Of course, the best way to help students prepare for finals is to reinforce with them that working diligently all semester is the most effective strategy for getting good grades on finals. However, as a parent myself, I have found that may be somewhat unrealistic so these are some tips that may help the whole family survive the first semester.

1. Even students who are not having any academic problems should be encouraged to develop a relationship with their professors. If they are struggling, this is the first essential step! The instructor may have suggestions and is vital to assessing where the problem lies.

2. Find a tutor. Each department will have a list of individuals who provide tutoring and remediation in each subject.

3. Encourage your student to use resources on campus such as the Reading Center, the Writing Center, and the Math Lab. The Student Advising and Mentoring Center offers study skills series or individual help with Time Management, Overcoming Procrastination and Test Taking Skills, etc. Staff is available to meet with the student and design an individual plan for achieving academic success.

Overall, students should be reminded that the first semester does not need to be the best semester of their academic careers. The transition from high school to university is challenging and whatever the final GPA, they need to make sure that they can identify strengths and weaknesses and have a plan in place for their second semester. The plan should include using all of the resources available to Sam Houston students combined with maintaining a healthy balance between work and play.

Home for the Holidays
By Elizabeth Hayen Charrier, Psy.D. – Counseling Psychologist

It can be so exciting to look forward to time together at the holidays. However holidays can also be very stressful times. Often it is our expectations about what will happen, how much fun we’ll have, how connected we can be, etc. that interfere with our ability to truly enjoy the time together. This is especially true for your freshman’s first holiday at home. Here are a few tips for making the holidays not only more bearable, but hopefully enjoyable.

1. Be aware of your own expectations about the holidays. You may have a Norman Rockwell picture in your head of everyone sitting around, jovial, peaceful and helpful. The closer your expectations are to “perfection”, the more little problems will discourage you. Make sure you have a realistic picture of what the holidays will be like. Also be aware of what rules you might have for your student when they are at home for the holidays. You may be picturing a similar arrangement as when they left home. They are probably not.

2. Be aware of your student’s expectations. Many freshmen use the holiday break as the first time to see some of their friends who also left for college. They may picture themselves spending much less time with you and the family than with their friends. Or they may have a lot of errands to do (dentist appointments, etc.) to accomplish. Your student will probably expect that they can enjoy the same freedoms (like no curfew, no need to check in, etc.) that they do when on their own.

3. Negotiate. Part of respecting your student’s ability to maintain their independence is also giving them an opportunity to responsibly negotiate these differences with you. As you each talk about your expectations, both of you can negotiate how to meet both person’s expectation. For example, how much time do they want to spend with friends? Are there specific family gatherings that are more important for you to have them at? 

4. Be flexible. Thanksgiving break can be a time to get a taste of how this renegotiation of the rules went. Be mindful of what might need to change for the end of the semester and start communicating now about that.