Final exams will be held December 9-14 – so it’s less than a month from now. Many of you will get to see your students during Thanksgiving, and it will certainly be a time where they want to recharge their batteries as they push toward the end of the semester and finals.
The Office of Academic Advising (OAA) has some advice on how parents and families can best support your students in the days leading up to finals. Many thanks to Sharonna Taylor-Howard, one of our OAA Academic Counselors, for sharing some of these best practices.
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How to Help your College Student through Final Exams
Final exams at Wake Forest University will take place from December 9th, 2013 to December 14th, 2013. In late November, students will begin preparation for final exams. During this time of preparation and the final exam period, students may find themselves extremely busy and in some cases overwhelmed or stressed. Although as a parent or family member you may not physically be there to help, it is important that your college student has your support and encouragement.
Here are some ways that you can help:
Send words of encouragement. Send a letter, email, card or e-card that lets your student know that you are proud of all of his or her hard work. Focus on your student’s effort rather than on the grade. If a student is putting forth reasonable effort, it can be especially unhelpful — even backfire — to pressure him or her to get a specific grade or achieve a specific GPA.
Encourage your student to take advantage of all of the resources on campus. If your student is feeling stressed or overwhelmed, he or she can visit places like the Learning Assistance Center, the Office of Academic Advising, and the University Counseling Center.
Check with your student’s exam schedule, before you make arrangements for travel home. It is often very difficult for students to make special arrangements to take an exam at an alternate time, and professors are not required to accommodate personal travel requests. Having to make special arrangements may cause additional stress for your student.
Send your student a care package. A small, simple package with your student’s favorite snacks or study supplies is another way to show you are thinking of him or her and to show your support.
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This is all great advice. The Daily Deac would add one editorial note: send a care package no matter how close you live to campus. Make sure to treat your local students the same as you would if he or she had gone to college far away from home. One of my good friends was from Greensboro and was thrilled every time his mom sent a care package. It’s more special if you don’t have to drive home to get it.
Finally – Round 2 of Registration is taking place this week. Two quick notes:
1) Remind your student to check his/her account balance and clear any holds that would prevent him/her from being able to register on time. Payment can not be made after hours, so check now!
2) The Registrar’s office has placed a lot of information on their web site regarding registration, including how students can Gmail chat if they need to reach a staff member while they are registering.
Final exams will be held December 9-14 – so it’s less than a month from now. Many of you will get to see your students during Thanksgiving, and it will certainly be a time where they want to recharge their batteries as they push toward the end of the semester and finals.