Welcome to Fresh@News, Villanova's e-mail newsletter for parents
and friends of the Class of 2013. Over the year we will be sending you
occasional postings about activities at Villanova University that relate the
Freshman Class. Instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe from this
service are given at the end of this posting.
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In
a few days, many members of the Class of 2013 will be headed home for fall
break, and you can feel the energy in the air. For many this will
be the first time they’ve been home since August, and the students are
excited about having a break from classes and the comforts of home.
Fresh@news has
compiled a list of Tips for Fall Break:
- Don’t
be offended if they spend the first 30 minutes they are home exclusively
with the family dog. They miss them too, and Fido doesn’t have a
cell phone for them to send text messages to, so they really need
to catch up.
- When
you inquire about their courses, be sensitive that they have likely just
completed a mid-term exam, paper, or project (or all 3!) and might be less
excited than usual to talk about classes after what may feel like academic
overload.
- “Going
home” for students typically extends beyond your physical
residence. What they miss about home often encompasses family,
friends, and FOOD! Have their favorite meal for dinner this week, or
treat them to dinner at a favorite restaurant. No matter how much they
like the food on campus, they like something you’ve prepared so much
more!
- Don’t
structure ALL their time while they are home. As much as they look forward
to visits with their family, they are also hoping to connect with friends and
catch up on sleep.
- Remember
that they have spent six weeks on their own, and it might be a good idea
to talk with them about your expectations while they are home, which may
be waking up before noon, telling you when they will be home at night,
picking up after themselves, and so on. Sometimes parents think everything
will be as it was in high school, while the student has developed a new
routine or expectations. It’s good to have a conversation before
an issue comes up.
- After
spending time with your student, a big question that many parents will
have is: "How is my son or daughter doing at college?" Fresh@News
has asked Ms. Kathy
Byrnes, Associate Vice President for Student Life, to
provide some perspectives.
Fresh@News: So what should
parents be looking for as they try to get a sense of how their son or daughter
is doing as a freshman?
Kathy Byrnes : Generally speaking when we ask how a student is
doing we look at a few different things: 1) Is the student adjusting well
to the academic expectations of college work? By now the student should
have gotten some grades back, and should either be doing work that is at least
satisfactory or being proactive about seeking help. 2) Does the student seem to
be making some social connections? Everyone expects the students to make a lot
of new friends in college and it often happens that way, but for some students it
takes a bit of time. It is a good thing if by fall break the student does
seem to be talking about at least some new friends. 3) Is the student
getting involved with some activities? Some students who have a really
rigorous academic schedule hold off on getting involved with activities until
they get their feet under them, and that is a good thing. Other students
may get over-involved right away and can’t keep up with their work, so
that isn’t such a good thing. For most students, however, it is a
positive thing if they are involved in at least some structured co-curricular
activity over and above their course work and spending time with their friends.
Fresh@News: Here is a question
that we hear sometimes: “My son says he LOVES Villanova and that he is
having a great time. I'm worried, however, that he is having a terrific time
socially but that his grades may be suffering. It isn't that I don't trust him,
but I'd like some independent indication of how he is doing academically. How
would I get that?”
Kathy Byrnes: This question is
not untypical, and it applies equally to young men and women who may be
distracted by the social aspect of college. Given the greater freedom of
college life, some of our students can be a bit unrealistic about how things
are going. The fact that they have fewer tests and fewer graded homework
assignments can also mean that they don't get as much feedback on their
progress as they got in high school. Occasionally a student also may not be
completely up front with their parents about their academic work.
There are several
things to watch. The first indication is mid-term grades. Many faculty members
post a mid-term grade. These grades are posted on Novasis, which is our student
record system, and they are usually available about a week or two after fall
break. So if you haven’t heard anything by the end of October, it is a
good time to ask your son or daughter since it is more than likely they
received most of their midterm grades by then. You might ask your son to show
you his mid-term grades on Novasis. Three of the colleges - Arts and Sciences,
Business, and Nursing - also send a mid-term warning letter to first year
students who are doing poorly in their academic work. These letters are
typically sent to the student both at the home address and at Villanova. So, if
a letter arrives in October from the Academic Dean, you might ask your child
what is in the letter.
Final grades -
which come out just around Christmas -- are a definite moment of truth for
first year students. Again, they will be posted on Novasis, and so you should
check in with your son or daughter about how their grades were. A student who
does poorly (generally less than a 2.0) during the first semester is put on
academic probation. Most of them straighten out in their second semester. A few
who really aren't ready for college work continue to do poorly, and may be
asked to take some time off to gain some additional maturity.
Fresh@News: What if a parent
hears that their son or daughter is doing okay in classes, but is not that
happy with life on campus?
Kathy Byrnes: Once again,
it sometimes takes awhile for friendships to solidify. One question to ask is
what is the student doing to try to make friends? Is the student reaching out
to classmates? … hallmates? … students from the orientation group?
If the student lives on campus, another step is to talk to the RA (Resident
Assistant) in the residence hall. The RA is trained to be a resource for
students, and can refer the student to a variety of services as needed. Some of
these services are listed on this resource page for parents:
http://www.parents.villanova.edu. Students can also contact their Orientation
Counselor (OC). The OC often has many connections throughout campus and can
help students navigate some of the ins and outs of campus life. Another avenue
is a visit to the Office of Student Development, home of many campus
organizations and a great resource for getting involved. Through getting
involved, students naturally meet people with similar interests and friendships
form.
Fresh@News: Suppose a parent is
worried about the student. When is it appropriate to call and whom should
they call?
Kathy Byrnes: If there are
problems, the first thing for the parent to do is to advise the student to seek
help. Generally speaking, the parent should get involved in one of three cases.
1) The student is in trouble but doesn't seem to be reaching out for help. 2)
The student has reached out for help, but the issue wasn't resolved. 3) The
parent is concerned that the student is not being completely candid about the
situation. In those cases, the parent should call either the Dean of Students
Office or the University Counseling Center (for personal concerns) or the
office of the Academic Dean of the student's particular college (in other
words, if the student is in Arts and Sciences, call the office of the Dean of
Liberal Arts and Science). These offices are extremely knowledgeable and
helpful. While college is a time for students to learn how to manage and
navigate their own lives, as a parent you are always welcome to reach out to
Villanova when you are worried about your son or daughter.
Fresh@News: Any other general
advice for parents?
Kathy Byrnes: Sometimes there is a temptation for
parents to want to interrogate their daughter or son, to make sure everything
is going well. My suggestion is to be patient, at least at first, and let
your son or daughter tell about their experiences in their own way. Of course a
few well placed questions can always be helpful too.
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No
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postings provide supplemental background information for parents and friends of
the class. While the information is as accurate as possible, all
information is subject to change without notice. Please do not reply to
these postings. If you have specific questions, contact the
appropriate office at Villanova University or email the Parents' Website at parents@villanova.edu. See www.parents.villanova.edu for
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