A Parent Perspective The first year at Pepperdine will be an exciting, challenging, and transforming experience for both you and your student. Parents and families play a critical role in student adjustment, so it is important for you to be equipped with helpful advice and strategies you can use to support them. Homesickness is the most common challenge during the first year. Students indicate that it helps if family members keep in close contact by phone, e-mail, care packages, and letters. Get involved in Adopt-a-Dorm! Another area of adjustment is having a roommate and all aspects of sharing the space—especially if the student is accustomed to having their own room. Students recommend waiting a couple months before going home for the first time (citing Thanksgiving as a good target date) because it is important to connect with the Pepperdine community. Going
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home can also be challenging because everyone has changed—the student, the family, friends, as well as the community. Encourage your student to get involved in extracurricular activities to help them develop leadership and social skills valued by future employers. Listen with an open mind to your student’s concerns. At first, the academic pace of college can be overwhelming. Although it is important to offer your student advice, college is a time for your student to grow, so it is also necessary to allow your student to make their own choices.
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