|
||||
| Beyond Texting - Tips for Communicating With Your College Student |
|
• Remember with today's technology that communication occurs faster and you are often hearing the "raw emotion." Did your student just say they had a major fight with their roommate? Instead of jumping to action and calling the Resident Director, encourage your student to take some time to think about the fight, or suggest cooling off strategies. When you talk again, you'll often find they've handled the problem themselves or it was just an emotional response and they're "over it." If they still have a concern, giving time will put you and your student in a less emotional place to think about strategies and resources to cope with the issue.
• Ask questions you can follow up on later and, if you need to, write the answers down: what classes are they taking, assignments and projects they're working on, favorite or least favorite professors, activities they've attended in the residence halls, etc. You'll get more from asking, "What did you end up writing about for your English paper?" rather than, " how are classes going?" • Remember to always tell your student you love them and are proud of their efforts. Don't underestimate the power of recognizing even small achievements like getting an A on their first University paper. Students really appreciate small gestures when they're away from home. • Send your student reminders of home; newspaper clippings of their high school team, the high school Homecoming schedule, etc. Food is always appreciated; your famous homemade cookies will be loved by them - and probably everyone else on the floor, so be sure to make lots! |
