can happen regardless of whether students are complete strangers or have known each other for years. Most students find that talking over the problems with their roommate resolves the conflict; however, sometimes help is needed. The best way for you to help the situation is to refer your student to the Resident Assistant (RA). RAs are upper-level students who are trained to resolve roommate disputes.
NOVEMBER
What’s happening with your student?
- Stress levels are high as due dates for paper and projects approach and students begin to realize the semester is almost over.
- Your student may continue to struggle with time management and balancing social activities with academics.
- Concerns about coming home for Thanksgiving may start to arise, especially if the student has changed significantly since the last time they saw you.
What parents and guardians can do:
- Be supportive and encouraging. Refer your student to important resources, such as the Health Center if they’re sick or Counseling Services if they need additional emotional support.
- Listen and support your student when they contact you, but don’t be concerned if they don’t reach out as often as you would like. Your student may be too wrapped up in school to remember to contact home.
- Support your students’ academic progress without focusing on grades. Instead, engage your student about what they are learning, why certain topics interest them, and what your student feels passionate about.
- Prepare yourself for changes when they return home for Thanksgiving. The first year of college is a period of tremendous change and growth, and students demonstrate this change in different ways. Your student will appreciate your support, rather than criticism, through this changing time. Recognize that while your student may be going through many changes, in the long run, your student will probably maintain many of the core values that you instilled.
-November Helpful Hint-
Would you like to learn about additional ways you can actively support your student? Take a look at multiple resources available to families of Shepherd University students through the Student Success web page.
DECEMBER
What’s happening with your student?
- After Thanksgiving, there is very little time until finals; term papers and projects are due, and they may be the longest papers or projects that students have ever done. Students will continue to be stressed.
- Students may get very little sleep, and neglect proper nutrition or exercise.
- Many students may be concerned about the pressures of upcoming holidays, or returning home to live with family after a semester of independence.
- Some students will have financial concerns, as the money they budgeted for the semester runs out earlier than planned. They may turn to credit cards to help them in their budget crunch.
- They’ll probably sleep a lot over the winter break, as they try to ‘catch up’ on four months’ worth of lost sleep!
- They will receive their grades from fall semester and will either feel disappointed or delighted. Parent or guardian reactions to the grades weigh heavily on their minds and influence their stress level as they anticipate a new term. Whether the grades were good or bad, they will have a better understanding of what college work requires.
What parents and guardians can do:
- Be supportive during this stressful time, and send care packages and mail. Snacks and special foods from home are always welcome this time of year.
- Encourage healthy eating, sleeping, and exercise habits to help reduce the stress of college exam time. Remind your student of the wellness resources available on campus such as the Shepherd University Wellness Center, Meditation Monday (free weekly meditation class), and various group fitness classes taught at the Shepherd University Wellness Center.
- Encourage participation in study break activities offered in the Residence Halls and in the Student Center. These are great ways for students to relax and recharge.
- Discuss home ‘rules’ and expectations for the Winter Break as soon as your student returns home, or preferably, before! Students and family members often have different expectations about time with family and time with friends, which can lead to conflict. Having a discussion about this beforehand can lead to a more peaceful and relaxing break.
- Be supportive of your student regardless of the fall semester grades. If grades were poor, refer your student to our Academic Support Center for help with any future academic struggles. Remind them of your academic and class attendance expectations.
-December Helpful Hint-
Expect your student to be very stressed in December. While you won’t be able to prevent the academic stress, you can reduce the pressure for your student to participate in family obligations or traditions, which put added demands on a student’s busy schedule.