Newsletters for Mental Health
Cheryl A. Crawford, Intern Counselor, MSOE Counseling Services
May 2010
Summer is almost here. The weather is getting warmer, preparations are being made for final exams, and students are looking forward to their last day of classes. This is also the time of year when students are packing up and returning home for the summer. The two groups that seem to encounter unique challenges when they move home are: 1) First Year students and; 2) Seniors’ who will return home after college graduation.
First Year Students
For many students who have just completed their first year of college, returning home after being on their own can be an adjustment. First year students have weathered the transition of being away from home, missing normal family functions and being independent from their parents. The freedom they experienced being away from home might have changed their views. These students might have engaged in new activities that they did not have the opportunity to do while they were living with their parents. Even though freshman students might have gone home during breaks, it feels quite different when they are home for the entire summer.
Graduating Seniors’
The reality is that a large number of today’s graduates return home due to economic reasons. Some students may decide to live at home in order to save money for an apartment, or house, at a later date. These students want to feel like an independent adult and have autonomy with their social and interpersonal lives. The college graduate will most likely have to make adjustments to live back at home. Parents may have “moved on” through their empty next process (perhaps the student doesn’t even have a room anymore). Thus, work schedules, privacy, and personal matters all need to be taken into account when returning home.
The following tips can help students and their parents make a smooth transition when the college student returns home:
Tips to Keep in Mind
- Set realistic expectations. Talk about house rules and responsibilities.
- Make mutually agreed upon adjustments. Curfew may no longer be appropriate but parents may expect to be notified of late nights out.
- Talk adult to adult. Use positive communication strategies to engage in good discussion. Use “I” statements.
- Show respect and support. Preface a question by saying, “I mean no disrespect, but…”
- Keep your sense of humor; ordering a pizza at 2:00 am is “normal” at college, but might be seen as funny while living at home.
- Know that the living situation is temporary: First year students will return to college within a few short months’, and college graduates will eventually secure a place to live and move away from home.
Conflicted Feelings
As happy as students are to finish the school year and return home, they oftentimes become a little homesick for college. Students may feel sad about leaving their friends and new life that they established while at college. Graduates often experience a bit of angst knowing that they are leaving their college environment and beginning a new chapter in life. They may express feelings of loss, sadness and uncertainty with the culmination of their college years.
To help with these transitions, Counseling Services is available throughout the academic year, as well as the summer months. Counselors are able to meet with students to talk about adjustment issues, or any other mental health concerns. Please call the office at (414) 277-7590 for personal assistance and support.
Good luck on finals and enjoy the summer months!
MSOE Counseling Services creates monthly newsletters on mental health concerns and psychological issues. You can view the complete list of Counseling Services Newsletters.
MSOE Counseling Services is located on the second floor of the Kern Center (K-230). To schedule an appointment with a counselor, call (414) 277-7590 or visit the Counseling Services homepage.