First Year (’25)
Weekly messages for parents and families of incoming students in the Class of 2025 will be posted during the fall semester. We hope these will be a helpful resource for you as your student transitions to life at Wake Forest. Bookmark this site and check back each week for a new message. Families should also visit the Office of Personal and Career Development (OPCD) parents and families page for information about supporting your students.
As Finals Approach
November 29, 2021
Your Deac’s first set of college final exams is just around the corner. Finals run December 6-11.
A to-do list from a student studying for finals in years past. Click to enlarge.
There will be a lot of work in… [Read More]
Dos and Don'ts of Thanksgiving Break
November 19, 2021
Thanksgiving Break is almost here. This might be the first time you’ve had your student home since Move-In. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts to consider for Thanksgiving.
DO
Ask them about their friends…. [Read More]
Traditions for the Holidays
November 16, 2021
The holidays are coming, and today I want to share a few holiday traditions that your first-year students can (and should!) partake in between now and the first of December.
The first is Pitsgiving,… [Read More]
And I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
November 8, 2021
Our Gen X families may recall the great U2 anthem I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. For many first-year students, they are still actively going through the adjustment to… [Read More]
The Honor Code
November 1, 2021
Honor is something we take very seriously at Wake Forest. We have an Honor Code that all students must abide by, and which guides the behavior of our campus. It is the University’s ethical standard and code of… [Read More]
Thoughts on Registration
October 25, 2021
Registration for spring semester classes begins the week of November 1st. Students will select their full schedule at once (this is a change from previous years, when they did it in two rounds spanning… [Read More]
Health and Wellbeing
October 18, 2021
If your student has never lived away from home before – and most Wake Forest students have not – being a college student means being fully responsible and autonomous for all aspects of daily life. Absent Mom,… [Read More]
If I do it, what is my student learning?
October 11, 2021
Your new Deacs are navigating a lot right now: their academics, their social lives, figuring out everything from when and where to eat, to how much studying they need to do, to how… [Read More]
Grade Expectations
October 4, 2021
At this time each fall, I start to hear from first-year students who have gotten their first grade back on a test or on a paper – and they are panicking. The grade is not what they expected or hoped for, they… [Read More]
Midterm Exams
September 27, 2021
This week, we will talk about midterms. Midterms are exams that happen about the middle of the semester. Not every class has a midterm exam, but for those who do, they are definitely on your students’… [Read More]
Navigating the Classroom and Professors
September 20, 2021
One of the hallmarks of the Wake Forest experience is the relationships that can be developed between students and faculty. Like any relationship, those have to be built over time, with… [Read More]
Navigating social life
September 13, 2021
One of the challenges that new students face is how to navigate social life. That includes everything from finding friends, to what to do on a Friday or Saturday night, to making decisions about alcohol and… [Read More]
The Frantic Phone Call/Text/FaceTime
September 6, 2021
One of the most challenging things for college parents and families is deciphering their student’s emotions. Instead of being at home across the kitchen table – where you can see every nuance of your student’s… [Read More]
Adjusting to the academic workload and homesickness
August 30, 2021
This week’s message for first-year families is about two common issues students face in their first few weeks of school: adjusting to the academic workload, and homesickness.
In… [Read More]
College is finally here!
August 23, 2021
Your student has registered for classes, bought books, and college classes are about to start. This transition brings new dynamics into the relationship you have with your student…. [Read More]
Contact
To contact the Office of Family Engagement, please visit our contact page.
If Your Student Has a Problem
One of the best ways parents/families can help their students is to let them handle their business as independently as possible. Use the Stop, Drop, and Roll method when your student contacts you with a problem, a decision to make, etc.
Orientation 2021 presentations
Parents & Families
The Office of Family Engagement provides information and support to Wake Forest parents, guardians, grandparents, and family members. Email is the primary vehicle of communication with families, so please keep your email up to date with Wake Forest. We encourage all families to subscribe to the Daily Deac blog, which gives a glimpse of campus life, plus important tips.