Helping Students Adapt and Succeed

1. Encourage them to meet a variety of people and explore various activities provided in the hall and across campus.  Staying busy will help them ease the transition.
2. Encourage them to be patient with the process of developing good roommate relationships.  Help your student identify possible solutions other than moving out of the room.  Encourage honest, respectful communication and full participation in the negotiation of room agreements and conflict resolution sessions.  Help students to remember that there are at least two sides to every situation and to identify solutions that work for everyone.
3. Residence hall students still love to get mail and packages.  Regular cards or letters can help keep spirits up.  We advise you not to send any cash or gift cards through the mail. 
4. Help your student deal with money matters by developing a realistic budget with him or her and by identifying reasonable security measures for the checkbook, money, credit card, and bank records.  Discourage keeping lots of cash in the room.  Prepare your student for the ready access to credit card vendors on the campus and talk about the strategies card companies use to lure new customers.
5. Encourage your student to know and observe residence hall rules.  Most rules are rooted in concern for safety and a reasonably controlled environment.
6. Coach your student in developing problem-solving skills instead of doing things for her or him.  Questions to ask include the following:

What have you tried so far?
To whom have you spoken? 
What did s/he say?
Did you receive anything in writing about this? 
What does it say?

Good resources for students with any concerns include their resident advisor (RA) and their residence coordinator (RC). 
Teach your student to keep records of interactions with staff in various offices and to keep a copy of all paperwork.  If your student has tried unsuccessfully to resolve a problem, there are many resources available to help.  Support your student in finding the most appropriate resource and encourage him/her to be persistent in working through challenges.
7. It is important that every student be registered officially for classes and keep her/his University account current in order to reside in the residence halls.  Any questions about a student’s bill or class registration should be directed to the One Stop Student Services Center.
8. Encourage your student to practice expressing needs, opinions, and desires in an assertive, not aggressive, manner.  The residence hall is a place where a wide variety of people must work out how to live together in a relatively short period of time.  Encourage flexibility and tolerance.
9. Encourage your student to be mindful of the positives as well as the frustrations.
Keeping the lines of communication open with your student is your best way of knowing what is happening and allows you to offer support and advice.