13 Freshman Orientation Questions Parents Should Ask
“When I talk to new students, I direct questions to them, not their parents,” said an academic advisor. As I chatted with this advisor, he explained that he purposely puts the ownership of classes on new college students. Freshmen must own their college experience in order to experience success.
During student orientation, you might not be sure how much to step in or ask questions. While your new college student may act mute or embarrassed by your mere presence, you can and should ask certain questions during orientation.
13 Freshman Orientation Questions Parents Should Ask
1. What are the payment options?
College tuition, room and board, textbooks, and dorm supplies are expensive. You may be worried about your child’s college bills. While you or your child may be able to afford beginning of semester payments, you may be concerned about costs during the semester.
If you are entirely paying for your child’s education, you need to make sure you understand the specifics about payment dates and flexibility on those payments. If your child is paying for some or all of his college education, you likely need to insert the questions he does not know enough about to ask.
While student loans are always an option, your new student should try to stay away from these loans for as long as possible. Staying away from loans may mean your child will need to work while in college. Some students can handle this well, while others will struggle. You and your child need to determine what will work and what is necessary to pay the bills.
At this point, your child does not know enough about his finances to know what questions he should be asking. Help him discover this information by helping him prepare questions to ask and asking ones which he does not understand yet.
2. Where should your child go if they need financial aid?
The first time on campus sans a parent can be overwhelming for new students. All the buildings start to look alike, and everyone is a stranger. When this time comes, your student may start feeling lost, especially when he needs help.
Your new student may need financial aid during his first year of college. If and when this time comes, knowing where he needs to go and to whom he needs to talk is important. If you know this day will come during the first semester, prepare him for this reality.
This first college experience—student orientation—needs to be the point where he starts learning that he needs to vocalize his needs. Even though his RA or academic advisor may be wonderful, he or she cannot read minds. He must speak up for himself, starting at this orientation.
3. What career assistance does the school provide?
Some colleges provide fantastic career assistance. Their alumni base allows them to connect students and graduates with top businesses. Other schools provide little to no assistance to current students or graduates.
Your child is probably not at a point at which he is thinking about finding work, so you may need to encourage him to think long-term. Help him plan for the future by realizing what resources are available to him at his college-to-be.
Some majors require internships, clinicals, or practicum. Other majors do not require any professional experience to complete the degree. Be sure your child knows if his major requires some professional experience. Encourage him to ask these kinds of questions about this requirement to an academic advisor or a professor in his field of study:
Does it have to be during the school year?
Is he allowed to do his internship during the summer?
How many months is he required to work?
In what kind of business must his internship take place?
Some colleges provide summer work opportunities. These summer jobs can be on campus, in local businesses, or at businesses connected with alumni. Sometimes students are completely unaware of this great resource. During the first semester, your freshman will need to start applying to positions if he wants to land an internship after his first year of college.
Some colleges provide excellent connections for after graduation employment. It is not too early for your freshman to start making connections with professionals in his field or for him to reach out and ask for advice from professionals. Encourage him to connect with his school’s career resources during this first year of college.
4. To whom should an academically struggling student go?
One of the biggest shifts from high school to college is the level of individualized attention teachers can and will provide. High school professors likely initiated meetings or chats with your student when they saw his grades sink. College professors rarely initiate any conversations about grades with students.
When your child is willing to get help, he needs to know where he should go and whom he should contact. Dealing with bad grades early on always provides a greater chance of grade improvement. Sadly, many new college students do not know what they should do or to whom they should talk, so they do nothing.
Help your child avoid this very slippery slope to a low GPA by making sure he understands what he needs and to whom he needs to talk. Orientation is the time to ensure this understanding is crystal clear in his mind.
5. What should my child do if they are unsure of their college major?
College majors tend to be tricky. (I wrote a whole post about majors here.) Sometimes students stick in a major, merely because they don’t know what their options are. Help your child know what to do when he finds himself in any of these 3 situations.
One, if your child begins with an undeclared major, encourage him to ask about his options. Some colleges encourage students to complete one school year before choosing a major. Other schools greatly discourage students from starting without a major. Asking about deadlines now will help your child know how long his decision-process can be.
Two, if your child is undecided on his major, encourage him to connect with academic resources to narrow down his options. Many students struggle to settle on one major, because they enjoy so many different areas. Help your child know what steps he should take to determine his major. Encourage him to ask about what assistance he can take advantage of in this process.
Three, if your child decides to change his major, encourage him to know when and how he can complete this change. Some students wait too long before changing majors, causing them to stay at least one extra semester. Encourage your child to ask about the major-changing process now.
6. What is the dorm situation like?
Every college provides different amenities and housing situations. Now is the time to clear-up the unknowns. Encourage your child to ask questions about these four different aspects of living on campus.
One, your student should know before arriving on campus whether his dorm is co-ed or single gender. This dynamic can change much of the dorm experience. Regardless of the policy, your child should prepare himself for interacting with people from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints.
Two, your student should know if and when he can change roommates. Most schools allow you to choose your roommate or assign you a roommate at random. In both cases, room tension can rise so much that your child may want to switch roommates. Make sure he knows if this is possible and when he would be allowed to make this change.
Three, your student should know the rules by which he has to abide while living in the dorms. For example, some colleges have a curfew by which students need to be in their own dorm. Having a clear picture of what rules apply to your student will help him start to prepare for these changes.
Four, your student should know the duration of his campus housing. Some schools require freshmen to live on campus for at least a year. Others require students to find off-campus living after a year of college. Knowing how long he can live on campus will help him plan ahead.
Getting clarity about the requirements and expectations of dorm life will prevent unpleasant surprises once your new college student lives on campus. Encourage him to ask these questions before moving on campus.
7. What meal plans are available?
Even if your student is not a dorm student, he may wish to sign up for a meal plan. Colleges provide a variety of meal plans for different kinds of students. The rates of these meals are usually very reasonable for students.
Help your child start thinking about his health now, because eating can easily become a low-level priority. When classes get busy, he may prefer the convenience of picking up a meal, rather than cooking it for himself. In addition, the meal plans usually include healthier options than ramen noodles and day-old pizza.
8. What transportation is allowed and available?
Every campus has rules about transportation, especially when it comes to freshmen. Some colleges do not allot parking spaces for first-year students. Some colleges do not allow dorm students to order Uber or Lyft rides on campus.
If your child cannot afford a vehicle, the school may provide a shuttle system. Additionally, the town surrounding your child’s campus may have public transportation in abundance. Owning a bicycle may also be an option.
Encourage your child to think through his options before purchasing a vehicle. He may be able to get around just fine without his own car, but he won’t know unless he asks. Now is the time to clear up these questions.
9. What insurance is accepted by student health center?
Colleges usually provide some means of medical assistance on campus. Sometimes they have an actual facility dedicated to health. Other times they have an on-call nurse service. Whatever the college’s setup, know that they will do their best to assist your child in the event of illness.
However, your child needs to know what is and is not available to him before this situation arises. You may have to help ask questions about medical insurance, because your child likely knows very little about health insurance.
Encourage your child to ask about whom he should contact and where he should go if he needs medical attention. Most campuses provide at least a sick room for extremely ill students, but they also have policies about calling an ambulance or extended absences from classes due to illness.
10. What kind of security does the campus provide?
In light of the increase in shootings, knowing about the campus security will help give you and your child some peace of mind. If you have specific questions about campus security, this is the time to ask. Encourage your student to ask what should be done if a shooting were to take place in his dorm or in a class. He needs to know the procedure in case this situation occurs on his campus.
Encourage your child to abide by policies like locking his dorm room, keeping an eye on his valuables when in public places, and avoiding out-of-control parties that include drugs and alcohol. Make sure he always knows where he is going, who is driving, and how to get back to campus.
11. Who is your point of contact?
Colleges do try to place the burden of responsibilities on students, not parents. However, there are situations in which you may need to be contacted. If your child is extremely ill, hurt, or blatantly misbehaving, you may be contacted.
Be sure you and your child knows who will contact you and when this will occur. He needs to know that there are consequences for his actions, and you might have to be made aware of those consequences from the school.
If you have concerns about your child’s safety, welfare, or academic performance, you need to know whom you can contact and when this contact is necessary. Knowing when to step in can be tricky, because in the past you have been so intricately involved in his education. But at this point, your child needs to take ownership of his grades, friend choices, and personal decisions.
12. What documents do they need at college?
Some students are completely unaware of the legal documents they need upon arriving at college. This can be an irritating realization for those who arrive on campus without the proper documentation. Ask now to ensure you have what your child needs before arriving.
Most schools require some form of identification: a birth certificate, a driver’s license, a passport, etc. Additionally, if your child is planning on working he may need his social security card and proof of your home address. Be sure your child knows exactly what he needs.
13. How does move-in day work?
Moving into the dorms can be quite an exhausting task. Knowing the answers to the basic questions—who, what, when, where—can be helpful. Don’t wait until the night before leaving to look up these details. You have enough stress in your life with your child leaving for college.
Ask about where you can park, whether the dorm has an elevator or merely stairs, what entrances are best to use, and what kind of storage the dorm room provides. Knowing these answers can help you be prepared to get your child moved in more quickly.
Be sure your child does know what items are and are not allowed in the dorms. For example, most schools do not allow you to use hot plates or candle warmers, because they are fire hazards. Be sure he also know what items are helpful buys, so that you don’t have to make 3 or 4 Walmart trips after moving in his belongings.
Most of these questions are ones you can urge your child to ask. Your child needs start owning this college experience for himself. However, some of these questions require you to step in and speak up on his behalf. When doing so College Parent Central encourages parents “to frame . . . questions about what the college does rather than what they have.” Your questions are needed and helpful, so ask away.
