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Parent Newsletter Inside this Issue Good Reads! 1 Spring 2018 Calendar 2 Academic Advising 2 Advice from Parents 2 Study Abroad 2 Career Services 3 Career Development 3 Campus Resources 3 Spring Break 4 Your Student - March 5 Contact Information Visit us at our office: 230 Hebrard Blvd. Lee Hall, Room 106 Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:00pm Friday 7:30am-12:30pm firstyear.louisiana.edu (337) 482-6599 ofye@louisiana.edu Follow OFYE on Social Media Click To Watch This Video C ollegiateParent.com offers som e gr eat articles for parents of college students. From insider advice to answering the most frequently asked parent questions, this website is a valuable resource. Two good reads for this month are: “Summer Plans for College Students” “What I Love About Parenting Older Children” (view the companion video below) GOOD READS!
Page 2 Spring 2018 Academic Calendar March 12-23 Academic Advising Period March 30 - April 8 Spring Break/Easter Break April 9 Class Resumes April 25 - 29 Dead Days April 27 Last Day of Classes April 30 - May 1 Final Exams May 4 Semester Ends Academic Advising Advising for Summer/Fall is tak-ing place from March 12 - 23, 2018. All students are assigned a specic counselor from their academic college. If your child does not know who his/her counselor is, have them check ULink. Once logged in, click on the “Academic Prole” tab. Once on this page, under the “Academic Prole” secon, select the “Spring 2018” term. Advisor(s) will be listed below. Advisor informaon will include the advisor’s name, oce locaon, phone number, and email. Students can also view Transcripts and any Holds that might be on their accounts . View Advisor locaon by college here. ADVICE FROM PARENTS R ead some great advice from parent to parent to help you and your student get through the month of March! “Let your child handle it. It was hard for me to step back and let her do (soar or fail) but I know it was something I had to do. I would give plenty of advice, but I know in the end, she had to handle it. The best advice is to let go.” “Have your student write down a plan that details their educational goals, the steps to achieve them, and a weekly schedule to allocate time for out of class work which includes reviewing past tests and notes related to them.” “Let them make mistakes and learn how to fix things on their own. This is a time for them to learn to be an adult.” LOOKING TOWARD SUMMER: STUDY ABROAD H aving the opportunity to study abroad can be a transformative experience! In addition to building confidence and global competence, students who have international experience are considered to be more valuable to almost any potential employer as our world becomes more globally interconnected. Luckily the UL Lafayette Study Abroad Program works hard to facilitate this experience for Ragin Cajuns. It’s never too early to discuss study abroad options with your first-year students. Although most students do not actually enroll in a study abroad program until later in their academic career, the time is now to start thinking about locations, costs and options. Typically students enroll for 3-9 credits and live/study abroad for one semester or during the summer. UL Lafayette hosts programs in Costa Rica, France, England, and Italy; For the summer of 2018, Costa Rica, France, and Italy are closed. Did you know that financial aid packages may be able to be applied to study abroad, making this an affordable option for many? If your student is interested, have them fill out the “I’m Interested” form online or get more information by email at studyabroad@louisiana.edu.
Page 3 Campus Resources Academic Success Center Lee Hall, Rm. 115 (337) 482-6818 asc@louisiana.edu Counseling & Tesng Center Saucier Wellness Center, O.K. Allen Hall (337) 482-6480 counseling@louisiana.edu Oce of Career Services Agnes Edwards Hall, Rm. 104 (337) 482-1444 careerservices@louisiana.edu Oce of Disability Services (ODS) Agnes Edwards Hall, Rm. 126 (337) 482-5252 ods@louisiana.edu Student Support Services DeClouet Hall, Rm. 106 (337) 482-6828 specialservices@louisiana.edu STEP Computer Labs Student Aairs Division Marn Hall, Rm. 211 (337) 482-6266 studentaairs@louisiana.edu Wring Center H.L. Grin Hall, Rm. 107-108 (337) 482-6447 PARENT’S GUIDE TO CAREER DEVELOPMENT The most valuable things parents can do to help a student with career planning are listen, be open to ideas, and help your student find information. 1. Encourage your child to visit the career center. Next time you visit campus, drop into the career services office and pick up a business card from one of the career counselors. When your son or daughter is feeling anxious about his/her future, offer the card and say, "Please call this person. He (or she) can help you." 2. Advise your student to write a resume. W riting a resum e can be a "reality test" and can help a student identify weak areas that require improvement. Suggest that your student get sample resumes from the career center. 3. Emphasize the importance of internships. The career center w ill not "place" your child in a job at graduation. Colleges grant degrees, but not job guarantees, so having relevant experience in this competitive job market is critical. Your son or daughter can sample career options by completing internships and experimenting with summer employment opportunities or volunteer work. 4. Encourage extracurricular involvement. Par t of exper iencing college life is to be involved and active outside the classroom. Interpersonal and leadership skills—qualities valued by future employers—are often developed in extracurricular activities. 5. Teach the value of networking. Introduce your student to people who have careers/jobs that are of interest. Suggest your son or daughter contact people in your personal and professional networks for information on summer jobs. Encourage your child to "shadow" someone in the work-place to increase awareness of interesting career fields. Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers T he Office of Career Services offers a full range of career development and job-search help, including: online job listings for volunteer, part-time, internships, co-ops, and full-time jobs, workshops on writing resumes and cover letters, a recruiting program, individual career advising, and, career fairs. ~ View Career Services on the web for more valuable information. ~ CAREER SERVICES FOR YOUR STUDENT
Page 4 Outside Tips on Spring Break Spring Break Safety Tip Sheet Travel Safety Tips Spring Break Tips for Parents Another “Leng Go” Experience Alternative Spring Break Ideas ○ Stay in Lafayee to enjoy sleep and Ragin Cajun Athlec events. ○ Take a trip through Louisiana Plantaon country. ○ Go camping in a Louisiana state park. ○ Volunteer abroad as a way to see the world but also give back. ○ Visit aracons such as Blue Bayou. ○ Gain experience by traveling to locaons that support your academic or career interests. TAKING ON SPRING BREAK T he coming of sunshine and warmth means one thing to college students: Spring Break. This mid-semester vacation has become equated with a dangerous experience steeped in alcohol, drugs, and sex due to coverage in American media and cinema. Unfortunately there are facts to support some of this mentality; a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin found that 75% of males and 43% of females in college reported being intoxicated on a regular basis during Spring Break. Exploring the world is an important part of life in college, so what can you do as parents to help your student prepare for Spring Break? According to the website Fight Back on Spring Break, one of the best ways to plan a trip is to research the location and know its reputation so your student knows what he or she is getting into. A growing trend amongst college kids is to head for new locations that don’t match the typical “spring break beach trip.” Once there, the best rule is the simplest rule: follow the law. Don’t partake in the use of illegal drugs, and if underage, don’t consume alcohol. For those of age, the best advice is to be smart and rely on your gut. It may be urban legend, but you always know what the right thing to do is, and your gut is the friend that reminds you what that is. Following it will always lead to smarter decisions. A second situation to be aware of is that your student may not always have to fend for just him or herself. The smartest thing any student can do on Spring Break is stick with a group of trustworthy friends. That could mean your student may have to take care of a friend should any situations arise. Knowing how to recognize and respond to things like binge drinking and alcohol poisoning may be critical to keep a bad situation from getting worse. Also, when sticking with a group of friends it is always a good idea for at the least one to remain sober, to be fully aware of any situation and provide uninhibited assistance. Finally, the last thing we can do for these freshmen is to trust them. Despite how we may sometimes feel, they are now adults and deep inside they know right from wrong because they were taught these principles by you (their parents) and us (their teachers). We can prepare them for any situation, but in the end they are out there flying free and will more than likely make the right decisions to stay healthy and safe. For additional tips about planning a Spring Break trip and staying safe, please explore the links provided in the left hand column under Outside Tips on Spring Break.
Page 5 Contact Information Visit us at our office: 230 Hebrard Blvd. Lee Hall, Room 106 Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. firstyear.louisiana.edu (337) 482-6599 ofye@louisiana.edu Follow OFYE on Social Media D uring the month of March, students begin preparing for the upcoming Fall semester by scheduling classes and meeting with their advisor. Often, students begin to feel the pressure and stress of mid-term exams at this point in the semester as they begin preparing for them. Additionally, if your student has not declared a major or is dissatisfied with their major choice, they may look into changing majors, or declaring a major. Students may also feel stressed about the summer. Finding summer jobs or internships can often be difficult. As parents, here are a few things that you can do to help them: 1. Be open to communication. They may or may not ask you for advice; this is ok. Be there for them if they ask. 2. Send postcards or care packages during this stressful time. Maybe include notecards, pens, granola bars, or gum. Anything to show that you are there for them. 3. If they ask for guidance, especially in academic-related areas, refer them to see academic counselors. Here at Lee Hall, we offer counseling if students are unsure about their major, want to see if they’re on track to graduate, or any other academic advice—with no appointment necessary! Click here and scroll to March to see what your student can expect this month! Contributed by the University of Michigan website. MARCH