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My name is Courtney Grey and I'm the Coordinator of Parent & Family Experience
at the University of Waterloo.
Your student is going through a confusing time as they start their university career.
They're anxious about what's to come but excited about this new adventure.
Not to worry, we have some tips to help you through their first year at Waterloo.
Our first tip is to make a communication plan with your student.
Think about how often you'll communicate with them, who will make the contact,
and how you'll do it.
Every family is different and how you decide to go about this will be up to you.
A great tool to use is Skype. You can make a Skype date with your student every so often,
and then you'll always be in contact with them and know how they're doing.
Our second tip is to make a plan for the first visit home.
This should ideally be after the first six weeks on campus.
The reason for this is that students will have time to feel more connected
to their new environment when they spend more time at school.
Our third tip is for students to unpack their residence room mostly on their own.
The reason for this is that when students can decide where they put their belongings
it helps them connect to their new environment, and it makes it feel like theirs.
This can help combat homesickness later.
Our fourth tip is for you to check in with your student
after the first 48 hours of them being in their residence.
The reason for this is that after the first 48 hours,
they're likely feeling that they would like to talk to someone at home and have a connection.
They haven't yet made any strong relationships on campus,
and knowing someone misses them at home will make them feel cared about.
Our fifth tip is to avoid asking if your student is homesick.
This can sometimes be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What you can do, is in every communication you have with your student,
fill them in on what's going on at home.
What renovations are happening? How are family members doing? And how is the family pet?
Students don't like to come home and feel like the house has changed
and they weren't aware of it.
With all these changes, you'll be expected to become a coach to your student.
The university views your student as an adult when they come on campus,
and the university will want to deal directly with them.
We know that as a family you're used to doing things together,
and sometimes you're able to help your students with these things,
but now we want you to coach your student through these processes.
It's a catch-22, we want you to step back but also stay involved.
As their coach, you can help them do a number of things.
Encourage them to take action on campus when they have a problem,
and encourage them to find options and different solutions to their problems.
You can help them brainstorm these. Also encourage your student to try new things.
We have a variety of different clubs and societies on campus
that they can explore their individuality with.
Don't be surprised if your student comes home and decides that
they don't want to study in the program they originally studied in.
This is common for many students as they have their own self-discovery.
Encourage your student to reflect on the costs and benefits of their decisions
and help them come to the answers to their problems.
There are many resources for you to use to help your student while they're on campus.
We recommend the book Letting Go by Coburn and Treeger.
You can find this in the Waterloo Bookstore.
You can also visit the University of Waterloo website
or direct your student to the Student Success Office.