Communicating with Your Student

Communicating with your student is more important to their success than you may realize. If you haven’t already, you should discuss their expectations as well as your own for what makes sense to stay connected during their transition. Feel free to utilize the following month-by-month grid for ideas about what to discuss with your student!

Your Role Conversation Starters

August

Help them understand the benefits of getting involved in student organizations and/or fraternity/sorority life, participating in on-campus events, and establishing connections to necessary support services. Ġ Are you thinking about checking out any clubs or organizations? Which ones look interesting? Ġ Have you considered a fraternity/sorority? Ġ Are there support resources that you anticipate needing this year?

September

Plan a family visit to campus (Family Weekend). Talk to your student about how it’s going with new friends and other relationships, and check in about academics. Ġ How are you settling in so far? Ġ Where have you been meeting people on campus? Ġ Tell me about your classes. Are they what you expected so far? What are you learning?

October

You can steer your student towards academic support resources, and also help them handle homesickness and other mental health issues. Ġ Have you made an appointment to see your advisor? What did you talk about? Ġ How are you doing with your monthly budget? Ġ What are you missing about home?

What are you enjoying the most about being on campus?

November

Prepare your student (and yourself) for what to expect if/when they return home for Thanksgiving. Managing friendships at school and at home tends to be a big topic this time of year. Ġ How are you taking care of yourself?

Are you finding time for exercise and study breaks? Ġ Tell me about the friends you’ve made at UIC. Ġ What do you want to do while you’re home for Thanksgiving?

December

It’s good to think ahead to winter break and revisit house rules. As fall semester wraps up, plan to talk to your student about what went well and their goals for spring semester. Ġ How are you feeling overall after this semester? Did it turn out the way you expected? Ġ What is one goal you have for spring? Ġ Let’s discuss our expectations for when you’re home over winter break.

Your Role Conversation Starters

January

Help your student have as restful and refreshing a break as possible. As they prepare to return to campus, remind them of the benefits of staying engaged academically and with life outside the classroom. Ġ What classes are you most excited for this semester? Ġ What new organizations will you get involved with? Ġ How do you plan to reconnect with your friends on campus?

February

You can support your student as they consider options for on- and off-campus living for future years, and help them if they need to overcome the “winter blues.” Ġ Where are you planning to live next year? Are you ready for the additional responsibilities of living off campus? Ġ How are you staying active? Ġ What are your plans for

Spring Break?

March

Mid-semester is a good time to check in about their academic progress and goals; they’ll meet with an advisor soon to plan next year’s courses. Encourage them to prepare for the summer, including living arrangements and jobs/internships. Ġ Tell me about the experiences you’ve had related to your major. Is this something you can still see yourself doing after graduation? Ġ What are your plans for this summer?

Are you thinking about where you want to live? Ġ Have you investigated jobs, internships, or summer classes?

April

Support your student with self-care and study/life balance as they head towards the end of the semester. Ġ How are you preparing for your final exams? Ġ How are you taking care of yourself?

May

You can be a sounding board to help your student summarize how their first year went and start thinking about goals for next year. Discuss expectations for summer (if they will live at home). Ġ Overall, how do you feel about how the year went? Were your expectations met? Did anything surprise you? Ġ What classes are you taking next semester? Ġ How will you use what you learned this year?

June & July

Friendship may be a focus for your student over the summer as they reconnect with old friends while missing new college friends. Soon it’s time to help them re-focus for a return to campus. Ġ How have you grown as a person this year? Ġ Are you staying in touch with your college friends? How are they enjoying summer? Ġ What do you hope to achieve next year at UIC?