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Suggested pit stops during your student’s college journeyA letter from Parents Association President Susan Beck Bates
There really isn’t a bad time to discuss academic progress with your student. Starting the conversation may be hard, but an important part of our job as parents is to candidly discuss educational choices and career decisions. Let your student know that reassessing past decisions is always worthwhile as long as the ultimate goal is to be a satisfied and productive citizen. My husband and I have encouraged our son, Tom, a senior, to make use of the outstanding services available at the UI Pomerantz Career Center. See www.careers.uiowa.edu to learn more. There are many other campus resources within the Pomerantz Career Center and in each of the colleges. Believe it or not, conversations with your student at this point during the academic year may well involve living arrangements for next year. Students must reapply to live in the residence halls by 5 p.m., Feb. 10, and leases for off-campus housing are often signed early in the spring semester. Check out http://imu.uiowa.edu/cic/off-campus_housing_service/. The Iowa campus is particularly beautiful in the winter and there are many activities to enjoy, such as Dance Marathon, basketball games, and cultural festivities. Many events have been relocated due to building closures from summer flooding, so be sure to visit www.uiowa.edu for event updates. Family members with input on any issue are encouraged to contact board members or our on-campus liaison, Belinda Marner, at belinda-marner@uiowa.edu or 319-335-2557. Finally, it’s never too late to become a member of the Parents Association Advisory Board. Please feel free to contact me at bjengaking@aol.com for more information. I’m happy to answer any questions. If it seems like a good fit, we’d love to have you join the board. Best regards to each of you. On, Iowa! Go Hawks! Susan Beck Bates
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Greetings from the Parents Association Advisory Board! The Rascal Flatts song “Life Is a Highway” came to mind as I started writing this column. Life for anyone, especially a college student, is rarely a straight and smooth stretch of road. There are usually stops, bumps, and construction signs along the way—and, as we all know, sometimes a U-turn comes in handy.