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Parent Advice
Best Advice You Wish You Had Given Your Student
Academics
- Don’t declare a specific major unless you REALLY know. Take a year of classes and think about what you are really interested in.
- Seek out small classes like Freshman Seminars.
- Not to be discouraged if his grades were lower than his performance in high school, despite increased effort.
- Professors in college are willing to help you if you ask for help.
- You don’t need to take such difficult classes right ‘out of the gate.’
- No matter how much you tell them they are going to have to study a lot harder than in high school, it just doesn’t sink in until they’ve gone through their first term.
- I didn’t emphasize enough how different and more difficult college would be than high school. There definitely had to be an adjustment in study skills and time management.
- To make an affirmative effort to interact with his teachers. He was lucky to be in relatively small classes and eventually formed a good relationship with one of his freshman seminar professors.
- Pay close attention to the details that your professors send to you about their classes via e-mail. Read EVERYTHING in order to avoid future frustrations and plan effectively.
- Scheduling your day goes beyond just attending class. It involves ‘scheduling’ blocks of time to study, rest, and socialize. And then, using self-discipline to stick to your schedule. It will be easy to waste time and not accomplish your goals.
- If your student is invited to any special programs that give the student a head start in the summer, TAKE the opportunity.
Financial
- That ordering pizza does not count as an ‘emergency’ for running up credit card charges.
- To have the U-M bills sent to him since all of the money came to him.
- Financial Responsibility—More of it!
- I wish I had given more specific instructions regarding cell phone usage. That first bill was a ‘biggie.’
Personal
- Have some fun—you can’t study every minute.
- I would have made sure he had a job which would decrease his party time.
- Look for ways to shrink the campus—break it down into smaller groups where you feel you belong.
- We could have talked more about getting involved in campus activities and dorm living.
- That things at home would not be frozen in time and when he came home to expect small changes like new furniture changes in how we spend out time, etc.
- We should have discussed second year housing before leaving for school, since the subject is first opened to the freshmen during the fall semester. I felt ill prepared for the anxiety raised and the questions generated, that were the result of the Housing Fair, held in the fall.
- We wish we had known more about dorm life. Our daughter adjusted nicely but we were not aware of how many changes had taken place in the past 30 years.
- Try to make friends early but realize that you still have to make studying your #1 priority, even when good buddies are tempting you to socialize in all of your spare time.
- To be more diligent about finding a ride home with other students who attend UM.
- Buy basketball or hockey tickets in advance, like football tickets.
- Have tolerance with the ‘system’—it’s not perfect. Adjust your expectations.
- Things take time. There is so much to experience at U-M, but it can’t all be experienced at once.
- To immediately discuss roommate problems with the RA (after trying to work it out first with the roommate). A student who doesn’t like to ‘make waves’ or doesn’t feel the RA is approachable can wind up with an entire year of problems.
- Roommates aren’t forever.
- That it would be a BIG transition, with tons of emotions.
- Don’t make arrangements too early regarding moving out of the dorm as a sophomore. Take enough time to choose your housemates well.
- Don’t hesitate to see your Resident Advisor if you are in a situation that is out of your control with regards to your roommate.
- He was not prepared for the work it would take to make friends. Advice: Be prepared to climb a mountain.
- NOT to join a fraternity.
- We wish we had known more about the way sororities selected prospective members. Our daughter participated in rush, received positive feedback; was invited back to three houses, yet not invited to join any. This was a particularly hurtful experience.
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