Laurie's Letter

This month your students are entering the home stretch. Papers and projects are more complex and time consuming. Students may call parents to talk through troubles, but keep in mind that they often forget a particular issue the minute the calls ends - just being at the other end of the line is often comfort enough. If you think your student's issue is something more serious, please refer them to the on-campus UNM Student Health and Counseling Center (see story this issue). Also in this edition of Parent Matters is a story by Margaret Migliorati, MA, LPCC, NCC, of "The EARLY Program." Margaret shares the warning signs of mental health issues and how they can be addressed early.

Family Weekend brought hundreds of enthusiastic family members and absolutely perfect weather to campus. Each year we strive to make parent events more pertinent to you and your student. For those of you who made the trek to campus from near and far, we thank you and an e-survey will be coming your way within the week. Your feedback is important to us and we will use the data to plan future programs. Family Weekend preparation begins in the spring so it is never too early to provide us with your suggestions.

If Thanksgiving break is the first time you will see your student in several months, expect to see more physical and emotional maturity. College students grow and change from month to month and learning how to have a constructive "grown-up" conversation with them can be, well, let's say, interesting. I have a "technique" that works well when communicating with my college student. Rather than ask about a particular grade or his general academic progress, I ask if there are any specific challenges he has at the moment. I share information about support programs on campus or tidbits of news pertinent to his areas of study. More often than not this opens the door to a discussion about his progress at UNM and other aspects of his busy life. I promote our academic advisors when questions or concerns about degree track arise and I encourage him and all students to visit an advisor throughout the semester. Encourage your student to visit the University College Advisement Center, http://advisement.unm.edu/, or their college advisor now - registration opens in early November for spring semester.

November 2009 marks the start of the volume four of UNM Parent Matters. Thank you for your enduring readership and for supporting your student's education at UNM.

Until next month,
Laurie

Laurie Mellas is the senior program manager for the UNM Parent Relations Office and the mother of a UNM sophomore. She can be reached at 505-277-5915/277-3361 or via email at parent@unm.edu. For parent information, visit us on the Web at parent.unm.edu.

Photo Caption: Students and parents finishing the first Rock 'n' Run for the U enjoy a performance by the Squash Blossom Boys at the Lobo Grower's Market on UNM's Johnson Field. The events were held in conjunction with UNM's second annual Family Weekend. Photo by Jackie Calguire, Sustainability Studies Program