by MORGAN STOLPA, CSU Communications Student Intern
College students need your support, advice and knowledge as they begin to take on adult responsibilities. It is vital that parents adapt to their new role as the resilient force in their student’s educational journey.
Supporting Your Student is Essential
After the first few weeks of class, students need several things from their parents. However, one of the most important things is support. Regardless of how well your student says college is going, there are always going to be bumps in the road. As a parent, it’s important to know the resources available for your student on-campus. Alert your student on the academic advising and health services available to them. Whether it be the the center for students with disabilities, the writing center, health services, the career center or many of the other services offered on-campus, encourage your student to utilize the numerous valuable campus resources. To locate these resources and more, consult the university’s website and find more information about them at: https://www.mnsu.edu/student/studentresources.
Plan to Visit Your Student
There’s nothing quite like seeing how your student is managing the college lifestyle. One way for parents to do this first-hand is by planning a visit. Whether it be for a football game or the traditional Family Weekend (Oct. 12-14). One of the benefits of Family Weekend is the opportunity to participate in many events happening on-campus. For a list of all the events happening over Family Weekend, visit the New Students and Family Programs page on university’s website and select register for Family Weekend.
Keep in Contact
Contacting your student can be done in a number of ways. Whether it be texting, emailing, calling, sending packages or facetiming. Remember that your student won’t always have time to respond to all of your contacts. However, they want to hear from you. Your student misses you and appreciates hearing from you. Be sure to let your student know you’re thinking of them.
Stay Informed
If you’re interested in staying up-to-date on events, important issues and dates in the university calendar. Visit the New Student and Family Programs page on the university website, scroll down and select subscribe to updates.
