Northeastern Family Newsletter
New Student and Family Programs
The Final Days of Fall 2015
Here are a few ideas and strategies to help make this transition home a little merrier!
Be flexible and realistic
Communicate holiday plans in advance. This will allow students to plan ahead and guarantee they are present.
For those with extended and/or blended families, it is important to realize that students may wish to spend part of his/her break with the other family. Avoid putting them in an impossible situation by making unreasonable demands of their time.
Compromise is a two-way street
Keep in mind that college students are no longer children. We can no longer shuttle them from one place to another. Students are emerging into adulthood. For the past several months, students have been following their own schedules and making their own decisions. Embrace this opportunity to have an adult conversation; listen to their perspectives, feelings and needs. Don’t try to guilt them into doing what you want. Please keep in mind that your student has just completed their first semester of College which most likely included a stressful period of studying and test taking. Patience will come in handy here.
Be prepared for changes in your student
As we know, many college students alter their appearance, perhaps by getting a tattoo, piercing, or changing their hair color. If extended family members judge them too harshly, it can lead to hurt feelings. It is important to support your student at family gatherings. You don’t have to always agree, but you have to try to respect their choices.
Many students will want to reconnect with high school friends. However, they may find that these friendships may not be the same as they were only a few months earlier. People change, have different interests, and find they do not have as much in common as they once did. Be prepared to listen if your student struggles with this adjustment.
Money management
Will your student have to work during break to save money for back-to-school needs such as books and supplies or even tuition?
This is a good time for students to reevaluate their eating out habits and overall spending habits.
How to help a student who is struggling academically
Remind your student about the Learning Support Center. Encourage your student to set up weekly tutoring appointments and to follow up with their professors for extra help and a one on one consultation.
Listen and don’t jump to conclusions
A family’s love, support, and motivation are extremely important. How you react to this one problem may dictate your future relationship with your son or daughter and what they confine in you in the future.
Upcoming Important Dates:
- December 5th-11th: Final Exams
- December 13th: Fall Commencement
- December 14th: Fall Semester Ends
- December 15th- January 10th: Winter Recess
- January 1st: Complete FAFSA
- January 11th: 2016 Spring Classes Begin