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By Marc Showalter, PhD, Director of the University Counseling Center Hard to believe first semester classes are over. The time goes so quickly. When exams end and your student is home for the holidays you’ll probably have a million questions about school and how things went. Your student may think finals are over, but you still have one more evaluation in mind. Just how did things go this first semester? Helping your student take a good look at their first semester of college can be useful for both of you. To keep this from being as much fun as the final exams they just completed, here are a few suggestions you might consider when you have this talk. Look for the right time and place. Try to have this conversation in the most inviting way possible for your student. This is usually done without siblings around and in a place where your student feels at ease. Try to keep interruptions to a minimum. This means no TV, computer or ipod. Try not to make it too long. Nobody likes a marathon. As parents you have an enormous investment in the success of your student. There isn’t anything in your life that’s more important than your son or daughter. It’s important to remember to try and keep the focus on your student as much as possible. Let them know your expectations and concerns, but try to give them room to tell you their impressions. See if you can make this a conversation and not a lecture. Parents can get in the mode of telling their student so many important things that you tend to forget about the listening part. Ask some questions and be silent. You may find out some things you didn’t expect. Can your student tell you bad news? We all hope the first semester will be filled with great successes and fun times, but it’s possible that some things didn’t go so well. Does your student know what you’ll do if they tell you something you don’t want to hear? The more your student believes that they can tell you anything, the more likely they are to tell you everything that’s going on. Even the stuff you’d rather not hear. Keeping your emotions under control can help. You care so much about them and want so badly for them to do well that sometimes emotions can be overwhelming. If you show too much anger, frustration, sadness or disappointment, your student may attend more to your emotions than to the conversation. As best you can, try to keep your emotions under control. That’s pretty easy to say but not always easy to do. Stay positive and supportive. Being on the same side of the fence with your student can help avoid those unpleasant confrontations that nobody likes. Look for successes and things you can build on for next semester. Helping your student make some self-evaluations is an important tool for them to learn. Instead of your telling them where they went wrong and what to do, ask questions that will give them the chance to take a critical look at their choices and the consequences. Here are a few questions you might want to consider.
Now what? After you and your student talk about this past semester, this can be a good time to talk about next semester. Helping them come up with a plan to either make some changes or to keep up the good work can be a great way to start the spring.
Ask them if they know about the Career Center, Student Health and the Counseling Center. Have they gotten to know their RA and Hall Director? Did they meet their teachers or make any other connections on campus? Knowing where to go for help can be a big part of any student’s success. Beginning college can be a challenge for students and parents alike. Being able to effectively evaluate what’s working and what needs to be changed is an important part of the process. More than anything, it’s important to leave your student with the message that you love them and believe in them. They aren’t in this by themselves and there are lots of people who want to help them succeed. If we can be of help to you at the University Counseling Center please feel free to contact us. Just like everyone here at the University, we all want the best for your student and you. University Counseling Center 662 915-3784 or e-mail mshowalt@olemiss.edu.
Technology Eases Access to Grades
Charlotte Fant, Registrar and Director of Admissions Well mom and dad, it’s time for those grades to come out. You may find that things have changed significantly in the last several years in terms of grade delivery. The University of Mississippi constantly seeks ways to provide enhanced student services. Gone are the days of waiting by the mailbox in anticipation or while praying. With technological advances in our student information system, we are pleased that student access to grades is secure, convenient and pretty much instantaneous. Since fall semester 2003, the University has allowed students to view their grades online. Online student services has a lot of great features. Students may check their bills, modify their addresses, view their class schedules and evaluate their professors online. Viewing their grades is another part of the online student service functionality. Access to confidential student information is secure and available 24 hours per day. Prior to the availability of these enhanced web services, grade reports were mailed. Students were often anxiously awaiting receipt of their final grade report. The reports took several days to be delivered. Additionally, many times students would forget to update their grade mailing address or have their mail forwarded. Grade reports would be located in a post office box on campus and the student would be home on vacation with his family. A call to the University would find us also closed for the holiday. Consequently, the Registrar routinely received complaints from students who did not receive their grade report or who did receive a grade report that was difficult to read. Students now have immediate access to their grades and can print those grades at any time. Students need only have their WebID and password to access online services; therefore, students and their parents can review grades together. Your student can access grades at https://secure.olemiss.edu/services/ We hear from parents all the time that they want “access” to the grades because they’re footing the bill. While it is true that many parents have access to their students’ online information, the best way to find out about grades is still old-fashioned and time tested – simply ask.
By Melinda Pullen, Associate Director of Student Housing and residence life All of us in Housing and Residence Life want your student to be safe and secure. We also want possessions in their residence hall rooms to be safe from theft. Keeping residence hall room doors locked is the most important precaution your student can take. Lock the door when going to bed or leaving, even for a short time. Locking the door is the single most effective action to take in preventing theft. Also:
Here are some other tips to help your student keep possessions safe:
Enjoy your students over the break period and remember that we are here to partner with you in your student’s success. Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions, comments or concerns at (662) 915-7328 or housing@olemiss.edu.
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