General Tips to Support your Student

• Know about campus resources and encourage your student to use them.
• If you don’t know where to find the campus resources contact UMR Student Affairs (stuserv@umn.edu).
• Be interested in the new experiences your son or daughter is going through.
• Ask your student specific questions about their academics.
  • When is your first Bio exam?
  • Where do you study?
  • Have you thought about creating a study group?
• If your student also works throughout college, ask them how they are handling work and school.
• Encourage your student to communicate with his/her instructor and advisors.
• Be flexible, what your student is sure about one semester may be completely different the following semester. Flexibility will help your student to realize what they want without becoming frustrated.
• Listen closely and be supportive of your student.
• Be patient; college is a challenging time for students, allow your student time to sort things out.
• Encourage your student to remain on campus during some weekends so they can participate in activities and bond with other students.

Things to Expect

Changes

Students experience many new challenges and experiences in college.

Movement toward self-reliance

New students are faced with additional freedom, more choices and bigger decisions. College brings less structure and guidance then they are used to.

Academic adjustment

Students discover that their academic experience in college is much different then high school. College will push your student to solve problems and use critical thinking in a more demanding way then they may have been used to.

Stress

College is stressful! It is important that students know the resources they have available to them. Their faculty, roommates, student success coach and parents are all here to help them succeed.

Semester Breaks

Know that when your student returns home for semester breaks it may be more difficult then you think. Establish new house rules and discuss curfews that recognize your son or daughter is becoming an adult..

Helping your Student Adjust

What should I do if my student gets homesick?

First year students face numerous challenges. Make sure to:

• Give them some time to explore college
• Encourage them to engage in academics
• Encourage your student to eat the right foods, get enough sleep and to exercise regularly at the Rochester Area Family Y
• Encourage them to get involved in on campus activities
• Establish a good working environment with UMR staff, faculty and/or student success coach

What should my student do if they are having problems with a class?

• Talk to the professor of the course
• Go to Just ASK
• Contact your student's Success Coach
• Form a study group with classmates

Where can my student go to study?

• Third and fourth floor lounge
• Information Commons
• Private Study Rooms
• Any of the area coffee shops
• The Rochester Public Library

Why should my student get involved?

Encourage your student to become involved, not only in their education but also in organizations! This develops personal career networks, leadership and communication skills. The value of an education goes well beyond the classroom and students who are involved have shown to do better in the classroom. Future employers will look for a resume and not just a grade point average.