Dear Parent,
Thank you for attending our Winter Family Weekend February 1-3rd. For those of you who weren’t able to attend, we missed you. We’ve posted photos from the event here.
The Experiential Learning Team welcomes partnerships with parents and families in order to ensure High Point University freshmen transition smoothly into academics and campus life. Housed in HPU’s Cottrell Hall, the Offices of Study Abroad, Career and Professional Development, Fellowship and Awards, Research and Creative Works, the Entrepreneurship Center, the Professional Sales Center, and HPU Success Coaches serve not only as academic advisors during students’ freshman year; they also serve as network coordinators, connecting your student to many other campus services and activities. These offices prepare students to thrive in the professional world, as evidenced by a 97 percent career or graduate school placement within six months of graduation.
This second semester of college continues to serve as a time of transition and adjustment. I trust your student has found their niche on campus, a group of friends, and a few clubs of interest. If not, know that we would love to assist. It is not uncommon for some students to have an increase in homesickness as we begin a new semester.
Dr. MJ Raleigh, our executive director of counseling services provides the following insight:
1. Encourage your child to become involved in the community and academic work, make positive connections with classmates and professors, join organizations and attend events on campus. These are all great ways of acclimating to a new community.
2. Set a specific schedule to contact home, and don’t vary from the agreed time. If your family likes to talk every day, set up a group text/Skype/call time for 15-20 minutes check-ins for the first few weeks and adjust the schedule as needed. Each family is different and there is no right or wrong answer, just figure out what is comfortable for you and your student.
3. Understand that homesickness is normal and is part of how we all adjust to new environments. Encourage your student to grab a map of campus and spend some time walking around to get familiar with this beautiful space.
4. Your child should create their own comfortable safe space at college. This could be in your student’s residence hall or any relaxed space on campus where they have a place to unwind and deal with the transition.
5. Stay positive. Things do get better. Students typically start to feel relief from homesickness within 3-4 weeks of returning to school.
6. How do you know when being homesick develops into something more complex like depression or anxiety? Increased sleeping, changes in eating patterns, increase crying or sadness, expressions of anger or inability to attend class or complete assignments may be indicators that homesickness has developed into a more significant issue. Students with a history of mental health issues may be at greater risk.
7. When homesickness is more than just transitioning to college, students can utilize Counseling Services. Counseling Services are free and open Monday-Friday 8:30- 5:00 with walk-in appointments available throughout the day. We offer case management, psychiatric evaluation/medication, group counseling, addiction and recovery support as well as individual and couples psychotherapy. Your child can find us on the third floor of the Slane Center or call us at (336) 888-6352. Students and families are welcome to come up for a visit, even if it is just to say hello.
The Experiential Learning Team is always here to assist students and families. Information about our dynamic programs may be accessed at www.highpoint.edu.
Always feel free to contact me so we may partner towards your student’s success at High Point University.