A NEW WORLD

1
A NEW WORLD

• Helping Your Student Make a Successful Transition
  to The College of New Jersey
• Presented by
• Magda Manetas, Assistant Vice President for
  Student Services

2
Goals

• To help families prepare their student for the
  transition to college life
• To help you in guiding your student to develop
  realistic expectations of the college experience
• To help you work with your student to plan
  strategies to cope with these challenges and to
  take advantage of opportunities
• To provide families with information about TCNJ
  and the resources available to your student
• To review our educational philosophy - the
  Holistic Curriculum

3
Partnering with Parents

• Accepted Student Day
• Check-In Day - Family Hospitality Suite
• Student Life Email sa_at_tcnj.edu
• Parents Webpage http//www.tcnj.edu/parents/
• Parents Listserve Subscription Gold Card
• Family Day/Homecoming October 18th
• Contacting the College
• Parental Notification Letter
• FERPA
• Parent Family Association Executive Board
  mmanetas_at_tcnj.edu

4
NATIONAL ISSUE COLLEGE CONCERN

• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug
  Dependence/New Jersey Data
• 18 of NJs 8th graders used alcohol in previous
  30 days
• 46 of NJs 7th/8th graders have used alcohol at
  some time
• 78.5 of NJs high school students report using
  alcohol at some time/50 in the past 30 days
• 95 of 12th graders say that it is fairly easy
  to get alcohol
• Class of 2011 Facebook Account

5
Health and Safety

• Transition to
• Taking More Responsibility for Personal Health
  and Safety
• Increased Level of Independence
• Change in Environment Supervision at Home to
  Supervision in College
• Change in Consequences State and College
  Processes
• Strategies for Success
• Discuss Parental Expectations
• Understand Expectations of the College
  Consequences for Violations
• Question/Challenge Connection of Alcohol to
  College Life
• Students Who Are Actively Engaged in their
  Education Less Likely to Use Alcohol
• Anticipate Need for Healthy Coping Strategies for
  Stress
• Seek Assistance Residence Director, Alcohol and
  Drug Education Program, Psychological Counseling
  Services
• Guide Them Regarding Value of Peer Support

6
Campus Safety

• More Strategies
• Think About Safety in New Environment
• Take More Time Before Trusting Individuals New to
  Them
• Travel with Others When On and Off Campus
• Be Aware of and Utilize 9-1-1/Campus Police
  24-7/Bike Patrols/Escort Requests
• Lock Residence Hall Rooms Cars
• Support Campus Safety Features (exterior doors,
  24-7 residence hall card swipe access system)
• Campus Text-Messaging System Student Parent
  Subscription
• Attend 200 Health and Safety Panel

7
Academic Effort and Success

• Transition to
• Fewer Grading Opportunities How am I doing?
• Relationship with Faculty
• Fish in a New Pond
• More Challenging Than They Anticipated
• Engaging in Learning Experience
• Strategies for Success
• Get to Know Faculty Work with Academic Advisor
• Refer to Syllabus and Work Backwards from Major
  Assignments and Tests to Prepare
• Develop and Apply a Study Plan Orange Planners
• Act Quickly to Address Problems
  Faculty/Tutoring/Center for Academic Success
• Keep and Analyze a Time Log

8
First Year Residential Experience

• Residence Assignments must have contract
  (hardcopy) and personal preferences form (online)
  before placing student
• If we are missing any of this information you
  will have received a yellow postcard from us at
  check-in Hand these in at Residence Assignments
  in Eickhoff 114 today
• Student will be notified of assignment/roommate/co
  ntact information during first week of August
• Doubles/Quads
• Move-In Day August 21st Welcome Week begins

9
Roommate Relationships

• Transition to
• Living in Close Quarters with Someone Youve Just
  Met First Year Housing by First Seminar
• Communicating Appropriately and Assertively
• Participating in Process of Problem-Solving
• Strategies for Success
• Anticipate Need to Communicate Honestly
• Be Honest During Roommate Contract Discussion
• Develop Realistic Expectation of Relationship
• Seek Assistance- Community Advisor/Residence
  Director
• Utilize Mediation Process

10
Dealing with Personal Finances

• Transition to
• Increased Control Over Responsibility for
  Expenditures
• First Experience with a Credit Card
• First Experience with a Meal Plan
• Strategies for Success
• Parental Discussion of Spending/Saving
  Expectations
• Explicit Guidelines for Credit Card Use
• Use of Debit Card in Place of Credit Card
• Track Expenses Checking In
• Employment Can Apply as of 8/1/08

11
Navigating a System

• Transition to
• Need to Accomplish Tasks Independently
• Learning to Take Responsibility
• Strategies for Success
• Having Them Read TCNJ Material and Forms
• Identify Information Source and Record
  Information
• Read Everything and Meet Deadlines
• Speak Up and Ask Questions
• Guide and Support But Dont Do It For Them

12
Getting Involved

• Transition to
• Trying New Activities
• Strategies for Success
• Attend Student Activities Fair
• Explore Campus Art Gallery, Hiack Observatory,
  Concert Hall
• Try On Activities and Organizations
• Ask Upperclass Students, Staff and Faculty
• Utilize Student Activities Website
• Consider Balance of Academics, Campus Involvement
  and Personal Time

13
Divesting and Investing

• Transition to
• New Environment
• Distance from Loved Ones
• Need to Develop New Social Network
• Feeling Homesick
• Strategies for Success
• Anticipate Changes in Relationships Interaction
• Prepare for Possibility of Ending Relationship
• Anticipate Possibility of Homesickness
  Acknowledge that Other Students Experience It,
  Ways to Cope with It
• Encourage Them to Stay on Campus - Visit Them
  Here

14
Light Bulbs

• Making The Most of College by Dr. Richard Light,
  Harvard Graduate School of Education
• What Did He Learn About Student Success in
  College? Students Should
• Act Quickly to Address Problems
• Get to Know Their Faculty
• Study in Groups
• Track, Analyze Improve Time Use