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North Georgia College and State University
PARENTS
ASSOCIATION WEBSITE
North Georgia College and State University |
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Parent Survival Tips As you would probably expect, your relationship with your son or daughter will undergo some change in the coming months and years. Be ready!! Here are some tips on how to make the transition smoother for your child.......and you! · Send lots of mail, especially in the beginning of the year. No matter how many times you phone, e-mail, or fax, they truly want to have a tangible piece of paper. Your young person will be thrilled to receive an article of clothing once in a while or something silly. · If you want to send a package and want to use UPS or Fedex here is how to do it. You have to add the physical address of the campus post office “82 College Circle” to the address of your student; So, it should look like;
· If possible, plan a campus visit, i.e., an athletic event, a weekend, Sweetheart recognition ceremony, Corps Parade (Pass In Review), Parents Weekend or a day at North Georgia with your student. Take your young adult and his or her friends to lunch, dinner, or for an outing. You will not believe how many friends your child has when a free meal is involved, especially at the end of the semester when money is low. If you include friends, you are a welcomed guest just about anytime. Always coordinate your visit with your student. Corps Cadet’s do on occasion have closed weekends to focus on specific training activities. Never show up on campus unannounced!!! · The young women love to receive flowers. Whether it’s a bouquet or a single rose, they make her the envy of her residence hall. This is great during Rush or the first week of school. · During the semester, send a favorite food item. If your student comes home on the weekends, send the leftovers back to campus. · Purchase a Wal-Mart gift card for your student. This is a highly desired item! Students go to the local Super Wal-Mart all the time; especially Corps Cadets. · For holidays that you are not with them, send something appropriate, i.e., plastic pumpkins filled with Halloween candy, Valentines, Easter baskets, etc. They love the traditions whether they are home or not. · Students should balance their checkbooks before they leave for breaks. This is a common problem period because students are not at school to check their mail. · Have your student do a monthly budget instead of a semester budget for the first year. Be flexible the first semester. · Remember that you have limited control over your child. Have patience. Trust your child to make the correct decisions. · Treat your child as an adult. · If you have not begun giving your young adult added responsibilities at home during his or her high school senior year -- budgeting money, washing and ironing, extended curfews, getting a job, managing time, or decision making -- do it now. · Remember parental guidance does not mean trying to control your son’s or daughter’s decisions or actions from home. Try to keep criticisms to yourself, and you will be able to keep the lines of communication open. · Encourage your student to foster a good rapport with his/her academic advisor and to continue to seek their advice throughout their academic career. As students become more confident they tend to think they know everything. Mistakes can prove costly in terms of expense and possibly delayed graduation. · Make sure your health insurance carrier will cover your child out of state. · Students need to always be aware of their current classification for registration purposes. · Obtain an academic calendar every year to help you keep up with important dates. The North Georgia Parents’ Association will strive to maintain a current, updated copy on our website. · Persuade your son or daughter to develop a network of peers, administrators, faculty, and staff they can count on for advice and guidance. · Make sure your student keeps the Registrar’s Office informed of address changes for both local addresses and mailing addresses. This will help avoid problems with grades and billing. · Ask your student to provide the Registrars Office with “written” permission to allow them to discuss their grades and provide you with academic information. Remember, your child is now an adult, and as such the Registrars office will not provide any grade information to you; unless your child provides them “written” permission stating that they have authorized them to release that information to you. · If your child/young adult is having academic problems, you can refer them to the division of academic support programs. This is their website; http://www.ngcsu.edu/learning/atallant/hotlist.htm . · Students who get involved on campus have greater academic success than students who only study. North Georgia has several clubs and organizations. Encourage your student to explore what’s available. · Become familiar with the North Georgia Parent’s Guide and the NGCSU website.. · Don’t be upset if you do not hear from your son or daughter the first week of college...be pleased they are fitting in so well, having a good time and keeping busy.
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