What to Expect Month by Month

学生们参加了他们的第一堂课，并开始在校园和尔湾社区中穿行. They may also be faced with choices about alcohol, attend their first college athletic game, and start regularly eating cafeteria meals. 他们可能会感到孤独、孤立，或者对结识新朋友感到兴奋. 当他们评估自己在哪里和/或是否适合时，关于他们身份的问题可能会开始出现.

Advice for Parents and Families

You may miss your student, but you are not alone; so do their siblings, pets, and other friends! 询问他们的课程，他们的朋友，以及任何参与的机会. 研究表明，参与大学生活可以增强学生的大学经历. 鼓励你的学生参与校园活动，或者在他们不确定是否适合的情况下，找他们的朋友帮助他们与同龄人建立联系.

Students may take their first exams and write their first papers. Roommate conflicts may arise, 学生们可能会面临他们的第一轮经济挑战(娱乐), credit card, gas). Big events include Fall Fest, Midnight Madness, Halloween, Thanksgiving, midterms, and enrolling for spring classes. 学生们将开始为下学期的课程做准备和注册.

Advice for Parents and Families

Talk about study skills, time management, 以及你的学生可以使用的所有优秀的校园资源. 休息时间很快就会到来——这将如何改变家里的事物呢? 询问学习时间、工作量以及参加校园组织/活动的情况.

Students take final exams, finish up term papers, present group projects, and say goodbye to new friends for the semester. They may also be feeling anxiety about first-semester grades.

Advice for Parents and Families

A care package would be great around this time. Discuss plans for winter break: vacation, job, classes.

Students may return home and spend time with high school friends. They may be asking themselves, "To work or not to work?". 给他们一些时间来重新适应家里的生活，因为自从他们离开家上大学后，他们可能在很多方面都有所成长.

Advice for Parents and Families

想想你的学生和整个家庭的规则将如何改变. If your student is contemplating transferring to another school, inquire his/her reasons, 并为您的学生提供与康考迪亚联系的可能策略. Contact the Office of First-Year Experience 考虑到你的学生关心的问题，这样我们就可以联系到你的学生.

Welcome back! 学生们回顾过去的学期并做出改变——也许他们会更多地参与校园活动或加入一个团体. A new semester schedule presents new challenges.

Advice for Parents and Families

这是根据一个学期的经验来回顾或修改预算的好时机. 此外，询问需要做出哪些改变才能确保学业成功. The house is empty again — it’s a roller coaster ride! You might feel some anxiety about your student’s grades.

学生们可能会开始考虑春假计划(包括谁来支付春假的费用). Additionally, they are hopefully making time to study, and if they haven’t already, begin initiating plans for living arrangements next year.

Advice for Parents and Families

Inquire about taxes and the FAFSA, and if you haven’t already, discuss with your student the plans for living arrangements next year.

春假来了又去，学生们开始期待暑假的到来, all during another set of midterms. 学生们会考虑明年他们想要和需要上什么课, as they will be enrolling for summer and/or fall classes, and some may still be asking “What IS my major?"你的学生可能决定从康考迪亚转学或退学.

Advice for Parents and Families

With a year under your student’s belt, 这是一个很好的时间来检查他们应该为学业上的成功做出的任何改变. Encourage your student to take advantage of the Academic Advising Office and the Center for Career & Vocation to discuss majors that suit their interests.

If your student wishes to transfer, inquire about the reasons, 并讨论可能的解决方案，看看你的学生是否有具体的策略可以用来在康科迪亚取得成功. Is it primarily because your student is homesick? Has he/she put the effort into connecting with Concordia? Contact the Office of First-Year Experience 了解你的学生可能关心的问题，以便学校可以与你的学生一起工作.

许多学生会想念他们的大学新朋友，有些人会回家看高中老朋友毕业. Some may feel pressure to make money for next year. How are they going to stay in touch with friends? What needs to be packed up and brought home and what can be donated?

Advice for Parents and Families

If your student is returning home, 讨论对夏天的规则和责任的期望，以及对来年赚钱/储蓄的期望.

Congratulations to you and your student for a great first year!

学生们通常会带着新的目标感和方向感回到校园进行第二年的学习, a clearer understanding of what is expected of them, and enhanced time management and study capabilities. However, some second-year students become overconfident, 如果他们不小心，就会发现自己在学术上有困难.

After your son/daughter's first year, 鼓励他/她设定并坚持有意义的目标, to continue practicing effective time management and study skills, 并与他/她的学术顾问和教授保持联系，以在冲突失控和难以管理之前解决冲突和担忧.