By: Nicola Miller and Jenna Parisi, Center for Cura Personalis

For many of our students, the first time they visit home as a college student will be during the Thanksgiving break.  This visit is almost always a time our students look forward to, as it is a well-deserved break from the pressure of daily college and academic life.  However, many students also struggle with their new identity as a legal adult who now lives away from home and controls their own environment and schedule on a daily basis.  Coming home to a pre-established schedule, curfew and structure can be a shock to some students.  Knowing this, we encourage parents and families to be prepared for some strong reactions when being clear and firm with the expectations of being “home” with their students.

Now that your student has been on campus for a couple of months, their exposure and decision making around alcohol may have also changed. It might be tempting to consider serving your son or daughter alcohol when they’re home for a visit, if you know or assume that they’ve already been drinking while away at college. But condoning or encouraging underage drinking, even in the safety of your own home, actually increases the likelihood that your student will drink that much more when they are away from you.

Additionally, please consider the following findings from a study charting student drinking behavior over the course of an academic year. You’ll notice that Thanksgiving follows a drinking pattern that puts students at greater risk at particular times of the year.

Remember, most students do not choose to drink excessively. Instead of making assumptions about how your student has chosen to drink, ask questions like the following:

• What have you encountered so far around drinking while living on campus?
• How do you feel about all of that? How have you handled it?
• How are your friends choosing to celebrate the holiday?

Be sure to encourage and support their decisions to celebrate in positive ways, without underage drinking.

If your student is starting to struggle with their decision making around alcohol or drugs, or is concerned about a roommate or friend, encourage them to reach out to the Center for Cura Personalis. Students are welcome to sign up to attend one of our alcohol workshops, or a staff member would be happy to reach out and meet with them individually. We will also be offering a series of harm reduction group sessions for students interested in making changes in their substance use.

The first visit home is also a good time to encourage your student to get involved on campus and find ways to meet new friends, such as playing on an intramural sports team, joining a student club or attending athletic events.  Help make your student aware of campus resources such as their Resident Advisor (RA), Health & Counseling Services (509-313-4052) and the Center for Cura Personalis (509-313-2227).