Family Support: Tips from a Student

Offered by Danielle Boyles, fulltime student and programming assistant with the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership

Common Adjustment Issues

First year students all the way through college seniors deal with adjustment issues and stress especially at this time of year. Common issues may include:

• Freshmen realize college is a lot more work than they expected. They question if they belong here and “fit in.” New students often feel homesick, they miss the family-like atmosphere
• Sophomores feel lost due to pressure of choosing a major and other decisions; juniors may feel pressure to get involved and find internships and work experiences
• Seniors realize they have little time left in college and have to decide what they’ll do next year

A few tips for parents to help students with these common issues:

• Listen to them and let them vent. Try to avoid solving their problems but be there for support. Be sure to call and check in with them if they’ve called and you missed their call. If the problem persists encourage your student to seek out resources for help: University website, faculty advisers, Dean of Students, residence staff, counseling staff, etc.
• Encourage the student to share feelings with others because most of the time other students are experiencing the same problems. It allows them to see that they are not alone by talking with other students. It is also a great way to make a deeper connection with friends on campus.
• Suggest your student set time for down time or alone time or even exercise time. This type of activity clears the mind and makes for more productive study time.
• Encourage your student to find ways to help others so the student is not always focused on him or herself. There are great opportunities for community service through the Center for Community Service. The student can email nkarabinis@shawnee.edu to find out more about service opportunities in the area.