Christmas break for college students is a bit different than those for younger students and for those in the work world. For Tusculum students, they will be going on break about 10 days before Christmas and not return to class until January 9. What does this extended break hold for you and your college student?
As parents of upperclassmen know and those of freshmen are about to discover, college students eagerly look forward to the holiday break as a welcome period of rest and regrouping from their studies and often hectic schedule. But, it is also a period of readjustment for those whose students have been living on campus.
Parents and students need to find a balance between the need to relax and recharge for the next semester and the need to have a purpose for these few weeks. Before your student comes home or in the first few days at home, talk openly and honestly about expectations, schedules and curfews (if any). Use a respectful and mature attitude, you can set the zone. It is also important to ask your student about their expectations for the break.
Don’t be surprised if there are some adjustments to makde as your college student returns home. If you have other children at home, the family has to reconfigure, which can sometimes be a challenge, particularly if a younger sibling has taken on some of the leadership roles that the college student used to fill. These younger siblings may need support from parents when the returning college student goes off with the family car without consultation or monopolizes the computer.
Parents with an only child may be surprised to realize that they have gotten used to privacy and a clean house. Though you may enjoy their being at home, you may long to have moments of spontaneity and quiet on their own. Just realize these conflicting feelings are similar to those your college student may be feeling about being back home while also wanting to retain their new sense of independence.
Continue to foster your student’s independence. It is easy to fall back on old habits when your child returns home. Encourage your college student to continue to take responsibility for the things he or she has been handling in college: medical appointments, finances, communications with the college or university, car and computer maintenance.
Try your best not to focus too intently on academic performance. This may prove difficult, especially for parents of freshmen. Grades will come up sooner or later almost certainly. Attempt to engage your student in meaningful conversation with inquiries about such things as the interesting people he or she has met at school, the most enjoyable part about the semester and the most stressful part of the semester. This lets them know that you are genuinely interested in their growth as a person.
Remember that your student does need some down time while at home. He or she may not need to sleep for a month, but college life is active and sometimes quite stressful. There are people around much of the time – even when students are in their rooms. Your student needs some time to enjoy the sanctuary of home. Be patient if your student does seem to sleep more and want time just to do nothing.
Once your student has been able to sleep and recover from final exams and the activity of the holidays is over, the rest of Christmas break remains. There are several other things that you and your student might discuss as options for break:
Your student may be able to find a temporary job for the holidays or inventory season or may be lucky enough to be able to return to a summer job for a few weeks to make some extra money;
Christmas break may be a good time to begin looking for a summer job, it isn’t too early. Your student can spend some time visiting local places in person to ask about availability, submit an application and ask for an interview. Many employers will hire summer help well before your student comes home at the end of the semester.
Your student may spend some of his time volunteering. This will give him a chance to get out of the house, gain some experience, and feel good about using his time to help someone else.
If your student is a senior, the holiday break is an excellent time to put in the work on polishing a resume and cover letter, compiling a list of potential employers and investigating careers.
Your student and you might use some of this time to get a head start on financial aid paperwork by completing the FAFSA, doing a search for extra scholarships and gathering financial information needed.
Even if you did visit family for the holidays, another visit may be a calmer, sweeter time to catch up with older relatives and extended family. There’s less hustle and bustle, and more time to talk.