Page 22 - UMKC Parent and Family Insider

COMMUTER STUDENT SUCCESS
fBy Jo Calhoun
Though first-year students come from diverse backgrounds, they share common hopes and dreams. They want to be successful in college and they hope to make life-long friends.
College life is organized to help students achieve their academic and personal goals. A satisfying experience outside of the classroom is important for students to develop a connection to their school, and when students feel connected they are more likely to persist to graduation.
Is it different for students who live at home during college? No, but without the experience of living in a residence hall, commuter students must work harder to make meaningful campus connections.
Here are three ways families of commuter students can encourage them to experience college life fully.
1. Recognize that their role at home may change.
Students learn from classmates and friends and spending casual time together is important. Students who live on campus don’t have curfews, or stop what they are doing to be at the family dinner table. They can continue a group discussion into the evening or go to a movie or out for a bite.
If you have a college student living at home, you now have another adult in the house. That means they will want (and need) to come and go as an adult; you may rarely see them for meals; you might consider keeping their family responsibilities to a minimum. This may be very different from high school!
To smooth the transition, talk to your student about:
• • •
Household chores Quiet hours
Whether or when you will have meals together
f22