Answers to Your College Questions

Posted by Harlan Cohen on Friday, 22 November 2013 in New College Parent

 For many families, Thanksgiving break is the first opportunity for students to come home since they left for college. But now that your kid has been living on their own for a while, things could seem a little different. Are you prepared? Learn what to expect with this excerpt from The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only by New York Times bestselling author Harlan Cohen.

Thanksgiving break is a very exciting time for parents. Having your child home again is just about the most wonderful thing that could happen (that and actually cooking the turkey to perfection). There are so many things to do and so much catching up. There are meals to share, rooms to clean, light bulbs to change, computer issues to resolve, things to buy, stuff to rearrange, relatives to see, family outings to go on—there are so many things to do as a family and so little time to do it.

Posted by Dr. Marcia Y. Cantarella on Monday, 24 December 2012 in New College Parent

The first year of college can be overwhelming. First-year students are facing a lot of new things and are forced to separate from familiar territory. They have to make new friends, learn new spaces, live or hang out with different people, eat unfamiliar foods, discover new ways of learning, and follow new rules. That is a lot of new at one time.

Many studies show that freshman year is the time when students are most likely to drop out of college, and many consider transferring (though most don’t). There are various factors at play: many students are dealing with homesickness—missing friends, family, and the familiar—while others struggle academically or socially. But this is just a part of the college experience. Typically, by second semester, they surface just fine.

Posted by Harlan Cohen on Tuesday, 30 October 2012 in New College Parent

It’s up to you and your child. The best approach is to listen to your instincts, listen to your child, and discuss expectations. Appreciate that it’s not about the quantity of calls, but the quality.

It’s Too Much Calling If…

Posted by Harlan Cohen on Wednesday, 10 October 2012 in New College Parent

Yes. According to the Higher Education Research Institute, 61 percent of college students reported feeling some sort of homesickness. That’s a lot of homesick students. This number is big, and it’s gotten bigger over the past several years. Forget the flu—homesickness the first year of college is an epidemic. If your kid isn’t getting homesick, he or she is in the minority.

Knowing that homesickness is normal should better prepare you for when your child calls or expresses feelings of homesickness. Instead of being shocked, panicking, or trying to convince your child that he or she isn’t really homesick, you can listen and think, “My son loves home so much it’s making him sick. Oh, isn’t that wonderful.” Or, “My daughter loves home so much it’s making her sick. Oh, isn’t that wonderful.” No, it’s not really wonderful, but knowing it’s normal can help you be a better listener and help cure the sickness.

Posted by Harlan Cohen on Wednesday, 25 July 2012 in New College Parent

If you’re already your kid’s Facebook friend, you know it can be complicated at times. Being a friend to your child means seeing, hearing, and knowing more than you might want to see, hear, or know. When it comes to sending a request, it’s not like there’s an option to be your child’s “Facebook parent.” The only option is to be a “friend.” So before you consider sending that friend request to your son or daughter, make sure you know what you’re getting into. As a rule, NEVER publicly humiliate your child on Facebook—not cool.