Trailblazer Team

• Understadnt that this can be a stressful time for your student...
  
  • While the stress of applying to colleges is over, the prospect of heading off to college has now become very real to you and your student. This could be a season of tension and emotions as your student wonders about the unknown, worries about their future path, says "see you later" to close family and friends, and tries out their new independence. Be patient and understand that this transition can be tough for everyone involved. Expect to see higher levels of emotions, the testing of limits, tempers, tears, silence, or even anger. These emotions may be taken out on those closest to your student. This is all part of the transition process. Again, being patient as possible is key, this includes being patient with yourself as you are managing your emotions of transiting your student into the MCLA community.
• Read all of the material we send from MCLA...
  • As soon as your student has submitted their enrollment deposit, they will begin receiving emails with important MCLA information. Much of the correspondence will be directed to your student, but it is important to help them stay organize with all the new information they may be receiving.
    • Making lists of paperwork
    • Making all necessary appointment
    • Filling out required forms
    • Starting list of things to pack (if they will be a residential student)

Of course, your student may and should be taking care of this, but may need your help to stay on top of all the details.

• Help your student prepare early...
  • Will your student need a health check-up? Have they made appointments? Do they need to visit the dentist? Do they have copies of prescriptions or do they need to be transferred to a pharmacy within walking distance to MCLA? Has a bank account been set up? Do they know how to budget? Will they be getting a credit or debit card? Have you discussed the best way to use the card and who will be paying the bill?
• Have important conversations with your student about expectations...
  
  • The transition into MCLA may be easier if you and your student are clear about expectations;
    • Are you both clear expenses?
    • Who will pay for textbooks?
    • Will you be giving spending money?
    • Will you student be taking the car to campus?
      • Are their restrictions around using or loaning the car?
    • Do you have expectations about grades?
      • Will you expect to see them?
      • Are their consequences if grades are poor?
    • Should your student call home weekly?
    • Will they be coming home often?
    • Have you discussed the tough subjects?
      • Alcohol
      • Drugs
      • Sex

The more clear you and your student can be before they head off to MCLA the few issues may come up later.

• Be patient with your student and yourself...
  • Dont' be surprised if your student procrastinates about getting things done prior to leaving for their first semester. Things may be feeling overwhelming for them. The task of physically tackling packing or preparing for their first semester makes things feel very real. Many students wait until the last minute to complete needed tasks, this is normal! Try to be patient and understand. Be patient with your students' emotions and with your own. Remember this is a time of transition for you as well. With a little bit of patients and planning, you and your student can enjoy the beginning of this new chapter.

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As your student heads off to college, know that there will be challenges ahead; for you both. Challenegs may arise for your student in many different areas and you as their Trailblazer Team Member may feel thar you will be unable to help your student face these challenges if you are not there physically to help. It is true that your student will need to complete the work for college but you provide a very necessary support system for them.

• Academic Challenges
  • Many student anticipate that college will be different than any other academic setting  they have encountered, but many students underestimate exactly how different things will be. By talking with your student early about their plans for attending class, studying, how to talk to professors when they need help, can drastically increase their success. If you are unsure how to help your student either prior to them attending MCLA or when they call with questions, directing your student to one of our many campus resources is a great option.
    • Academic Advising and Support
• Social Challenges
  
  • Entering college is a new social world for many students, generally students are entering with a clean slate and will get to recreate their social world. Making new friends, possibly negotiating life with a roommate, and once again beginning over at the bottom of the school hierarchy as a first-year student. Your student may likely feel the social pressure of making new friends, joining groups (official or unofficial), and making decisions about alcohol, drugs, and sex. Helping your student anticipate these changes and decisions they will face will help them think carefully about what is important to them.
• Challenges of Responsiblity
  
  • Your student will be responsible for their choices and actions here at MCLA. They are responsible for making decisions regarding when and how to study, eating, socializing, finances, and managing their time. It may be a new experience for your student to be held accountable and not being able to turn to someone to get them out of a sticky situation. Allowing your student to turn to you for guidance and support is critical. Helping a student navigate these new situation is how they will learn and grow.
    • Community Standards
• Challenges of Independence 
  • As your student heads off to college they are going to be taking big steps in asserting their independence. They could be commuting or living hours away from home. This transition could be difficult with learning how to adjust with this new sense of independence. They may be making decisions that you, as their Trailblazer Team Member, may not know about. This transition to more independence could be an adjustment for both you and your student. The more you can do to help you student adjust to their new independence the sooner the better. Keeping the lines of communication open for questions when it comes to decisions will allow your student to become more comfortable when making decisions.
• Physical Challenges
  • You student may face several physical challenges because of their lifestyle choices could change drastically as they attend MCLA. 
    • Food-some students may face weight gain because of the increase consumption of food in the dining hall, snacks at campus events, and the different food choices they make.
    • Body-if you student was an active athlete prior to attending college and they chose not to participate at MCLA, they may not be getting as much exercise.
    • Sleep-college students are notorious for their lack of sleep. The lack of sleep can cause difficulty in the classroom.
    • Illness-college students who become ill will need to take of themselves and/or visit Health Services for care.

Once again, helping your student anticipate the physical changes they may encounter will them be successful. Encourage them to think about what they eat, how to contact Health Services, to continue to get exercise and to get as much sleep as possible. Physical changes are inevitable, but preparation is key.

• Life Skills
  • Many students head off to college not having had to cope with general like skills prior to college. Helping your student understand a few important like skills can set them up for success.
    • How to use a credit card responsibly
    • How to do laundry (if they are a residential student)
    • How to budget and manage money
    • How to manage their time and to wake up for classes or a job

Having your student practice these skills prior to leaving home will set them up for success during their time here at MCLA.

• Financial Challenges
  • Attending college is an important financial investment. Tuitition and Room/Board comprise the bulk of the cost, but there are other costs associated with daily college life. In addition to the cost of each semester for textbooks, many residential students which to furnish their rooms, eat out, and have spending money. One of the best things that you can do is help your student, and you think about how money will be handled.
    • Are you financially in a place to help support your student? Will you student be resposible for their own expenses?
    • Will they need to get a job on or off campus?

Talking with your student and making a plan on how expenses will be handed will help them understand the important of their financial future.

• The Challenge of Balance
  • By adding up all of the challenges a student faces during their college career, we realize that achieving a sense of balance may be the most important. Help your student realize that they may be constantly juggling prioritizes. Being flexible and aware that academics must be balanced with their social life, sleeping, studying and event fun are all part of the balancing equation.

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MCLA is committed to your student’s educational success. Our commitment also extends to you, as part of your students' trailblazer team.

Your awareness about our academic and co-curricular programs will help you help your student find the challenge and support that can enable and enhance their successful college experience. You are encouraged to speak with your student about taking advantage of all the academic resources available on campus. Talking with a professor or advisor, using Freel Library, or trying some of MCLA's support areas like Academic Advising and Support are all good ways for your student to find the right guidance and assistance. Learning more about internships and study abroad opportunities are good ways for your student to consider enhancing the learning experience.

• Academic Resources
  
  • Academic Advising and Support
  • Trailbalzer Tutor Center
  • Writing Studio
  • Math Drop-in Center
  • Freel Library
• Academic Learning Expereiences
  • Interships
  • Study Abroad
  • Career Services

     

•  Can I have access to my students’ Academic Record?

  The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of a student education, financial, and academic records. For the student’s protection, FERPA limits release of student record information without the student’s explicit written consent.

  • Please visit the MCLA FERPA Page for more information.
  • FERPA Release Form can be found here.
• Time Management Tips for you student
  • One of the biggest keys to success in college is time management. College students spend much less time in class and are expected to do much more coursework outside of the classroom. Coursework is often given in larger chunks rather than smaller daily assignments. Students spend less time in structured activities than they did in high school. Many students have on campus or off campus jobs. Help your student think about how they will keep track of their obligations and assignments, how to break large assignments into meaningful pieces, how to say "no" to activities when they need to study or sleep. Help them find a good planner or calendar and use it to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and appointments.

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Most students go to college to learn. Most know, or soon discover, that their academic work at college will be different than the work that they did in high school. Students are expected to spend more time studying and there is a higher level of thinking at an institution of higher education. College also brings with it other kinds of learning. Often much of this other learning happens outside the classroom. College offers student opportunities to pursue old interests and to discover new interests. Unfortunately, too many college students pass up some of the opportunities that they have in college because they are too focused on either their academic life or their social life. Many worry that getting involved in activities or organizations on campus will distract them from their academic pursuits rather than enhance their academics.

Your college student is learning to find their own path during college. They will need to make their own choices. But as a college trailblazer team member, you can encourage your student to take advantage of the many opportunities available on campus. Help them think about the benefits of getting involved in groups and activities that the college offers. Here are a few things to suggest that they may consider.

• Getting involved in groups that share common interests, or attending activities offered by the college can be fun. It's that simple. They will have a good time and enjoy themself. Everyone needs a break to have some fun occasionally.
• Getting involved will give your student the opportunity to meet new people. College is about making new friends, understanding different perspectives, and meeting different kinds of people. Getting involved in campus activities gives your student the chance to meet people and diversify their contacts beyond the circle of people they will encounter in their residence hall or classes.
• MCLA offers opportunities, often at little or no cost, that they may not encounter easily again. Performers come to campus. Discount tickets to performances and athletic events off are often available. World renowned speakers visit campus to give addresses or conduct workshops.
• Your student may have the opportunity to find a new interest. They can explore an area that they thought about but not been involved in before. They may discover hidden talents or new passions.
• Your student may have the opportunity to connect with the college in a new and different way. They may begin to feel more a part of either the college community or the wider North Adams community. They will increase her sense of loyalty and identity as a member of the college.
• Your student may discover a new career path by participating in clubs or organizations that will lead them in a new direction.
• Being involved in some groups may be a resume builder. Although this certainly shouldn't be the primary reason for joining a group or participating in an activity, it may be something that your student could add to their resume.
• Your student will learn to deal with all kinds of people. They will not only meet and spend time with other types of students, their activities may place them in closer contact with faculty members, administrators, or members of the outside community.
• Your student may have opportunities to increase their self-esteem and develop their leadership qualities. They may be surprised to discover new things about themself as they become involved in helping a group function.
• Several studies have shown that students who are active in campus activities, who do more than focus solely on their studies, are more engaged in the campus community and succeed more academically. Other studies suggest that more engaged students stay at their institution and won't feel the need to transfer. Although some students fear that being involved will hurt their academics, it may help their studies.

Being involved in the things happening at MCLA can bring tremendous benefits to your college student. However, as with so many things during these college years, it is important that your student finds balance. Participating in some groups at school and attending activities on campus are important for your student's well-being. But being involved in everything, allowing activities to distract from studies or interfere with a focus on what they want from life, can be dangerous. Your student will need to ask - "How much is enough?" and "How much is too much?" Your student will need to find the appropriate and comfortable level of involvement.

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• You're On Your Own: But I'm Here if you Need Me by Marjorie Savage (2003)
• I'll Miss You Too: The Off-to-Colleg Guide for Parents and Students by Margo E. Woodacre and Steffany Bane (2015)
• Letting Go (Fifth Edition): A Parent's Guide to Understanding the College Years by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger (2009)
• A Parent's Guide to Sex, Drugs, and Flunking Out: Answers to the Questions Your College Student Doesn't Want you To Ask by Joel Epstein (2001)

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• Fall Semester-A Time For Parents To Revisit Discussions About College Drinking

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• College Parent Central with Vicki Nelson and Lynn Abrahams
  • You don’t stop parenting the day you drop your student off to college on Move-in Day. Your role simply changes. (Actually, it’s not simple at all, but it changes.)
• NY College Chat by Policy Students in Education
  • This weekly podcast is for parents and high school students who are preparing for college. It was created by the non-profit Policy Studies in Education (PSE).

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