End of Semester Wrap-ups

For most students, the spring semester will end before their spring break tan lines fade. This is the time of year when deadlines, exams, and papers come fast a furious. On my campus, students have only three busy weeks of classes after they return from spring break and this is also a very busy time of the year socially. There are numerous scholarship banquets, end of the year student club meetings, and a final community service push before students leave campus. All of this activity can leave your child feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, so this is a great time for you to talk with him or her and conduct a mental wellness check. As you talk to your student ask:

• What big deadlines or exams do you have coming up? How are you preparing for them? Asking your student about how he plans to work on assignments isn't prying, it's actually a good way for you to prompt him to think about how he will finish the semester strong.

• Do you need any time away from campus? This may be a good time for a weekend visit home where your child can get away from campus and concentrate on studying or finishing papers without distractions.

• If you suspect your child is feeling stressed or needs help from a counselor, this is a good time to remind him about campus resources that can help him with study skills, time management, or stress management.

• Send him a care package or a pizza party. Care packages are fun to send any time of the year but this is a great time to send a little extra something to your child. Treats from home and gift cards are popular or you can also send a pizza party from the internet. Many national (and local) chains offer online ordering for everything from pizza, to wings, to salads and drinks. A typical pizza and wing combo from Pizza Hut runs about $40.00. Order it from home and have it delivered to your child at college *Always make arrangements with your child in advance!

It's Not Too Early to Talk About Spring Break- Part 2

Have a frank discussion about safety - Spring break should be fun, but that doesn't mean students can let their guards down.  Students may not respond well to parental lectures about safety, so instead you may ask them scenario specific questions such as "What is your plan if someone in your group drinks too much? What would you do if you are separated from your group or your money is lost or stolen?" Questions like these are not lectures, but are simply opportunities for students to consider problems before they occur. 

Discuss your communication expectations for spring break - Students may not return calls or texts while on break, but they will usually post to social media. If you expect your student to reply to your calls or messages within a certain period of time, say, 24 hours, be sure to tell them your expectations in advance. Otherwise, let them know that you'll be checking in with them through social media instead.