Midweek Moods by Class
In this Issue:
- Today we are discussing some of the things students may be experiencing, particularly as it relates to each individual class of student
Today is the beginning of Ramadan, and we wish a Ramadan Kareem to all who are observing.
It is an overcast, grey day on campus. Sometimes there’s been a light rain, some times just a fine, needle-like mist. But this is the kind of day where students tend to report wanting to stay snuggled in bed and not go out into the world. And on days like this, some of us tend to get into our own heads and overthink. So let’s take a look at what might be occupying our students’ minds, class by class.
For our P’23s
This is the first semester where the vast majority of our ’23 students aren’t having to select housing for next semester, or register for classes – because they are getting ready to graduate. Not having to participate in those processes might bring into sharper relief that College Is Going to End Soon.
If your Deac already has a job, or an acceptance to graduate/professional school, or already has a plan they feel good about, these next 5 weeks of class might be a gentle coast to the finish line. But not all Deacs’ plans are set, so that can bring in a special kind of pressure that they have to Figure Everything Out ASAP (as well as finish up all their classes).
And our ’23s will all start coming to terms – in their own time – that their normal social lives with the Wake people they normally hang out with will change once everyone moves. Changes are scary. Be an empathetic and listening ear if your ’23 is feeling any of those pressures.
For our P’24s
Your ’24 Deacs might be feeling a combination of joy and stress. As rising seniors, they are benefitting from high registration times for classes and housing, and have probably finished a decent chunk of their major coursework. This kind of stability, and knowing what they need to do senior year in terms of courses, might bring comfort.
Some of our ’24s will be looking for internships this summer, which can be a source of stress. They might feel pressure – real or imagined – from you to land that internship, or have a Clear Plan for what they want to do post-Wake. Some may have a good sense of What’s Next, while others might still be figuring that out.
Sometimes one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is not asking too many detailed questions about their plans. Our ’24s might be grateful for that, particularly if they haven’t volunteered many details to date. (Or maybe that is just my son!)
For our P’25s
Wake Forest student culture has a history of more students wanting to go abroad in the fall vs. the spring, so there are probably a decent number of our ’25s who are planning their fall semester abroad (or anxiously awaiting admissions decisions to programs they applied to). This can be a time of excitement about their forthcoming adventures, but also some feelings of chagrin, perhaps, if their friend group will be disbursed among several different programs. Or a bit of very normal fear if they have never been abroad on their own.
Not all ’25s will go abroad in the fall, of course. There will be ’25 students who stay here for a variety of reasons. Those ’25s might be looking forward to having fewer of their classmates on campus (not unlike how some students who stay on campus for Fall Break enjoy having the place to themselves, so to speak) – or they may be feeling pangs that friends will be away and their social circle might be smaller.
’25s might also be feeling some pressure (real or imagined) to get an internship this summer. If they are in that boat, it may help to gently remind them that if it doesn’t happen for them now, they can punt that to next summer. Finally, because we are in the housing selection process, some of our ’25s may feel some stress about navigating roommate groups against the room availability list, or finding roommates, etc.
For our P’26s
Like our ’25s, our ’26s will be going through housing selection for the first time. They are likely trying to figure out roommate groups (or find a roommate), having a Plan B, C, and D, and anxiously watching the room availability list to see what might be available when their selection time comes.
Course selection is also likely on our ’26s minds. For those who have a major in mind, fall 2023 might be an easy and direct march towards that goal. For ’26s who are still trying to figure out if they want to major in Subject A or Subject B, they may be thinking about taking a class in both A and B to kick the tires, so to speak, and see if one stands out as the clear choice. Other ’26 students are still figuring potential majors out – and some may still have no idea, and that’s OK! Two of the great pressure-releasers you can give your students are 1) not asking them what their major will be, and 2) if they have told you, not asking ‘what will you do with an X major?’ 🙂
’26s may also be feeling some feelings about the idea of going home for the summer. Some will be so excited to be home and in their own bed, others will perhaps feel sad to be leaving their Wake friends (especially if they aren’t still close to high school friends). Some may be wondering if you will impose a curfew on them (when they have been living curfew-free here all year), and how they will fit back into the norms of the household. You can navigate all that in due time. All of them will be overjoyed to see their pets 🙂