Your Childhood

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Who were you at 18?

What were the central pieces of your life at age 18?

The Millennials

• "Millennials” refers to a specific cohort of individuals born, roughly, between 1980-94.

• "Millennials” are primarily children of Baby Boomers, though some are children of the older Gen X adults.

• A central characteristic of what defines "Millennials” is that they have no memory of the Cold War, just as Generation X has no memory of the Vietnam War and the Baby Boomers have no memory of World War II.

Characteristics of a Millennial Student• Greater sophistication

• More informed but less disciplined

• Greater group socialization

• High levels of stress and pressure

• Cutting edge of technology

Common Beliefs and Behaviors

Special Sheltered Confident

Achieving Pressured

Team-Oriented Conventional

Political Views• Disenchanted with politics

and nation’s social institutions

• Bifurcated in political attitudes

• Liberal in social attitudes

• Socially conscious and active

• Consumer oriented

• Local community focused

 

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Academic Preparation

• Weak in basic skills

• Learn best in ways different from how they are taught

• Pragmatic

• Career oriented

Personal Attributes

• Sexually active yet socially isolated• Heavy users of alcohol• Hardworking • Frightened, tired, and want security• Demand change• Diverse and divided

The Entitlement Generation• Shockingly high expectations for salary, job flexibility and duties

• Mismatch between expectations and reality

• Raised on extensive praise and expect it

• Will share sensitive or private information

• Need to know WHY something needs to happen and make things task oriented

• Will work well with others from a different background

• Formality of Mr. and Mrs. and cleaning up are sometimes lost on them

• Need to learn what they’re good at and what they’re not– Not motivated by feelings of duty

Developmental issuesstudents will face

Social integration (Chickering and Reisser, 1993)

• Developing competence• Managing emotions• Moving through autonomy to

interdependence• Establishing identity• Developing mature relationships• Developing purpose• Developing integrity

Parent Types

• Helicopter (hovering and always fixing)

• Lawnmower (mowing everyone down)

• Bulldozer (destroying everything in its path)

• Blackhawk (extreme helicopter)

• Blue Angel Parent (zooming in unexpectantly)

• Velcro (attached)

Parent Types

• Stealth (secretly hovering from a distance)

• Stroller (not letting child walk alone)

• Psycho• In-Denial (not my perfect angel)• Lion Parent (roaring and

devouring)• Mosquito (always poking around

and irritating people)• Partner

• What level of involvement is appropriate, healthy, and helpful?

• The 90/10 balance—90 percent of life is great, it’s the 10 percent that we learn from.

• 24 hour rule…act on something if it is still an issue 24 hours later.

Some Points to Ponder

• Facing a challenging professor will help your student gain life skills to manage a difficult boss

• Managing an uncomfortable situation with classmates will help your student learn to work with peers and co-workers

• Roommate issues can help your student learn to live with a partner or spouse

• Dealing with bureaucracy helps your student develop independence and leadership skills

Allowing your child to be uncomfortable

First Year Timeline - Summer

Parents

? Residential

*Packing*Roommate(s) –

August 9th

Commuters*Where to park*Connecting to

campus*Spending time between classes

All *Classes

*College vs. hs?*Who’s in charge?

*Preparation*Friends

*Meal Plan*OneCard

Towson Pre-orientation

Orientation Transition Retention

OneCard

• The OneCard is the student’s all-access pass to Towson University

• The OneCard acts as…o Student’s ID cardo Holds meal plano Holds dining and retail pointso Access to residence hall

• Retail pointso http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8i52mdhoJA&feature=p

lcp

• Important websiteo www.onecard.towson.edu

Meal Plans • Two types of Meal Plans

o Flex Plans: Offered to residents or commuter students. Meals will NOT carry over from week to week. Meal plan will reset on Thursday nights.

o Block Plans: Offered to commuter students. Meals carry over from week to week throughout the semester.

• Dining Points o Dining points are used to cover the extra balance after a meal is used.

o Dining points can be added to meal plan via the OneCard website.

• Important websiteo www.dineoncampus.com/towson

Parking • Residential Permit

o Limited number of permits, only for West Village garage

• Commuter Permito Towson Center and West Village garage until 3 pm on weekdays,

evening permits in Commuter or overflow areas

• Conditionso Must be registered for classes and have housing assignment (if

applicable) before purchasing parking permit

• Costo Full year: $303o Per term: $174

• Important websiteo www.towson.edu/parking

Textbooks• Purchasing

o University Storeo Online or off-campus stores o Get receipts!

• Book rental programo Pay one flat fee per book for the semester then the book is returned to

the bookstore at the end of the term

• Used Bookso Used books are available to buy at the University Store

• Important websiteso Search www.towson.edu for University Store

Academic Advising• First Semester Schedule

o Student’s first semester schedule is based on the Academic Interest Form they complete before coming to campus.

o FTP students’ schedules are created by the program coordinators.o ORIE 305 (not on FTP schedules) is a non-credit baring course hold

for a time when advisors can meet with students.

• Advisoro All students assigned a First Year Experience (FYE) Advisors. All

students are required to meet with their academic advisor at least three times a semester, including an advising meeting to discuss and learn how to register for Spring classes.

• Important website

o www.towson.edu/academicadvising

First Year Timeline – August/September

• Adjustments– Academic (actually have to study, less graded assignments, test

anxiety, uncertainties)– New and unfamiliar people– Social life– Sharing a room– Long distance relationships – This is college? (disenchantment or elation)

• Homesickness and feelings of insecurity vary– Can be overwhelming– Intense at times– Fades over time

Scenario #1

• You begin a casual phone conversation with your son/daughter about how things are going with classes. You hear that classes are difficult but manageable, and that it is taking some adjusting to get used to the expectations of TU’s faculty members.

• How do you feel? What, if anything, can you do?

Scenario #2

• Hmmm…you have call and texted your student a few times today (okay, maybe more than a few) and haven’t heard back yet. You are beginning to become worried but you also don’t want to be a helicopter parent.

• What, if anything, can you do?

Scenario #3

• Your son/daughter texts you this.

• What do you do?

It just seems like everyone here has frnds. i don’t.

What do you mean?

Ppl eat together, i eat in my room…

i tried going to bsu but it’s not me

What’s bsu? Why isn’t it for you?

First Year Timeline – October/November

• Academic transition– Time management, procrastination, more demanding than expected– Anticipate stress around mid-term exams and grades– Some might feel a sense of loss and failure associated with grades ,

others will think (or try to make it look like) things are easy

• Social transition– Social pressures around drinking, dating, sexual activity– Roommate conflicts may begin or intensify

• Expect – Colds and sickness more likely – Depression and anxiety can increase

Scenario #4

• You are talking to your son/daughter on the phone and he/she comments about going to a party over the weekend. He/she then goes on to say that he/she is surprised at the amount of alcohol on campus and the number of students who are drinking.

• How do you feel? What, if anything, can you do?

Scenario #5

• Your student calls home late on a Friday night and tells you he/she is not feeling well and that the health center is closed.

• How do you feel and what, if anything, can you do?

First Year Timeline – December/January• Academic Transition

– Final exams – cramming and extra efforts to secure desired grades. – Time management pressures - balancing academic demands and

extracurricular responsibilities– Some wonder if their major is right for them.

• Social Transition– Relationships changing with high school friends

• Expect – Excitement builds for winter break and family time– Students worry about what it will be like back home for break – Stress associated with the new semester may appear.

Scenario #6

• Your son/daughter shares his/her first-term grades with you and he/she has received a D and a C, as well as a couple of B’s. These grades are lower than he/she has ever received in high school. When you ask him/her about the grades, the response is that they will improve over the next term.

• How do you feel? What, if anything, can you do?

First Year Timeline – February/ March• Academic Transition

– Pressure to keep up with school work– Worry about mid-term exams and mid-term grades– Anticipation for spring break– Questions about the fall semester—class schedules, confirming

major,

• Social Transition– Applications for many student organizations or leadership roles– May over-commit to student activities– Anxiety over relationships or lack thereof

• Expect– Desire to talk about living options for next semester – Beginning to plan for summer jobs or internships

Scenario #7

• Your son/daughter asks for additional money to “go out with friends.” This is the third time he/she has asked for money since the beginning of the semester and it is not even midterms yet?

• What do you do?

First Year Timeline – April/May

• Academic Transition– Stress and fatigue, lack of focus (Spring fever)– Academic pressure builds as finals near, followed by relief and desire to

sleep forever!– Pre-enrollment for the fall

• Social Transition– End of year banquets and student organization activities

• Expect– Concern builds over parents’ reaction to grades and moving home– If starting summer school, concerned about not taking a break– If starting a new job, concerned about learning the expectations

Scenario #8

• Your son/daughter got along great with his/her roommate during the first semester but now the honeymoon is over. The roommate is borrowing clothes without asking, leaving the room unlocked, playing music too loud and eating your son/daughter’s Pop Tarts.

• How do you feel? What, if anything, can you do?

“Trying to think of a new metaphor for my ideal style of parenting, I decided I want to be one of those guys on the landing strips at the airport, with the flags…

After much unproductive googling, I contacted my air traffic controller cousin and this is what he wrote back: “That position is called a ‘Ramp Agent.’

The code I have developed with my own daughter is this: If I haven’t heard from her in a few days, or if I just have an ache for her, I will send her a text that says, “Say ‘hi.’” She will respond with those two letters and it is astounding, really, how much better I feel.”

Parenting Secrets of a College Professor

“The only reason we panic when we haven’t heard from our child for three days is because we can, and often do, hear from him or her nearly constantly. But learning to respect boundaries is part of this process, and we have to do it, even when technology has erased the lines. This is the same moderation and balance we want our kids to learn as they navigate the bumpy freedoms of adulthood. Just because you have access to all the alcohol you can drink doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can shut off your alarm and roll over without any immediate ramifications doesn’t mean you should.

That’s the lesson we parents have to learn. Just because we can peek in on our children, doesn’t mean that we should. Just because you can see that your child has not swiped in at the Dining Center but instead bought $12 worth of snacks at the campus bodega, do you need to know that information? I am going to do my best to stay a ramp agent and try not to helicopter, waving my flags on the tarmac — even if sometimes that waving gets frantic.”

- Kathleen Volk Miller

Parenting Secrets of a College Professor

Welcome to Towson Orientation Schedule

Saturday 8/24 Sunday 8/25

- Move-in & Packet Pick-Up (9 am – 5 pm) - Skills & Resources- Commuter Celebration (6 pm)- Parent Send-Off (6 pm)

Monday 8/26 Tuesday 8/27

- Academic Transitions - Exploration of campus and Towson

Lisa ReagleDirector of New Student Programslreagle@towson.edu(410) 704-2309

OR

Dr. Teri HallAssociate Vice President for Student Affairs, Campus Lifethall@towson.edu (410) 704-2332

And colleagues

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