Contagious and Cautions

There has been a recent outbreak of meningitis and scabies. There has also been a lack of communication from students and parents who are experiencing symptoms and the parents know about the symptoms. When symptoms occur there should be an immediate response to inform residence life within colleges. There is a high probability you can spread your disease among others in the community. 

Residence life has a duty and obligation to make sure that all residents are safe. That means isolating or even sending a student home, cleaning disinfecting the entire residence hall and making sure that other students are not experiencing symptoms. The obligation of communication falls on those who are experiencing symptoms because there is no other way for anyone to know.

Please make sure your student is communicating any issues that are going on with them to their residence life staff. You will feel more comfortable if everyone is communicating. The community of residence life also feel more comfortable and they will also feel safer knowing that everyone is doing their part.

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Settled In

Your student has finally settled in to the routine of classes, friends and fun. But, how has independence affected their maturity. Many parents are surprised by how much their student has changed. Most times that change is for the better. The student seems to learn the value of a dollar or they are even neater than they were before living on campus.

The challenge will be those home visits. Campus life tends to create a larger sense of independence. There are often no curfews and no one "nags" them about what to do and how to do it. The challenge will be for parents to recognize them as adults but remind students the structure of home is different than the structure of school. Compromises will have to be made with respect being the foundation on both parts. This is a conversation you may want to have before the Thanksgiving visit. Weekend home visits are pretty easy to handle but those longer visits can be a bit more to handle.

Expectations vs Reality

As you move your student on campus and leave them to start a new chapter, you may want to consider expectation versus reality. There is always confusion between the two that are often brought on by emotions of the separation between a parent and student. There is also the fact that some parents simply have not prepared their students to be independent.

Most parents in my experience expect housing staff to keep a close eye on their baby but the reality is, your baby is an adult. They will be given boundaries to operate in but their is not much handholding after the first week of living on campus.

Your student is expected to be resourceful and read bulletin boards, syllabi and other items around them. The reality is because most parents have done everything for their students, they don't read, they expect those in authority to remind them of their responsibilities.

Parents, remember your expectations may not be reality. You have also have to remember, this is a transition for your student to learn independence and the real world.

Students, your expectations of housing staff should not be based on how your parents treat you at home. The real world has been entered and the reality is ...your an adult.

Shopping and Packing

The most mind numbing thing can be shopping for the dorm, especially if this is the first experience of living on campus. Many people tend to buy too much and over pack as well. Here are some tips to remember...

Remember, there may be a roommate and limited space. Consider that your roommate may also want to coordinate with you in decorating or in buying supplies. So make sure you contact them in advance to set a plan in motion to make sure your room is functional as possible.

Take notice of the list of items suggested by the dormitory of what to bring and what to leave home. The last thing you want to do is bring items that you should not have the dorm. 

Also remember if you live close to home don't bring the entire house with you! LOL! Remember that you can always go home on holidays or weekends if possible to make changes in your wardrobe or take things back home with you. If this is not an option, remember to pack smart and know that you will have resources around you to get other items that you may need.

Don't shop too much, and don't packpack too  much. It is the best thing that you can do to prepare for campus living.

😉

Anxiety and Communication

Move-in day is quickly approaching and you are anxious as can be! The worst thing you could possibly do is be rude to any staff at the college or university your student is  attending. Believe it or not, they really do understand your anxiety about your situation. They deal with hundreds of parents every year in regards to their students leaving home and moving onto campus. Take note and be reasonable about your request. If you've been told that your information will be mail that week please wait for the information. This can only help you and your student in the future please remember that your interaction will be remembered and it may be a reflection on your student on how well they are prepared to live on their own. It's an huge concern for residence life staff that students they receive are not prepared to do anything independently because of their parents. Clear communication is key and always appreciated by college officials. There is nothing better than have an appreciated. Understand that things take time and there is a process to getting things completed. And it's always appreciated that a parent and student recognize  they are not the only one embarking on this journey.

The Transition

As the summer fun moves quickly, housing paperwork begins to flood the mailbox and visions of campus living become frightening. The transition for student and parent can be very scary. As you journey through this blog in the coming days, you will learn what you need to help make this a great process!

A New Journey to Higher Learning

As we step into 2013. Many of you are continuing the search for an institution of higher learning with your student. I would like this to be your resource for learning about the transition from living at home to campus living. This week, I will be posting about following the housing process. This is very important because the process to higher education can be confusing to someone new to the process. I look forward to posting!