Advice from Current Students

• Finding the balance with communication is so difficult, but my parents and I reached a happy medium where we would call each other about every few days (or more if there was family news or I had campus news to share). This was a great balance as I felt independent yet still connected... and my parents were always glad to hear from me.

• Thankfully my parents did not randomly show up on campus since we live a few hours away. I would have liked, however, for them to come to Family Weekend or maybe attend a Flyers basketball game instead of only seeing them at breaks.

• Make sure you know your student’s class schedule. That way, you have a better idea when to avoid calling them.

• My parents stepped back tremendously. They were my support when I came to them, but didn’t push it the other way around. I was able to make the whole transition from high school to college much easier knowing I had their trust, but could still count on their advice when I asked for it.

• Keep my mailing address handy! You can always check out your copy of the UD Family Guidebook for information on where to send letters and packages. Freshman year is a unique experience for all, and family and friend support never hurts. It’s always a great surprise to get a care package from home!

• Make sure to give your student plenty of tips on how to handle their money. Make them aware of all the spending opportunities they will have and how to resist spending money on useless things. Flyer Express is a safe, convenient way for students to make purchases on campus as well as at nearby participating businesses. There are also ATMs available on campus, and a full service Day Air Credit Union.

• Living in a Residence Hall is a big adjustment, but it was important to me that my parents allowed me to work things out on my own. It wasn’t always easy, but I had an awesome RA who was always there to help. Handling things on my own was a big step for me and I already feel more grown up and confident.

• My parents understand when it takes me a day or two to respond to a phone call. My schedule gets pretty crazy sometimes because of all the great stuff going on at UD. But my parents were understanding when I couldn’t talk because I had a meeting or wanted to hang out with my new friends.

• It was sometimes annoying, but in hindsight, I’m glad my parents asked me about my grades and my classes every now and then. I think it helped me stay on track and not let myself get behind. I don’t want them to keep track of every assignment or test score, but it’s good not to just ignore the subject until grades are posted at the end of the term.

• My parents called me on occasion to catch up with me and fill me in on big news at home like “Grandma is in town” or “a package arrived for you,” but didn’t call every day and thankfully left out small details like “someone left the garage open today” and “the mail hasn’t come yet.” Balance is important.

• It was really nice that my mom and dad let me know I could still talk to them about anything. Being honest, freshman year was pretty tough at times. I didn’t always turn to them, but it was just nice knowing I could.

• Send real mail every now and then. Having an actual letter or package to open just makes any day a little better.

• I think the best advice I got from my parents was them telling me and encouraging me to get involved in things on campus. They took a genuine interest in hearing about the groups I was trying out. I’m not the most outgoing person, so it was a good thing to have them pushing me a little until I found my niche.

• It is really reassuring to know that your parents trust you when you go to school. I felt a lot more confident in my decisions knowing that my parents have faith in me, and now I feel much more responsible.

• I loved the freedom my folks gave me to make my own decisions. Even if they weren’t crazy about an idea, as long as it wasn’t harmful, they let me go with it. I guess I feel like I’m learning how to weigh my choices and options in situations.

• After I settled into my routine, we had sort of a set time to talk on the phone each week. I liked that they respected my schedule and didn’t call about trivial things outside of that time. Of course, when big stuff came up, we made adjustments. The important thing was that I didn’t have to feel guilty for being busy.

• The best was when I got a package from home with food and snacks to keep in my room. There were plenty of times I was able to save time and money because I had something on hand.

• It makes me happy that mom and dad are proud that I’m a UD Flyer. They have the bumper sticker, t-shirts, and sweatshirts and they are truly interested in learning about the university.

• My parents didn’t do things for me that I was capable of doing myself. They’re letting me grow up and learn self-reliance. It’s tough, but it’s the best thing for me.

• Going home for the long break between fall and spring semesters was a little bit strange. I was really glad we sat down early on and talked about expectations – mine and theirs. We worked out things like curfews, transportation, spending time at home with the family, etc. It was better that we hashed it all out before there were problems.