Your Student's First Year

Issues students may face; how families and friends can support them.

TODAY'S COLLEGE STUDENT AND UCSD

In the 1960’s, the "typical" student entered UC after high school, was 17 or 18 years old, lived on campus, and was well prepared academically. After one or two years of exploring, s/he settled down to a major, graduated in four years, and found a good job waiting.

Today more college students:

are women
are older by a few or many years
are ethnically and racially diverse
have diverse family structures at home
are working part-time, which may affect time-to-graduation
are coping with disabilities
are familiar with issues involving gender identifiction and orientation
are likely to have international experience

These days at UCSD:

51% of freshmen entered with a high school Grade Point Average of 4.0 or higher
Their average SAT scores were 598 on verbal aptitute and 647 on math amptitude
Freshmen averaged 5 honors courses taken in 10th and 11th grades
UCSD sends more students to study abroad than any UC campus
1/4 to 1/3 of ERC students usually study abroad
The most popular field of study is Social Science, followed by Science/Math and Engineering
UCSD undegraduates are 52% Women, 48 % Men
Approximately half of undergraduates are students of color
95% are from California; 5%, from other states or countries
average time-to-degree is 4.5 years (13.5 quarters) for students entering as freshmen
4/5 of students who start at UCSD, graduate from UCSD.

ACADEMICS

The Quarter System, Time Management, and Study Skills: Ten weeks fly by swiftly, and students new to a quarter system need to learn to manage their study time wisely. Encourage your student to buy a day planner, wall calendar, and any other tools to help manage time. Encourage them to seek help from academic counselors, Teaching Assistants, professors, OASIS (Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services), etc. Encourage your student to ask orientation leaders, academic advisors, etc. when there is a question. Discuss the purpose of a syllabus and encourage looking into resources on campus for guidelines about note taking and planning study time efficiently.

Grades: Student and their families may need help setting realistic expectations for college work. Remember, the average high school GPA of freshman classmates was 3.96! Not everyone in college gets straight A's, or even all B's. The work and expectations are different. Explore with your student feelings about classes. Share your own struggles and suggestions for coping. Focus on the growth, not exclusively on the grades.

Academic Integrity: Too much pressure for high grades can lead to temptations to cut corners, which can lead to academic dishonesty, which has serious repercussions. Be sure your student understands the standards of academic integrity that are enforced at UCSD. Encourage wise choices and the wisdom of seeking help before one experiences academic difficulty. Your student should talk to an ERC academic counselor and/or he course instructor sooner rather than later. They and you should become familiar with the UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship.

FINANCES

Your student may have trouble budgeting money to last through the quarter or the year. Students should know how to balance a checking account and use an ATM/Check card when they come to college, and parents should coach them on developing and maintaining a budget, and plugging budget leaks such as impulse buying or gambling.

Make sure your student understands the appropriate use of credit and the implications of debt for the future. Credit card companies and banks flood college campuses with easily obtained credit cards. The University tries to monitor which vendors come to campus and market to students, but it is not possible to eliminate all such temptations. While it is reasonable for students to build their personal credit for their future by wise use of credit, it is important that they control their debt to avoid burdens too large for them to bear. We encourage families to check in with their students regularly concerning credit cards, credit card debt, and money management.

Students who have earned money from part-time work during high school may find that increased academic responsibilities leave less time to earn money. It's important that families understand the financial aid process and set realistic expectations regarding course load, the usefulness of summer school versus summer job, hours available to work during the school year, time absorbed commuting to a job (consider on-campus jobs), and the effect of working on how long it will take to graduate. Studies have shown that generally students who work 5-10 hours per week may perform better academically than either those who have no part-time job or those who work in excess of 10-12 hours per week.

INDEPENDENCE

Relationships with parents and families WILL change, usually for the better, although the process is different for every family and student. It is important to support positive change in your student and be willing to change too. Become familiar with some of the materials s/he is reading so you can talk together about what s/he's learning. Keep the channels of communication open in both directions, and trust your student's growing independence. Listen to your student, and make it clear you are listening. Each student is making choices and trying to find him or herself. If problems develop at home, prepare your student to deal with them (that is, don't keep your student in the dark about what you're facing in the family). If there is a family crisis, there are service professionals on campus who can help.

As your student gradually learns to manage better (time, money, health, studies), discuss responsibilities, decision-making, choices, and consequences in all these realms. Acknowledge that mistakes will be part of growing, and help your student assess alternative ways of approaching situations.

Living with others who are not family members is a major change for most students. They will be expected to respect University property and the property of others as well as the values of the University and college community. Listen, offer support, and encourage honest communication. If conflicts or misunderstandings arise, suggest your student consult his or her Resident Advisor (RA).

Understand that everyone goes across the border to Tijuana (TJ) sooner or later. Don't overreact to such exploration or your student may not tell you about going. Students gravitate to one quite Americanized area, where there are many police officers. There are programs on campus to help your student plan wisely, including Student Safety Awareness, Triton Taxi.

Young adults will be making choices about dating, relationships, and sexual activity. You can and should discuss setting boundaries for oneself and communicating them to a partner. Encourage your student to seek information about how to avoid such complications as acquaintance rape or sexual assault.

FITTING IN AND FINDING FRIENDS

Finding a new group of friends is VERY important and needs to happen fairly early. Students sometimes need to be reminded not to put all their eggs in one basket in this regard. They need to remember that building friendships takes take time and effort. Encourage them to be proactive in meeting new people by participating in co-curricular activities and joining study groups.

Relationships with friends or significant others from high school may change or end. Long distance relationships are very difficult to maintain. They and their friends may be growing in different ways, and their once-shared experiences will diverge increasingly.

There is likely to be a multicultural impact when students develop interest in learning more about their own cultural heritage and begin interacting with people from a variety of different cultural backgrounds. Help your student realize the importance of seeking balance between finding a comfort zone and pushing oneself to meet others as part of the educational experience. Discuss types of multiculturalism with your student (geographic, ethnic, racial, religious, age, sexual orientation, gender, etc.) and encourage tolerance, exploration, and appreciation. Encourage their seeking programs and services to learn about themselves and others in a safe environment.

Don't be alarmed to find your student "trying on" new aspects of self in terms of looks, foods, habits, friends, or persona. Show your understanding that such exploration is part of self determination essential to adulthood. Communicate your own understandings about about making choices and wisdom of focusing on what is truly important.

As they were in high school, students in college are subject to peer pressure regarding sex, alcohol, drugs, and body image. Be conscious of this and be sure your student is aware of campus resources to aid students in need. Remain aware that trying on new things is only normal; however be alert for patterns of abuse or overindulgence that could prove destructive for your student, and don't hesitate to communicate your concerns.

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