<p>Two day orientation? Imwould rather get a root canal. Seriously. Two days for parents?</p>
<p>I mean what do they needto cover in two days? </p>
<p>I see thatbit was welssley that had this complicated ceremony, with we have your kids backs, etc. Wonder if this is a throw back to women only colleges. </p>
<p>As for the rite of passage thing. Why is it needed?</p>
<p>I don’t feel I missed anything at all by skipping the mass, the lectures, the meals</p>
<p>As for this parade of sorts some colleges do, it holds absolutely no appeal. I don’t begrudge others that enjoy these rituals, but in the grand scheme of things missing them will not make an difference. </p>
<p>My husband and I got out of there, took a walk, got a great dinner and headed to airport. Our daughters could have cared less if we were there.</p>
<p>Also, as for needing information, I always found what I needed online and as each situation is so different, if I needed to call re fin aid, having gone to an orientation would have made no difference.</p>
<p>My daughter and I recently attended orientation at her school. I checked in, looked over the parent schedule, and realized most of the parent “talks” were basically how to let go. If this is your second child, I’m guessing you have already gleaned all this information. Or you could get it in a book. Or from your therapist. Or any number of other ways. </p>
<p>The two new, useful pieces of information I learned was 1) though there is not a nearby Bed Bath and Beyond the bookstore will temporarily have a Bed Bath and Beyond section the first few weeks. So we can have stuff shipped there for free and picked up there. 2) They do have micro fridges for rent! </p>
<p>And I wandered the campus and fell in love with it again. I’m afraid she is going to get more visits that she expected. It’s lovely there…</p>
<p>Well, every rite of passage has to start at one point. As an alum, I found NU’s March through the Arch - where they all assemble from different points of campus and march through a ceremonial arch to assemble on Deering Meadow as one cohesive group - very compelling and personally moving, even though it was just started a few years ago by their new president. Too bad that it’s not “old” - it’s a nice idea. No one said it’s critical, but things like that can build a sense of community and I see no need to insult them.</p>
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<p>There was nothing “complicated” about it. Assemble in hall. Girls, you go here. Parents, you go there. It wasn’t a throwback. It was just symbolic. Symbols and stories are part of what make experiences compelling - whether it’s the ritual of doing XYZ as you enter such and such campus, the shared stories, a group song, etc. Honestly, this seems pretty self-evident.</p>
<p>Every college is different. I just looked at kid’s orientation schedule–1st day is mostly about academics, (different sessions according to college/major) with a little about business, financial aid, activities/clubs/student gov., u.services–residence halls/food/health, etc. Plus campus tours. Nothing for parents about “letting go.” Most of the student and parent sessions are together or cover same info.
The 2nd day is just for registration–each student meets with an academic advisor to make his/her schedule, some have required placement testing, or sessions about honors program, pre-health programs, etc. So it is more like 1.3 days with parents not involved the 2nd day. (2 nights for us, since we have to drive in the night before.) </p>
<p>I’ve never seen the school (never seen #2’s–college senior’s–school, either). I am not sentimental, not into “rite of passage.” Yes, I can get info. from the school website or by phone, but someone has to drive kid there anyway, so H and I will be happy to make a weekend of it. (And there are a few things that H and I would like to take care of regarding this kid’s particular “issues.”) I’m curious–I’d like to see the school and surrounding area. Not at all necessary, but fine for folks who want to go. (Much better than root-canal.) If it were a ten-day trip, no thanks.</p>
<p>While I agree that it is not likely worth the expenses for a family of 4 to stay/eat for 10 days just for a parent orientation, there would be some value in going on the school’s website and seeing if there’s a schedule for the parent orientation - or calling to find out about the schedule. If it appears there is new information to be learned or some particular “rights of passage” that you don’t want to miss…perhaps one parent could stay, or return, for the orientation. Might also be an opportunity to meet the roommate and parents, if the roommate isn’t an athlete…or someone your child already knows.</p>
<p>I went to parent orientation at my D’s school in late May (that’s when her student orientation was). It was my first visit to the school, so I really wanted to go if only to see the place. It was enjoyable and interesting, and I got a feel for the administrators. However, with the exception of one or two minor things, I didn’t learn anything I hadn’t already read on the college website. And the school posts the power points and other info from parent orientation on its website afterwards for anyone who missed a session or couldn’t attend. So I’d say it’s not necessary, but if it’s convenient and within your budget, it could be a worthwhile experience. I certainly would not go to any great expense or inconvenience to attend.</p>
<p>"Two day orientation? Imwould rather get a root canal. " - Different strokes for different folks. We enjoyed our time on campus. We stayed in campus apartment, DS (or second off to college) in the dorm and off doing his own thing. We attended most of the talk and learned a lot. </p>
<p>If it had not been easy to combine the July orientation with nearby vacation, we would have just sent DS alone. He would have been fine. But no regrets, even though he has since transferred elsewhere.</p>
<p>Yikes Momma J my shoe comment was tongue in cheek! My point was I don’t get the parents that choose not to attend orientation if they are able. Time constraints, travel expenses etc are all understandable reasons to miss orientation certainly. I was speaking more to the parents ( no one in particular honest!) who drop kids off and just don’t want to attend so they don’t. As far as the mention of seeing what I am getting for my money, again, tongue in cheek, as someone mentioned lunch with stale cookies! Sorry if my comments offended anyone. I just think that parents who are sending their first child off to college should realize that not all orientations are a waste.</p>
<p>irish, my parents didn’t attend because there wasn’t a point. It was close enough that I could drive myself and there was no point in them joining. It’s an open secret at many schools that parent orientation is a way to just “deal with” parents who want to stick around.</p>
<p>I attended the parent orientation and found it very useful. I would not say it was necessary, but sending my only child off to school over 800 miles away was not easy, but being able to interact with other parents was helpful.</p>
<p>I am going for two days. I’ve never seen my son’s school before and given that he’ll be about 3,000 miles away, I would not only love to see his school but I’m looking forward to seeing other parents, meeting his roommate (hopefully) and seeing the city where his school is located. Maybe we’ll do a little shopping on the day before orientation starts since he’ll be able to get into his dorm but we might be too exhausted to do much given the fact that we’ll be on an overnight flight and getting very little sleep. :-(</p>
<p>I’m glad I’m going; who knows when I’ll ever go again.</p>
<p>To yenmor’s point, I liked BEING the parent that could offer helpful hints and reassurance to other parents (since S was attending H’s and my alma mater). S’s roommate had parents who were new to the country, had never been to the campus, and were extremely nervous about leaving their son. The fact that I could show them around campus with a lot of confidence made them feel better. I’m not a social butterfly, but it was fun to meet other parents - and to run into a woman I’d known casually whose son was there. My pictures of the beachfront reception are wonderful. I’m just sorry H missed it, but life happens.</p>
<p>I haven’t read all the posts, but I was told that schools started having “parent orientation” because parents started showing up and hanging around the “student orientation”…so schools accepted the change in paradigm and began having PO for those who were interested. </p>
<p>for the parents of kids who are nearly always “on top of things”, attending PO can be a waste of time. The same can be said for parents who’ve already investigated the various aspects of that college’s offerings…meal plans, student health center, banking, etc. </p>
<p>It would be crazy for a family to stay for 10 days waiting for PO. it would seem like a visit to the PO office with an explanation that you can’t stay might mean being handed the same folders/giveaways, etc that would be given at the real PO. And, any questions that you might have could be answered then.</p>
<p>The ceremonial aspects might have more impact if the parent is a also an alumnus of the school. That was the case for us when we took our son–that amplifies the sentimental element. I understand that some people just aren’t sentimental about stuff like this, which is fine as long as they don’t spoil it for members of the family who are.</p>
<p>@Pizzagirl… parents like you were a lifesaver for me during this past year. I was so nervous about sending my daughter away. You should feel very good about what you.</p>
<p>Maybe it’s the wow aren’t we so amazing a school we have all this for the parents. While some kids got to colleges without all the bells and whistles and do just as well and so do the parents. </p>
<p>How much money and staff is used to amuse parents who just don’t want to leave? </p>
<p>Just get this sense of well if you pass it up by choice you are missing something deep and meaningful. </p>
<p>I wish we had these for people going off to war and as much support for those parents as we have for kids who are gasp gong to college. Maybe have parents get shot at. Or eat food out of packets. Or see a friend killed. </p>
<p>I’m sorry but I find these orientation, ala reed one where parents read the odyssey and discuss in class over the top.</p>
<p>How did a generation of college kids survive with no Internet, no cell phones, no skype?</p>
<p>I agree with mom2collegekids.
It’s primarily to give some structure to the transition of taking your child to their new home for four years. Not that different than the PTA hosted coffee & cookies with the principal at kindergarten. ( not that either of my kids schools did that)</p>
<p>Orientation at Reed seems to be at least a week or so before classes. They have off campus experiences for students, but as that was an additional fee, my daughter decided just to get to know the city.</p>
<p>I did read the Odyssey, unlike my daughter who had read it in middle school for Latin and in high school for English, I had never read it before. I didn’t go to the seminar discussion though, we were busy shopping for all the things she forgot.
( I also had ticked off another parent at the parent brunch, when I opened his snapple container for him, I couldnt stand to see him struggle with it any more) sorree. It also didn’t help that I apparently wasn’t impressed enough that he was a professor @ Princeton. So I thought I would make myself scarce for a while )</p>
<p>H had only been on a college campus when our kids were born at the local university (&during their subsequent checkups), & neither of us had a degree, so we were all quite intimidated by a school that was basically prep school for Ph.d candidates.
I appreciated the things they had on campus for parents, we didn’t attend all of them, but it helped us with the transition of sending her off.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I will attend my first Parent orientation in a month.<br>
But if it is set up like private HS,MS,Elem, then the purpose of parent orientation is to give the parents a “sense” that they getting some information, questions answered, and meet-and-greets, in exchange for their large tuition checks. But there is nothing of great importance to be gleaned by attending and any important info is usually available elsewhere. That being said, I still attend them, to feel connected to my kid’s experience. Parent orientation is also probably set up to appease parents by giving them an excuse to not leave right away.</p>
<p>We went to orientation because we felt we should…kind of like going to parent teacher conferences for good students-you don’t really learn much at either :D. We were amused by one parent who was having a very, very hard time letting her child go. She asked about 30 questions in the short presentation by the housing director. One was “so, do you think calling my D 10 times/day is too much?” Another one was “do the RA’s check on the kids in the morning to make sure they get up in time for class”. The rest of the information that the housing director presented was interesting though.</p>
<p>Orientation is quite skippable. That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t get something about going?</p>
<p>I’ve been to two, one at a high-touch LAC, where we met some parents we befriended. Over time, we introduced one of the sons of a couple to our son and by junior year they were roommates. Most of the school-related stuff I didn’t need as I was very thorough about my research. But, there were the sessions on advice to parents on how to let go, students’ freshman experience, etc. that were probably very useful to parents without the same level of experience with universities that I have.</p>
<p>At the large public, I used the time to seek out the disabilities services person (who spoke on one panel) and made sure ShawD visited her (only 10 prods with a virtual cattle prod required) and heard some useful things about the resources. The former got her a peer mentor who was very helpful. They also had the session to reassure parents – they won’t call every day – and to give signs of problems. Again, it was somewhat helpful, but by no means essential.</p>