No matter what campus your student is beginning classes on, we want you to know that you have an important part in supporting them. Starting with New Student Orientation and ending with Commencement, your Panther will experience different challenges and opportunities. Listed are tips and important conversations to help guide you and support your Panther.

College is an exciting, and sometimes daunting, transition for students and their parents, families and guardians. It’s important that you stay in touch and support your students’ feelings about this new chapter. Acknowledging that there will be great opportunities and tough challenges along the way will help your student set realistic expectations and cope with new situations. Encourage your student to work through their own problems by calling on campus resources and staff who are eager to help. While your instinct may be to "fix" a problem, it's best to nurture independence. Find time to talk with your student about the college experience before classes begin. Consider the following conversation starters:

• What are you excited about?
• What are you worried about?
• What do you have questions about?
• What would you like to accomplish in your first year at Georgia State?
• What do you want to study? What do you do if you want to change your major?
• How will you balance your education with other life obligations – family, extracurriculars or jobs?
• What kinds of clubs or organizations do you want to join?
• How will you keep track of and protect your belongings? How will you prioritize your safety throughout college?
• What are the expectations surrounding money? How will your student fund their education and any extracurriculars? What (if anything) will you be paying for as their family?

• Ask about your student's classes, roommate(s), friends and new life.
• If your student is homesick, suggest campus involvement and assure them things will get easier with time.
• If your student is living on campus, encourage them to get to know the community. If your student is living off campus and/or commuting, encourage them to get involved in a student organization, find a campus job or find a passion area they can focus on in college.
• Make sure your student knows about Panther Welcome, a program that organizes events and opportunities for new and returning students as classes begin in the fall.
• Encourage your student to consider joining Fraternity and Sorority Life, intramural sports or other student organizations on campus.