University of the PACIFIC

Hello!
As a senior this year, the end of this school year is a lot more significant than the past 3 years. It will be the start of my life as an independent adult, without the crutch of being a college student. Whether my plans are to find a job or an internship, take a gap year, start graduate school, or something else, graduating college is a scary thought. The best thing I have learned to ease my nerves is to begin preparing my plans early. This can apply to not only graduating seniors, but to all your students. Whether it is securing a summer internship or job, starting the graduate school search, or studying abroad, there are many things non-graduating students can be preparing for. 
Securing a summer internship or job starts now. Students should be making sure to update their resumes and practice their networking and interview skills. The career resource is a great department on campus that can not only help with student's resumes, but also with interview skills, and networking. Pacific has a site called TigerJobs, that students can access through their InsidePacific, that hosts internship and job opportunities. Our Career Resource Center will be hosting a couple of career fairs in March, which are perfect times to find a summer internship!
As a senior who is looking to attend graduate school in the fall, I started my graduate school search during the spring semester of my junior year. Things that I kept in mind during my graduate school search were location, financing options, why I wanted to go to graduate school, and how a master's degree would help me in my career. There are many ways to organize graduate school research, whether it is an excel document, post it notes, a notebook, or even a different word document for each school. During my graduate school research, I relied heavily on my campus mentors in the higher education field, as well as my faculty adviser. They are great resource for your student to reach out to with assistance would be their faculty advisor or campus mentor.
For students who are interested in seeing the world, studying abroad over the summer is a great experience. Pacific has 3 different summer abroad programs: Italy, China, and Guatemala. The application for all 3 programs are March 1st, and students can find the application here. The experience includes excursions, receiving academic units, and more.
I know that the semester has only begun, but spring semester usually flies by quickly!
Sincerely, 

Matthew Tran

At this point in the school year, midterm exams are over and we, as students, are eagerly awaiting the end of the semester. We have gotten through most of the year without a problem, and probably had a lot of fun over spring break too! Currently, we are excited and stressed about the rapidly approaching finals week and the plans we have (yet to make) for this summer, but parents are most likely experiencing the same emotions for different reasons, such as us students coming home and how we will navigate the parent-student relationship for three whole months. I know I have talked about the parent-student relationship before, and key talking points, but the factor I really want to drive home is conversation at the adult level. We all have probably noticed that technology has taken over in the past few years; however, when we are home, we want to communicate on your level. Most of us do not want 'selfies' in front of important landmarks, or even at home, but we do want to have meaningful and insightful conversations about how our world is changing as we mature.
   ·      DO: Schedule a time to spend with us, your students, and become friends with the independent adults we are becoming.
·      DON'T: Assume we have not changed in the past year.   
We as young adults are in a state of constant change. Our taste in music, our plans for the future, even our friends are never set in stone. Though it can be happy to have us home, be prepared that this summer may be vastly different from any other summer break, even for upperclassmen! The most important piece of advice I can give is to not expect our attendance at events you have planned, without asking us first. If you are anything like my mom, your summer is already packed with family vacations and events that you are so excited to attend, but we as students may have a schedule of our own that we are equally as excited about.            
Do not get me wrong, we are very thankful that you do include us in your plans and that you love us enough to consider us, but sometimes our plans are simply more important.  As a student, I can assure you that my need to get an internship this summer, which will help me get into graduate school, is necessary. Students are reminded daily by professors and mentors that graduate school and applying for jobs is extremely competitive, and that we need to be proactive. Summer break is often the only time we can do field work or research during the year, as that is the only time we are not actively studying for a class. It is nothing against our parents, but school, even during summer, comes first.            
However, what if your student does not get a job and still does not want to join in the plans you have made? I am not one to judge in that situation as I usually do hang out with my parents when nothing else is going on, but I am willing to bet that your student has done a fairly good job taking care of him or herself for the past nine months, and can do so for three more. Just because your student does not want to attend a seemingly overwhelming family event, does not mean that they do not want to spend meaningful time with you! Remember, we appreciate the home cooked meals and quality time, but we will not be home much longer, and trust me that thought scares us more than it scares you.
Love us, cherish us and let us try to become independent adults before we truly have to be, and have a relaxing summer! 

It still surprises me how quickly a semester flies by. Freshman year seems like yesterday, but I have learned so much since then! I understand I am only a Junior and still l have a lifetime of knowledge to collect, but I feel the need to share and emphasize what has helped me be more successful in my short college years, and the talking points to go along with those crucial learning experiences.
For parents of freshmen, after the first semester of college, many students have a much better idea of what they want to do professionally. Either your student loved the classes for their major, or they loved that one random General Education requirement and now want to switch majors! First semester brings so many "Ah-ha!" moments, so be sure to talk to your student about the future and what his or her options are in the coming months. If your student needs a few more semesters to decide what his or her major should be, that is also normal and ok! It is a huge decision to make, and one they do not want to regret, so give your student time to reflect on classes and possible career paths.
Returning students and upperclassmen are also now taking mostly major-based classes, which I will say is very overwhelming and stressful. At this point in college, juniors and seniors have reached the point of no return when it comes to graduating on time with our chosen major, so parents, ask your students if they are still happy with their intended career path. I know I am constantly stressed out about Graduate School and finding a job, so I am sure other students are too. Offer personal advice and stories, but be sure not to lecture your students, they already have received more than a semesters worth of those!
Asking about school is a good initial talking point, but from there what are other helpful conversation starters? Well, with college come many opportunities. One in five students at Pacific are involved in Greek Life, which include the Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council and Professional Fraternities. Students are able to join one Professional and Social Greek organization, so if your student is not currently involved in both, ask if they have considered it. Pacific is a small school, so getting involved on campus helps students feel even more at home and connected with other students on a deeper level! Personally, I can tell you that going greek was one of my best decisions of college!
Another great way to get involved at pacific is to get an on-campus job! Ask your student if they are interested in making money, and expect yes to be the answer. Then talk to your student about the benefits of having an on campus job. I can tell you that I would much rather be employed by Pacific than any off campus facility, because Pacific understands that we are students first and that our education is our top priority. Students can also be employed with work-study if they qualify!
Has your student looked into any internships or jobs for the summer? Spring semester will fly by even faster than fall semester did, so ask your student if they want to get a summer internship or job. It is much easier to research companies and start applying for jobs before the semester picks up. If your student is considering graduate school, volunteer work and internships are great ways to get much needed work experience, which schools expect students to have. Pacific has an amazing Career Resource Center that can helps students with finding internships, as well resume help and interview practice!
To top it off, my most influential months of college were those that I was not in the country. Has your student considered studying abroad? Study abroad opportunities are available in most countries around the world, and there is no better way to learn about culture and history than from first hand experience. Encourage your student to travel and see the world while it is paid through tuition!
If you have other great conversation points, be sure to share those with other parents in the University of the Pacific Parents Facebook page! Let us make this semester a great one, and encourage your students to get involved!

As a parent or family member of a RETURNING college student, you probably have already discovered that keeping in touch with your student is not nearly as easy as it was before college. It makes sense, considering your student may not be living at home anymore, but even if they are living at home, they now have an incredibly busy academic and social calendar. Is it still possible to rekindle communication and keep in touch on a regular basis?

For parents and family members of a NEW college student, you may now be realizing that your student does not answer your phone calls or return texts as quickly as before, if at all. Do not worry! The transition to college is one of the biggest experiences your student has gone though, so it makes sense that your student is trying to navigate how to be independent - independent of his or her parents and families.