Honors Orientation - Parents Portion

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
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<p>We just finished a 2 day Honors Orientation. Check-in went well in Cole. Parenets and students checked in through different lines. Everyone got info folders and name tags. The Health forms were turned in by the students. There was coffee, OJ, bagels and cookies.</p>

<p>A little before 9, we were all lead to the Stamp. Dr Dorland welcomed everyone. They showed a short video and Dr Dorland discussed several noteworthy past Honors College graduates. It was a good talk.</p>

<p>The kids were then lead away in groups by college, ENGR, BUSINESS, CMNS, etc. Each group had 2 Orientation student leader. Some multiple groups, i.e ENGR.</p>

<p>The parents then had a talk about academic adiving and class schedule from Dean Hebert. Dean is his name, not his title. He talked about the schedules students want (all classes between 10 and 2, on Tuesdays and Thursdays only) and what they usually get (8:30 am every day). He explaine AP/IB credits and waitlists, and how they hold some Honors seminar seat for Freshman only It was a good talk.</p>

<p>Then it was time for lunch. We walked to the South campus dining hall. The choices were: salad, chicken, deli, pasta, pizza, and soda to drink. It was about what you would expect.</p>

<p>At 12, we walked to the Biology building, in the same groups that the kids were split into, with the same Student orientation Reps, and we were able to ask them anything we wanted. Question ranged from dorm roommates to dining plans to playing musical instruments.</p>

<p>All the different groups of parents were in the same lecture hall.</p>

<p>Then there began a seires of 20=30 minute presentations on a variety of topics: Counseling services for stidents - bottom line, it is protected by patient-doctor privelege and they wont talk to you about it; Parent and family affairs - bottom line, they are there to support you and your kid, but there is a Federal Law, FERPA, that prevents them form sharing any info with you, even if your kid is only 16, unless the student grants you a waiver and gives you a PIN for access; Health Services - You can apply for a waiver from the University health plan, but it MUST be done online and you should check to see if the Unversity Health Services are in-network for your insurance. They offer a lot of services; Billingn - your student must add your email to the billing notifications and there are 8 and 10 month payment plans that require a paper application to be mailed in; ResLife - nothing really new there - it's all on the web site; Dining Plans - pick the cheapest one and include TerpExpress; Technology - you can buy laptops and warranties from them - MACs or Dells; Safety - very interesting. = presented by the Head of the UMD police force, a former head of the MD State Police and Security Head for the Dept of Homeland Security - the 2 biggest problems seem to theft and drunks. He said thay are not worried about a freshman having his/her first or secon beer, but their 10th or 12th beer and getting fallin down drunk. In those cases, they call an ambulance ($750 a ride) and send them to a hospital. No arrest, but it may go into their Academic record for all future employers to see, if they don't complete some on-campus rehab. For theft, they use phones, laptops, and bikes, equipped with GPS trackers to catch the theives. ALso, every vehicle entering the campus has it's license plate recorded and run through various data bases. There are also hendreds of cameras on the campus. If your kid goes skinny dipping in a fountain, it will be on video tape. The UMD police force is inetrnationally cerified and their jusidicition has been expanded to include the city of College Park - they also have an IED sniffing K-9 unit. The dogs do NOT sniff for drugs.</p>

<p>Then a final Q&A session with Dr Dorland and Mr Hebert.</p>

<p>Day 2 was a trip to Annapolis. Very Good. Some rain throughout the day. Great Lunch</p>

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<p>Thanks for the info! I have a couple of questions, as my parents will be accompanying me in two weeks. Is the orientation fee (for students and parents) billed to the student account, or will we have to pay it when we arrive? Also, was the lunch for the parents in the dining hall free? What about the food for the students? Thanks!</p>

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<p>@MDkidd -Everything is billed to the student account. The lunch is part of the fee.
Great post, @SoofDad…quick question - without giving any details to spoil anything for those who haven’t gone yet, are they still showing a youtube video for the parents? </p>

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<p>@maryversity - yes, they are still showing the youtube video, during the afternoon sessions. It got a great reaction!
@MDKidd - Like Maryversity said, it is billed to the student account. You should have gotten an email regarding the charges. ALL student meals are included, as well as the first day parent lunch. The cost of transportation for the second day trip, if selected, is also billed to the student account. Lunch the second day had to be paid in cash (with tax and tip). The boat ride could be paid with cash or credit card.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for your detailed recap, @SoofDad!</p>

<p>Can you tell us what the academic advising/registration process was like on the second day? What time was that over with?</p>

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<p>@itllbeok - Well, after the kids leave for their own sessions at 10 the first day, the parents are no longer involved in what they do. They handle the advising and registration on their own with their Academic Advisor. You will be able to pick them up around 2:30 of the second day. That is when you see them again. They are kept VERY busy for the 2 days. On the drive home. our D said that her Advisor was very nice, helpful and was able to answer all her questions and she is happy with her class schedule. On the first day, they make it clear that the University’s “contract” is with the student, NOT the parent. They want to support you, the parent, but they expect the student to make their own decisions and deal with whatever comes up.</p>

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<p>Thanks, @SoofDad! (not wanting to interfere with the process – OK, well, maybe I’m still working on “letting go” – but the real issue is that our S has an international flight out of Dulles later that afternoon, so was wondering whether registration would really be done by 2:30…)</p>

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<p>@itllbeok = My D actually had registration in the morning, She thinks they all did, but since the different groups went to different places, she can’t be sure. They all had UMD laptops to use and my D said that she had 3 hours to work everything out. After that they did other stuff… more touring, I think. We got back around 2 and our D didn’t get back to the dorm until 2:30. Her stuff was waiting in the basement for her to pick up. </p>

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<p>Class registration was done first thing the second day but what held things up in general for “dismissal” was dependent on what group they were in with respect to getting photos done for the student ID…
What time is the flight? I think if u let the school know in advance that you have a time constraint they might be able to help out…</p>

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<p>@maryversity, he’s let them know – they said “it should be OK” – so hopefully if there’s anything they can do to expedite things for him, they will.</p>

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<p>I would still mention it to the person running the program when you get there because they do have a lot on their plate, so it can’t hurt to remind them when you check in. </p>

<p>SoofDad’s comment about stuff waiting in the basement reminded me there was a long line to retrieve belongings from the dorm overnight holding pen (you have to turn in a key if I recall correctly for them to return your stuff and they have to check you off kind of thing) so if they can arrange to have his stuff set aside so there is no big search through the masses needed, that would help.</p>

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<p>Thank you, @maryversity!! Will do.</p>

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<p>Great thread…thanks to the OP for this! We have a July orientation…so this is very helpful. Then D goes off to hike the appalachian trail w/honors kids! Really glad U of Md tries to stop the helicoptoer parenting syndrome in it’s tracks. That’s a positive. Again thanks.</p>

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<p>Just an aside with this–I was at the honors orientation (and the OP did a great job of summarizing it, I’d just like to add that if parents have a student in EIP, ACES, DCC, or Gemstone (maybe others too) that the program will host you in the evening of the first day, at around 6:00 PM. For EIP, the students and parents go to the basement of La Plata and talk to Jay (the director of the program, Harvard MBA) and current students about the program). Sorry for the digression. </p>

<p>So I wouldn’t have to go through the line to get my things, I left them with the lobby instead of the basement. I asked the people working the desk if they could hold onto my things there (at around 6:15 AM, earlier than everyone else) and they did; it was extremely easy to retrieve my belongings and I had no line by going through the lobby. </p>

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<p>Sounds like a good idea, @Vctory – thanks for the suggestion!</p>