Prepare Your Student to Return Home

As you prepare for your son or daughter to return home during the holiday break, consider working with them to make the best of their time at home.  Transitions can be difficult, but doing simple things like these can help to ease stress as your student adjusts back to academic life.

Some things to think about:

• Does your son or daughter need to make appointments in advance to see their counselor and/or medical professional?  Often, these appointments are necessary for your student to request adjustments/refills of prescription medications. Or perhaps your student needs to check-in with a favorite counselor that they cannot see while away from home.

• DREAM needs their students to complete a Semester Accommodation Renewal (SAR) before the spring term begins.  Consider asking your student if they have completed their SAR.  If the stress of final exam week gets the best of them, DREAM can make arrangements to complete the SAR during the holiday break, either over the phone or by e-mail.

• A week or so before your son or daughter will be returning to Gonzaga is the time to start getting prepared. You can encourage your student to:

• Begin adjusting their sleep schedule to match what will be required of them during the spring term.
• Check online to see if any of their professors have posted a syllabus on Blackboard.
• Begin to organize for spring term.  Perhaps you can help your student choose what supplies to buy.
• Begin scheduling their daily classes and any other commitments onto a day-planner or electronic calendar.

Encourage your son or daughter to take a break from their studies and have some fun!  The holiday break is a great time to celebrate the successes of the last semester while creating a solid plan for the next one.  Plenty of extra sleep, home-cooked meals, and quality time with family should be on the agenda!