September - Adjusting to UK
Once September gets underway, some of the initial anxieties of being a new student begin to fade. For many, the challenges of adapting to a new environment persist.
- Increased comfort with living situation or greater sense of homesickness
- Potential for roommate conflicts
- Off-campus students may continue to feel disconnected
- Disenchantment with college experience if it does not meet expectations
- Feeling disconnected from home and family
- Time management issues; suddenly feeling overwhelmed with assignments
- First quizzes and tests may cause anxiety
- Discovery that high school study habits are not effective with college work
- Balancing academic and social obligations
- Developing bad habits, such as skipping class, staying out late every night, or spending too much time on the Internet
What Families Can Do
- Make plans to attend Family Weekend. Family Weekend is a great opportunity to learn more about your student's college experience and new environment.
- Reassure your student that feeling overwhelmed is normal for new students learning to manage academic demands and new personal responsibilities.
- Remind your student that attending class regularly and keeping up with assignments are keys to academic success.
- Encourage your student to build a time management schedule and stick to it.
- Keep your student informed about events and activities taking place at home.
- If your student is experiencing homesickness, encourage her to get involved with a campus organization, seek a part-time on-campus job, or find some way to meet new people on campus.
- If your student's adjustment problems seem severe, encourage him to talk with a counselor in the Counseling and Testing Center or the Student Mental Health Service.
- Send a care package to your student. Consider including snacks, stamps, phone cards, or something to remind her of home.
- Students who may want to study abroad during their time at UK should contact the Office of International Affairs for information on study abroad interest sessions that are held throughout the year. It is important to start planning for a semester abroad early in your student's college career in order to maximize his options.