everyday strategies on how to support your college student … · improve your student’s ....

Parent and Family Guide

plus8 Tips for Healthy College Students

99 Ways to

Improve Your Student’s

Success

everyday strategies on

how to support your college

student

Volume 1, Fall 2012 Issue

2

Sincerely,

Sarah SchuppFounder & CEO

University Parent

contents

2

Welcome to Our Community

As the founder and CEO of University Parent, I want to introduce you to one of the top parent resources in the country, this very parent guide.

Each guide is produced based on information we know parents need, while also helping to introduce existing and prospective families to the community. We seek to provide well-balanced resources in the area as well as other relevant information.

With over eight years of consulting experience, University Parent has developed parent and family guides at over 200 universities and colleges nationally providing parents with helpful information about their child’s college

Dear Parents, Family, and Friends:

experience. Student success is shown to improve when parents and families are engaged in their child’s college experience.

On top of your student’s academic studies, we hope you will encourage your student to become a part of the surrounding community, and that this guide will be helpful for you as you support and challenge your student throughout their college journey. From all of us at University Parent, we wish you all the best as you explore your child’s new community.

4 | Parent and Family GuideComprehensive advice, information for student success

4 | Campus Safety: 10 Tips to Share with Your Student

6 | Academic Success: Simple Studying Tips

8 | Health & Wellness: 8 Tips for Healthy College Students

10 | Why Can’t I See My Student’s Grades?

11 | Career: Encourage Your Student to Explore Career Ambitions

12 | Financial Tips: How to Avoid Debt in College

14 | Success for the Future

16 | Academic Advising

17 | Student Involvement: Clubs and Organizations for Your Student to Join

18 | Parenting from a Distance: No More Notes on the Refrigerator

20 | Communicating with your Student: Technology - High Tech, Low Tech

22 | College Lingo 101

24 | Calculate the Total Cost of Attendance

25 | Dates to Know

26 | Notes

30 | Community Resourcestwitter.com/4collegeparents

facebook.com/collegeparents

www.universityparent.com

4 www.universityparent.com/fall2012guideFall 2012 Guide 5

What new people have you met this semester? What are their values like compared to your own?

What sort of student organizations are you involved in?

CONVERSATION STARTERS

10 Tips to Share with your Student

tipIf your student

is having a problem, resist the urge to fix it! Help them

identify the issue and brainstorm

ways they may address

the issue. Remind them of resources on campus.

Most likely, this is your student’s first time, out on his or her own, in a new environment. Start a dialogue with your student about important

safety measures and what new precautions they might need to learn while living in their new environment. Here are some quick tips on staying safe:

1 Let your student know it is important to be diligent in locking up valuables, and to be aware of surroundings. Do not leave belongings unattended. It is easy for someone to pick up a laptop in the library and walk off with it.

4 Personal safety is paramount. Talk to your student about creating a plan to get home safely by taking well-lit walkways (instead of dark shortcuts), walking home with friends and reminding your student to notify someone when they arrive home safely.

5 Encourage your student to invest in a heavy-duty bike lock. Bikes are often a hot commodity on college campuses, especially if the bike was expensive.

2 Remind your student to identify and store safety resource numbers in their phone so they can be prepared in the case of an emergency.

7 Leave unnecessary valuables at home. Expensive technology left in cars or in homes with open windows or dorm rooms with open doors, might be an enticing invitation for unwelcome visitors.

3 Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.

8 Your student should know the rules about use of fire within their place of residence. Most residence halls do not allow any type of open flame, including candles. If candles are permitted, ensure that they are placed safely in a room away from items that could catch fire.

9 Ask your student about an escape plan in their place of residence. Make sure your student knows the route to evacuate their building or home.

6If your student goes to a party, remind them to never take drinks or food from people they don’t know.

10 Finally, encourage your student to step up and report any suspicious behavior. Talk to them about Good Samaritan Laws that protect citizens who report or try to help another citizen in distress. Talk to your student about being a good community member and helping out others when in need.

Campus Safety


If it hasn’t happened yet, just wait for it. Your student will

call you, overwhelmed by the semester’s courses, overloaded by a demanding social life, or over-amped on caffeine, and looking for a solution to an upcoming test. Should your student pull an all-nighter to study the night before? Should they make flash cards to flip through on the way to class? Should they sleep with their notes under their pillow at night?

According to the 2011 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), “students are known to benefit when they use a variety of approaches to study and learn, such as taking notes when reading, summarizing and organizing new information, and creating a study-friendly environment.” More than 22,000 students were asked how they study best and the most frequently used strategies included:

⊲ Taking careful notes during class.

⊲ Connecting course content to things already known.

⊲ Identifying key information from readings.

According to this same study, students used the following techniques to improve their reading comprehension:

⊲ Students used what they already knew about a subject.

⊲ Students identified key information in course readings.

⊲ Students read difficult course material more than once.

NSSE also shows that students were rarely interested in using additional study strategies that required added effort and direction. “For example, only about half of students frequently wrote summaries or created outlines of major topics and ideas and about four in 10 created visual representation of content read.”

All of these strategies can be beneficial to ensuring your student’s academic success. Encourage your student to become familiar with and skilled at a variety of study strategies including the ones listed below which will not only boost their grades, but also their health and energy:

⊲ Study for classes consistently and gradually, not just before a test: an hour tonight, a couple of hours over the weekend, a review of material next week.

⊲ Get six-eight hours of sleep every night.

⊲ Start the day off with breakfast, whether there’s a test that day or not.

⊲ Form study groups with classmates to discuss the material, rather than just memorizing it. This will help make studying more fun and help your student to know the material better, if he has to explain it to others.

⊲ Use the professor’s visiting hours. Your student can receive extra help or information on the subject matter by talking to the professor or teacher’s assistant. What strategies have you learned that help you study best?

How would you describe the difficulty of your classes?


Simple Studying Tips for Academic Success

Academic Successtip

Encourage your

student to visit

professors during

office hours to

discuss their

readings, classes, or

questions. Let them

know to be prepared

before they speak

with their professor.

Don’t wait until the

end of the semester

to address issues.

www.universityparent.com/fall2012guide 9

What sort of habits do you have in place for personal safety and a healthy lifestyle?


1 Eat your veggies! It sounds cliché, but making healthy choices in food will give your student more energy and keep them from getting ill. Pizza may be a must in college, but help your student identify healthy food sources in their food court and neighborhood.

5 Build Healthy Relationships.College is a time in life, when friends become family. Encourage your student to befriend those that inspire them to think widely and to focus on both their values and goals.

2 Exercise.Encourage your student to join an outdoor recreation club, sport, or hit the recreation center. Regular exercise can increase concentration and reduce stress!

4 Avoid Alcohol and Drugs.Every university has a policy against underage drinking and illegal drugs. If your student is dealing with stress by using drugs or alcohol, be frank in discussing it with them. Let them know it is not healthy, and point them to alcohol and drug support services or a counselor.

3 Sleep.Talk to your student about their sleep habits. They are young and can handle an all-night study session, but remind them that a rested mind is better prepared for test taking and decision making.

6 Build Healthy Romances.Talk to your student about what a supportive partner looks like. Identifying healthy partners is important at every stage in life.

7 Encourage Your Student to Explore.This is the time! College is a great place to learn about different cultures and activities. Tell your student to seek out extra-curricular activities that challenge their comfort zone. For example, they might try salsa dancing, going to a poetry slam, or playing a sport!

8 Talk.Encourage your student to talk about their anxieties, excitements, and accomplishments with you and with their peers. Remind them that the university employs counselors, psychologists, career coaches, and advisors for them to express their concerns to as well.

8 Tips for Healthy College Students

Health & Wellness

tipTalk to your student

about sensitive subjects.

Be direct, accepting,

and don’t be afraid to

encourage safe behavior

when it comes to sex,

drugs, and alcohol. It

may be uncomfortable to

talk about these things,

but your student will

appreciate that you care

enough to bring it up.

8 Fall 2012 Guide


FERPA’s restrictions often frustrate parents, especially parents who pay for tuition. But, as College Parents of America suggests, “Rather than seeing this legislation as a barrier to good college parenting, parents might see this as an important opportunity for meaningful dialogue with a student.”

While working within the restrictions of FERPA, support your student in taking personal responsibility for their transcript and financial obligations. Although this legislation restricts parents from involvement in many ways, it also empowers students to become independent. Encourage your student to be aware of their rights, which will help them take ownership over their education.

Key Things to Remember about FERPA• Colleges and universities cannot

disclose academic information to parents without written consent from the student.

• Do not be frustrated by the law. Use it as an opportunity to help your student develop independence.

• Support your student academically throughout the year and not just when grades are released.

What does a typical day look like for you? How do you make time for social, academic, and extra-curricular activities?


Encourage Your Student to Explore Career Ambitions

Career

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Why Can’t I See My Student’s Grades?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects your college student’s privacy and grants them the exclusive

right to view and share their education records such as grades, transcripts, disciplinary records, contact information, and class schedules. Under the law, colleges and universities may not disclose education records to anyone other than the student.

College is all about exploration. Even if your student has chosen

a major, encourage them to take one exploratory class each semester. This will help them identify possible minors (or possible back-up plans).

Encourage your student early on to make a list of values, goals, desired income or lifestyle, and identify the kinds of careers that might match. This sort of brainstorm will help your student distinguish which schools, departments, and classes to explore.

Encourage your student to discuss career ambitions with their academic and/or career advisor. An academic advisor can identify the most important classes to take while helping to align coursework with values and goals. It is never too early for an internship, resume writing, or mock-interviews. Students who more clearly outline their goals will accomplish more by knowing what the following years might include.

tipBe aware that your student is an adult now and they have

their own schedule. If they don’t respond

right away to an e-mail or a phone call, give

them space to get back to you. Some

parents insert code words into the subject

of their message when they need a

quick response.


Forego the credit card. Recent legislation banned anyone

under 21 from having a credit card, without a cosigner or significant income. Regardless, the longer your student can put off using a credit card, the easier it will be to avoid debt. No one wants to pay off shower shoes they bought for dorm life 20 years down the road (although shower shoes are definitely a good idea). Stick with debit cards - that way your student won’t be able to

Here are a few tips to help your student stay out of debt in college:

spend money they do not have, paying for it in interest for years to come.

Buy used. If your student can delay the

immediate gratification of buying the latest iPhone, camera or MP3 player, they can save up to 50% of the total cost by waiting a year or two. Even buying necessities used, like textbooks, dorm furniture and clothes can make a huge difference in your student’s bank account.

Be smart with the Smart phone. Your student’s cell phone will likely be

one of their most essential belongings. Shop around for the best plan, as well as the best phone. Having a dependable way to call, text and even check e-mail will be a top priority. Exceeding free minutes or texts can rack up the charges fast, so make sure the plan is reasonable and realistic and set boundaries around who pays the bill each month.

How to Avoid Debt in College

Financial Tips

Play the host or pay the most. Your student’s social life may

consist of going out to eat regularly. However, choosing to stay in can save dollars. By buying groceries, cooking for several friends, and splitting the cost, your student can save both calories and money -- especially if the alternative is expensive, greasy food.

Think staycation. Sure, a tropical beach or snow-

powdery slopes sound like the perfect spring break for your student. But the expenses of travel, lodging, recreation, food and drink for one week of fun can drain the bank account dry. Encourage your student to enjoy breaks on a budget. Staying on campus, going home (if it’s close) or camping are great alternatives to pricey breaks.

Get a job. Of course, any income is better than none. But if your student

spends every penny earned, it doesn’t

What are you doing to plan for upcoming expenses and how might I be able to help you?


matter. Setting aside a percentage of money from every paycheck will help your student learn discipline and build a cushion of savings.

Power through. By helping your student make their education a

priority, you will likely save money. Summer classes, online classes and transfer credits often cost less than tuition costs at universities. Stretching a bachelor’s degree to a five-year degree also stretches the wallet, so encourage your student to avoid it if possible.

Budget. Helping your student to develop a budget early on might

prevent excessive or unnecessary expenditures. Help your student to not overspend on weekend trips or purchasing food off campus by encouraging them to budget a certain amount of money each month for both their needs and wants.

tipFind your university’s

schedule of events and academic

calendar. Highlight events parents are

invited to, tuition and fee deadlines,

residence hall closings, holidays,

and testing schedules. These are the times your

student will need your reminders, support,

and preparation.


Invest wisely.Financially speaking, to maximize your investment in college, help your student research scholarships and grants to help pay for tuition and student fees. For more information, see the article on page 12, “Financial Tips.” Write down important scholarship and loan deadlines so you do not miss re-applying the following year.

Network.Your student may be attending one of the most prestigious universities in the country, but if they do not connect with professors, students and alumni, their degree might be much less valuable. Universities are a place of learning.

Encourage your student to connect with a variety of people to learn all they can. Your student probably will not remember what they studied in their 8 a.m. class during their third semester in school, but the people in their study group for that class could turn out to be future colleagues or point them toward their dream job.

Mind over grades.Just as the paper diploma does not mean as much as the relationships behind it, your student’s transcript of grades will not be as valuable as the knowledge and experience they gain. Sure, a high GPA will help your student get their foot in the door with a job or internship, but what they

learn in and outside of the classroom and how they learn to apply it is what will make your student an invaluable employee.

Learn to study.Encourage your student to find your personal study preferences and learning style early. Once your student knows how they learn best, encourage them to capitalize on that knowledge and incorporate it into all of their classes, whether it is studying with other people, teaching the material to others, creating practice tests or spending time alone in a quiet corner of the library.

Extra-curricular activities.A significant portion of growth your student will experience will be outside of the classroom. Encourage your student to get involved in activities that interest them. Service organizations, sororities or fraternities, clubs and sports will help round out your student’s experience and provide another place to build relationships with people.

Internships.One of the best ways to secure a good job after college is to land an internship during college. Even if you get an unpaid summer internship, if it’s in your field of study and provides you with good experience and networking opportunities, the investment in time and money could lead to a strong career.

Take risks.If your student has always wanted to live in Europe, take a botany class or join the crew team, there is no time like the present. College not only lays the foundation for your student’s future career, but also provides opportunities to grow in ways they might not otherwise be able to. Encourage them to take advantage!

tipYour student may

express anxiety about

all the changes they

face. Assure them that

this is normal, and

remind them of their

accomplishments

in similar stressful

situations. For

example, they may

have succeeded with

a difficult project in

the past or made

friends after moving

to a new school.

Keep saving.Rather than coming out the other side with debt and an empty bank account, encourage your student to make a habit of saving and budgeting now. Those habits will benefit you and your student.

Think big.If your student enjoys a particular class or discovers a new talent, help them explore ways they could make a career out of what they love. If your student dreams of starting a business, writing a book or joining a world-class company, encourage them to visit their career center to start plotting their course to get there.

Health.Your student’s hard work and intentional choices will be valuable only if their mind and body are healthy enough to reap the benefits. Challenge your student to get enough sleep, eat healthy and exercise regularly. What are your dream jobs and why? What sort of classes

or experiences do you need to achieve this?


Top 10 Ways for your Student to Maximize the Return on Investment in College

Success for the Future


Clubs and Organizations for Your Student to Join

Help your student expand their interests! Most universities have a number of clubs and organizations for your student to explore. In Alexander Astin’s book, What matters in college: four critical years revisited, research shows that engagement is positively linked to better grades while involvement with community service has a positive effect on student’s overall development.

Here’s a list of the type clubs and organizations that may be offered:• Social and Political Action

Clubs/Groups• Student Events Activities• Academic • Study Abroad Programs• Travel-related • Cultural and Heritage • Arts and Performing Arts• Religious • Athletic • Career-Related • College and Self-Governance • Special Interest • Communication • Support • Greek Organizations

If academic clubs are not your student’s interest, there are a wide variety of intramural sports for the more athletic student. Intramural sports not only encourage students to interact with their peers, they also lower stress through exercise.

A happy and healthy student gets better grades! In addition to formal clubs and groups, or even intramural sports – universities offer plenty of classes at the recreation center. Your student can explore everything from yoga and bodybuilding, to swimming and cycling.

If your student does not see a club listed that they are interested in joining, they can create their own club or organization! Visit your school’s student involvement or student activities page online to find out how to get started.

Whatever your son or daughter decides, their involvement will enhance their college experience, introduce them to new ideas and prepare them for their future careers.

In college, there are a lot of decisions to make and many exciting activities to distract students from these important decisions. However, it is important to take the right classes at the right time. It is also important to know which classes will help a student explore their interests the best.

Freshman year is all about exploration and planning. Encourage your student to take a few classes they would not normally pick. However, you should also encourage your student to start thinking about the majors they are interested

Academic Advising

After a semester under their belt, your student might be looking for other ways to branch out socially as well as academically.

Universities offer a wide range of clubs and organizations to join and can be an important part of your college student’s experience.

tipAsk your student

about the difficulty of

their classes. If your

student seems to be

struggling with one

or more subjects,

encourage them to

seek out additional

help from their

professor or additional

learning resources

such as peer tutors,

study groups, or math

and science labs.

in, and to take the right classes to set them up for those majors. The college will have an academic advising office staffed with talented advisors to help students through these decisions.

Questions your student might ask their Advisor:• Are there any classes my high

school work can be applied to?• What classes should a student with an

undecided major take their first year?• What classes do I have left

to complete my degree?• What classes are “must take” classes?• Do I have enough credits to

count towards a minor?• Is there a minor that complements

my current major?• Are there tutoring services and how

do I find access to those services?

Student Involvement


“You and your child have been working through issues surrounding independence for years. At least once during high school, and certainly during that senior summer, your child must have declared, “You can’t tell me what to do; I’m not a little kid anymore.” It’s true. You really can’t tell your college-age child what to do. You have much less direct control, but you do still have influence, and you will continue to care deeply about how he is and whether he is safe, comfortable, and happy. For the next four years, you will be parenting your student from a distance, which requires greater trust from you and greater responsibility from your child.

...Counselors recommend that parents ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. At the same time, you don’t want to appear to be prying for too much personal information. Once your

No More Notes On The Refrigerator

student startes talking and is convinced that you are listening, not judging, he will share as much as feels comfortable to him. Some ideas for conversation starters:

• Ask open-ended questions that show interest in your child’s experiences, such as “How does your Spanish class compare with the language classes you took in high school?” “How much variety is there in the food they serve in the cafeteria?” “What is there to do on campus on the weekends?” “Now that you’ve been in school for a while, is there anything from home that you want me to send?”

• If your child doesn’t seem to want ot talk, don’t ask about her silence; instead you can carry the conversation for a while. Talk about things that you know interest her.

If she participated in high school sports, tell her how the team is doing and mention some of the athletes she played with. Talk about the family pet.

• Often, parents are so intrigued by their student’s new life, they forget that their child still needs to know at least a little about what is happening at home. Describe the repairs you’re having done on the car or mention that you spend the morning doing laundry, vacuuming, and washing floors. These reports remind your child that not everything in his life is changing.

• Avoid judging. Students are sentsitive to any hints of disappointment or criticism. If you need to ask about finances, student records, or other specific information, keep that part

The following excerpt is used with permission from Marjorie Savage’s book, You’re On Your Own (but I’m here if you need me): Mentoring Your Child During the College Years.

Parenting from a Distance

Let your student know

by what yousay and do

that their importance

in the family has not

changed, butyour

interactions may change.

tip

of the discussion separate form the personal conversation, and be clear about your expectations. “It sounds like you’re doing well, and I’m proud of you. Before we hang up, we need to get a little business done. To keep you on my health insurance policy, my personnel office has to have a statement from the college saying you’re taking at least 12 credits this semester. I need to have it by the fifteenth of the month, and they say that students usually get those forms from the registrar’s office.”

... When students see that their parents use information to provide support rather than assert control, they end up providing information because they want to rather than because they have to.

*For more information visit www.amazon.com/Youre-Your-Own-Here-Need/dp/0743229126 where you can purchase a copy. Also visit Savage’s personal website at: www.marjoriesavage.com


The speed of communication means that students don’t spend much time processing information before they call home. Parents hear the news when it is still raw and emotional. When your student uses his cell phone to call you at work and report that he’s standing outside the financial aid office, and he’s missing a required form, it will seem like a major crisis to him. Your instincet will be to try to figure out a solution immediately, while he’s on the line. If, on the other hand, he had waited to call until seven-thirty that evening, he

Communicating with your Student

would have had time to find the form himself or figure out how to deal with the problem. At any rate, the issue would not be complicated by such urgency.

This immediate contact is both a blessing and a curse. Parents and students are communicating more, but technology has also raised expectations. A father knows his daughter has a cell phone; if he calls and gets no answer he may panic. Students, however, frequently forget to turn on or recharge their cell phoens when they’re the busiest and happiest.

E-mail brings similar mixed blessings. If a parent sends a message and response doesn’t come within twenty-four hours, she worries. The student, however, may have only skimmed his messages and not read the part where his mother asked him to respond. Maybe he has been doing countless other things and hasn’t checked his e-mail in a couple of days. Or maybe he glanced at his list of messages and thought “An e-mail from Mom. I don’t have time to write back to her now, so I’ll wait and read that one later.”

Some parents insert code words into the subject line of e-mail messages when they must have a quick response. One family has agreed that urgent messages will be titled “Respond Now.” Another mother says she always gets a reply if she writes “Want money?” in the heading.

“High tech” has some “high touch” benefits as well, though. Students and their parents find that e-mail allows them to say things to each other they could not say in person or over the telephone. The lack of visual cues makes for more personal communication. As they write a message, there are no interruptions and no body language or voice inflections to stop the train of thought. Consequently, e-mail users frequently disclose far more than they would in person, much as a journal writer confides more on paper than she does out loud to a friend. Fathers, especially, are likely to communicate more openly with thier child by e-mail.

... Parents and students may reveal more through e-mail than they ever had before. The emotion that comes out in e-mails, however, can create unrealistic expectations the next time they see each other in person or talk on the phone. When students come home for a weekend or a school break, families often find

*For more information visit www.amazon.com/Youre-Your-Own-Here-Need/dp/0743229126 where you can purchase a copy. Also visit Savage’s personal website at: www.marjoriesavage.com

that they need a period of adjustment. Patterns of communication don’t change overnight. Just because you can write to each other about deep feelings does not mean that you can jump into face-to-face conversations on the same topics.

Multiple technologies create more opportunities for different kinds of communication- a brief e-mail just to let your student know you’re thinking of him; a short voice-mail message with the latest news item from home; a lengthy phone call when you know you both have some free time; instant messaging while you’re watching the same TV program. Ask almost any student, though, and he’ll tell you not to forget the old standby – the U.S. Postal Service. Students may not write letters, and they will choose to make a phone call or dash off an e-mail message when they want to communicate with you, but every day they pass the residence hall desk or the student union mail center, they check their mailboxes, hoping something will be inside. Receiving a card, a letter, or best of all a package in an increasingly rare gift in an electronic world.

Excerpt used with permission from Marjorie Savage, You’re On Your Own (but I’m here if you need me): Mentoring Your Child During the College Years

Communication between students and their parents is not the same as it was a generation ago. When you first left home, you probably scheduled a collect call to Mom and Dad at a time when you knew they would

be home to accept the charges. Or you waited to place the call during less expensive “evening and weekend hours.” Now, however, students pull out their cell phones as they’re walking between classes. Your child may be talking to you on the way to an exam, and you might get another call minutes after she turns in her test. Technology- particularly cell phones, e-mail, and instant messaging – has dramatically affected the relationship between parents and students.

tip“Students and their

parents find that e-mail allows them

to say things to each other they could not

say in person or over the telephone.”

- Marjorie Savage

Technology - High Tech, Low Tech


Academic Advisor: This is a professional staff member at a college or university who can answer any of your student’s academic related questions. Academic advisors typically make class recommendations, provide support in choosing a major and help students stay on track for graduation.

Articulation agreement: An agreement between a two-year and a four-year college that states what classes will transfer to the four-year college and the required grades to earn credit.

Audit: An opportunity for a student to sit in on a class without receiving credit or paying for the class.

B.A. or B.S.: B.A. stands for “bachelor of arts,” and B.S. stands for “bachelor of science.” Schools often specialize in offering degrees in one area or another.

Board of Regents: Like a board of directors that govern individual colleges and universities or a state university system. Tasks might include fund raising and overseeing the university president and provost.

Board of Trustees: Same as the Board of Regents.

Bursar: Professional financial administrator in a school or university. Tasks might include billing tuition,

although might not participate in the financial aid process.

Chancellor: Chief executive of the university, also called a president. In a university system, the chancellor may serve as a system-wide chief, over presidents at each institution. Tasks might include being a public figurehead and having ultimate authority over the entire school or system.

Deans: People with significant authority over a specific department. Tasks might include hiring faculty, setting policies, and overseeing the budget. Examples: Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Students, Dean of the School of Medicine.

FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It allows students access to their academic records, as well as some control over the disclosure of the records. Only students can receive their own grades and school work.

Independent study: A program that allows students to design their coursework under the supervision of a professor.

Magna cum laude: The second-highest level of distinction upon college graduation, Latin for “with high honor.” Summa cum laude is the highest.

Postgraduate education: Higher education, generally referred to as graduate school, working toward a Master’s degree or doctorate.

Provost: Senior academic administrator. In many universities, the provost is the second-ranking officer, beneath the president. Tasks might include supervision and oversight of curriculum, research and instructors.

RA/ RD: Resident Advisers or Resident Directors are employed by the university to oversee dorm life. They serve as a resource for students living in on-campus housing.

Registrar: Official who handles student records. Tasks might include processing registration requests, scheduling classes, makes adding or dropping classes official and keeps transcript information.Summa cum laude: The highest level of distinction upon college graduation, Latin for “with highest honor.”

Tenure: Status granted to a professor that protects his/her position from being terminated without just cause. It guarantees academic freedom, so professors can dissent from prevailing opinion or disagree with authority without losing their job.

Title IX: An equal opportunity in education act that states “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance …” This especially affects athletic opportunities for females in college sports.

Undergraduate education: Post-secondary education (after high school) attained up to the level of a Bachelor’s degree.

Navigating the collegiate world can sometimes be a daunting task. Whether or not your college student dons Greek letters as part of a sorority or

fraternity, you might be thinking, “It’s all Greek to me!” when you peruse the university website or scan through the various offices and departments.To help you make sense of it all, here is a list of common college terms and their definitions:

College Lingo 101

tipConnect with your

student and ask them about terms specific

to their university or field of study.

(Utilize the notes section starting on page 26 to record

this information.)


Monthly Student Allowance:

Transportation Costs:

Hotel Stays:

Health Care Costs(Emergency and Planned):

Cell Phone Bill:

Car Insurance:

Off-Campus Rent:

Utilities:

Cable and Internet:

Trash/Water Bill:

Off-Campus Food Budget:

TOTAL:

ON-CAMPUS ESTIMATED COSTS

OTHER COSTS TO CONSIDER:

Tuition and Fees:

On-Campus Housing:

Meal Plan:

Books/ Supplies:

Grants:

Scholarships:

Loans:

Additional Aid:

On-Campus Estimated Total:

$Calculate the Co t of Attendance Dates to Know

Create Your Own Academic Calendar

First Semester

Move-In to Dorms/Residence Halls:

First Day of Classes:

Homecoming Weekend:

Last Day to Add or Withdraw from a Class:

Tuition Due:

Register for Classes:

Fall Break/ Thanksgiving:

Final Exams:

December Commencement:

Last Day of Fall Semester:

Other University and Important Dates:

Second Semester

First Day of Classes:

Last Day to Add or Withdraw from a Class:

Tuition Due:

Register for Summer and Fall classes:

Spring Family Events:

Spring Break:

Final Exams:

Spring Commencement:

Other University Events and Important Dates:

Parent/Family Weekend:


Notes

30 Fall 2012 Guide

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