Article Archives
Family Weekend 2008
The University of Maryland is pleased to host an annual Family Weekend program, which is the largest University sponsored event for parents and families. Since its inception in 1980, Family Weekend has provided parents and family members with the opportunity to enjoy the campus community, spend time with their students, experience a variety of academic and social programming, and share their Terrapin Pride. ... read more
Parenting a College Student
Your student, along with eight million others, is immersed in four of the most important years of his or her life. It is a time that is both exciting and frightening - a period of joy, pain, discovery, and disappointment. With all that is learned and experienced, your son or daughter will no doubt leave the University of Maryland as a different person and, along the way, you will experience much of the same happiness and defeats as does your student. read more
Nutrition and Eating Disorders on College Campuses
College can be a Petri dish for the development of problems in a student's relationship with food and their body. The most common times for the onset of eating disorders are puberty and the beginning of college. There can be many reasons for this. This article will address the difficulties students face and how these challenges can lead to pathological dieting and/or feeling out of control with food choices. read more
Making the Most of Spring Break
Spring Break is upon us and for many students the first collegiate Spring Break experience is a rite of passage. Spring Break is often a time to travel with friends to Mexico to bask in the sun and enjoy the ocean, hit the snowy slopes of the Rocky Mountains, head overseas to explore a new place, or participate in a University sponsored service-learning trip. Spring Break is also time for students to stay home, catch up on coursework, and prepare for the end of the semester and the upcoming summer months. Regardless of your student's destination, you can help your son or daughter to make the most of the Spring Break experience. ... read more
GREEK 101
With the advent of the spring semester comes thoughts of warmer weather, March Madness, and Spring Break. The spring semester also brings with it the first opportunity for many freshmen to consider the possibility of joining a fraternity or sorority. This article examines several issues and provides parents with important information about fraternity and sorority life, the new member education process, and hazing. ... read more
International Travel-Study Awards
Dr. Erik B. Young ('74) is a devoted alumnus of the University of Maryland, member of the College Park Foundation Board of Trustees, and President of the Medical Center Development Corporation. In 2006, Dr. Young created a new program to support international travel and/or study for a group of undergraduates each year through the Erik B. Young, M.D. International Travel-Study Awards. The purpose of the program is to give deserving undergraduate students the opportunity to broaden their international horizons while they hone their academic skills. read more
Online Piracy: A Potential Danger of College Life
As a Terp parent, there are many issues related to college life that you may already have discussed with your college student: time management, study skills, balancing academics and social life, health and wellness, underage drinking, and the list goes on. Yet, there is another important topic that is often overlooked: online piracy. For young music or movie lovers with computers and high-speed Internet connections, the temptation to share media collections online is common. Technology and peer-to-peer software (e.g., LimeWire) make it easy, and lots of people are doing it; however, online piracy/illegal file sharing is wrong and could cost $3,000 or more to prevent a lawsuit. read more
Home for the Holidays
As the end of the first semester approaches, students and parents anticipate the long holiday vacation. Both are excited about the holiday visit; both have clear pictures in their minds of what the visit will be like. Unfortunately, these expectations are usually not the same. Changes have been taking place across the miles--at home and at college. read more
Thoughts On Your Student Choosing a Major
Every year when I talk to parents, I am aware that one issue foremost on their minds is their son's or daughter's choice of a major. Some parents wonder whether the major their student has chosen will lead to a successful career. Others are telling a resisting student which major they must choose in order to have a successful career. Others worry that their student will not qualify for a particular major. And still others worry because their student has no idea what major to choose or what in the world he or she wants to do following graduation. read more
Study Abroad: Within Reach and Outside the Borders
Study abroad is almost exclusively unique to the undergraduate experience. It can be affordable--even less expensive than a traditional campus semester--and helps students distinguish themselves in professional pursuits. As they learn from the people they encounter, they are also provided with opportunities to participate in global conversations regarding human rights, economic growth and religious inquiry. Thinking outside their borders sets the stage for a lifetime of looking beyond and below the surface of where they live, work and play so they can see the forces that shape our world. ... read more
Adjusting to College is a Family Affair
Parents are increasingly aware of the challenges that the transition to college presents to their children and to themselves. Numerous books have been written to help students weather their first year at college and to help parents adjust to the changes in their own lives. Most universities schedule orientations for both first-time college students and parents to help them cope with the changes and demands of the freshman experience. However, the reality is that a child's departure to college affects all members of the family system... read more
Experiential Learning Opportunities Can Help Guarantee Career Success
The spring semester is upon us and, while students should be concentrating on their academics after the long winter break, chances are that they are also preoccupied with straightening out their class schedules and preparing for March Madness. But while it may feel as if summer is a million miles away, students who are in the market for summer internships may not have as much time as they think... Fortunately, if your student has not yet begun his or her internship search, all hope is not lost. ... read more
Campus Security: Spotlight on the Department of Public Safety
Health & Wellness: The Center for Health and Wellbeing Offers a Holistic Approach to Help Students Lead a Healthy Lifestyle
2006 Parent Survey
The Office of Parent and Family Affairs will soon be conducting a survey of the parents of the University's undergraduate students. We need your assistance as we review our communication, services and programs for parents, and as we develop plans for the future. Your feedback is very important to us and will be instrumental in helping us evaluate and improve our services and resources. ... read more
Tuition Tax Deductibility in Jeopardy!
December 31, 2005 will mark the end of tuition tax deductibility for college tuition as we know it, unless we can convince Congress to act in the meantime. Under current law, a deduction of up to $4000 for college expenses for a dependent is available to joint filers with an adjusted gross household income of $130,000 or less. The deduction is phased out at higher income levels, and becomes completely unavailable for households with income of more than $160,000. read more
20 Tips for the Families of All Students
The following list was adapted from "20 Items I Wish I Could Discuss with the Families of All Students" by Michael J. Kiphart, Dean of Student Affairs, Carroll Community College, and is used with permission. read more
8 "Simple" Rules
The following is adapted from Michelsen, J. (1976), "Parenting a College Freshmen," Peoria, IL: Bradley University. The suggestions are purposely subjective and were written by a student not long after graduation. They are based on careful observations of mistakes and/or breakthroughs made by her parents and the families of her friends. The original material has been adapted to reflect changes over the past 30 years since the piece was written. read more
Thanksgiving Greetings
Wishing you the best during this season of thanksgiving and joy. ... read more
