Page 29 - UMKC Parent and Family Insider

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Social Life
Athletics
If your student is an athlete, the coach
will be their guide to practices, training and NCAA regulations. If the coach isn’t approachable about off-ield issues,
your student can befriend an assistant coach, someone in the athletic director’s ofice, even a trainer or team captain. College athletics often bring unique social pressures and may demand academic strategies different from what your student has faced before. Encourage them to
ind an athletic mentor to help steer them through whatever comes up.
Study skills
No matter how accomplished your student, they may need help with a
hard class or just learning to manage
the workload in general. The campus writing center, tutoring programs and TA’s (Teaching Assistants in their courses) are all good places to ind a study mentor
— someone your student can work with to achieve academic conidence and competence.
Health
College students need to learn to take care of their own physical and mental health. Encourage your student to stop by the health center before they get sick, with a question or just to introduce themselves.
If and when they have a health problem, it will be comforting to know there’s someone they can trust — a medical mentor to guide them through decisions they may face.
The Resident Assistant or Advisor (RA)
is the bedrock of irst-year residential experience. If your student doesn’t click with their RA, encourage them to reach out to an RA on a friend’s loor. Maybe there’s an older student in a club or organization your student joined who feels a bit like
a big sister or brother. As new students settle in, it’s great to have someone who can answer basic questions like where things are and how stuff works, or help think through scheduling and navigating new relationships. Every student beneits from having a social mentor.
Academics
Your student is assigned an academic advisor. The advisor is often in your student’s department of interest, and
will know the details and requirements
it takes for your student to graduate. Depending on your student’s major,
they may be required to meet with their academic advisor prior to registering each semester. Encourage your student to meet regularly with their academic advisor. This academic mentor can provide guidance and direction, which every student needs.
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