There is a lot of change headed you and your UCF student’s way this month. August rings in a new academic year at UCF, which means big transitions for new-to-college students, navigating new realities for transfer students, and adjusting to fresh starts for returning students. For parents, families, friends, or just anyone supporting a college student, it can mean saying goodbye, supporting in different or new ways, letting go, and much, much more along the way.
We know these changes can be hard. They can come with various emotions, unknown experiences, and numerous questions. And it can be easy to “fight the old” and become overwhelmed. This is where First Year Experience’s Pegasus Parent Program comes in! We are here to provide quality and up-to-date information to parents and family members of UCF students. We understand that a healthy relationship between students and their support systems leads to a positive college experience, so we aim to assist parents and families in their endeavors support their student in a way that enables everyone to succeed. We are in your corner and here to help at any step along the way.
See below to explore more about how you can support your student as they transition into college or start another year at UCF!
Simple supportive messages and being there to talk can offset fears or concerns about new beginnings.
Encourage your student to "fight" through things that might feel initially uncomfortable, like going to a student organization's first meeting of the semester for potential new members, or going to an event alone in the hopes of meeting new people. Remind them that they can do this! Encourage them to at least try something just once before deciding its not for them.
Think of yourself in a new role of COACH. You might not be on the field every day with your student, like you were before (i.e, going to school or talking directly to a teacher if your student encountered a problem, scheduling them a health appointment if they were sick, etc.). Now, as a coach, you can encourage, support, strategize, and more from the sidelines and help them succeed nonetheless.
There's a common phrase that reads: "the best things in life don't come easy." The experiences of transitioning to college, starting a new year of higher education, or supporting a student in their journey at UCF can all encounter bumps in the road along the way. That's life!
Encourage your student to look at these as growth opportunities. Building resiliency, self-sufficiency, and critical thinking skills are crucial to a student's success not just here at UCF, but beyond.
You can feel challenged in the role of being a supportive person for a student too. Remember to give yourself grace and generosity along the way. This could be the first time you're on this journey. Its okay to stumble. Lean on your support system to talk things through, and don't forget to schedule "me" time too - you deserve it!
Maybe its a weekend just to quickly visit and do something fun in Orlando.
Maybe its Family Weekend from Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 2.
Whatever it is, put it on the calendar as something you can both look forward to when times get tough!
This can be for siblings still living at home, like family movie nights, fried chicken Fridays, or regular game nights.
But it can also be for you and your UCF student too, like weekly FaceTime chats, or Disney+ watch parties once a month, or maybe even reading a book together and then discussing "book club" style.
Think about what you and your student enjoy doing together currently and how you can adapt that when they are at UCF. Or, maybe start something totally new to make it that much more exciting to connect about!
Just like planning a visit to campus, this can be something fun and comforting that both you and your student can look forward to in the good times and the challenging ones.
Do you and your student have to know every UCF resource possible in the first few weeks? No way!
Not only is that unrealistic, it can make things that much more overwhelming! Instead, focus on resources you and your student can utilize most at the beginning of these transitions. As you start to use them, additional knowledge of other areas might increase and even more resources might unveil themselves.
So which ones are good to get connected to early on? See below for just a glimpse.
(listed in alphabetical order)