<p>We attended/enjoyed parent orientation when S1 started school. But I wouldn’t say any of it was essential.</p>
<p>Just got back from orientation at kid #3’s large public U. Most students had a parent or two or sibling with them, though I noticed some local students who came alone/with fellow students from their high schools.
I found it very informative and well organized. Not absolutely necessary, of course, but I did collect a lot of info in 1.5 days that I hadn’t seen on the website. Kid registered for classes/got schedule, and happened to meet one of his roommates. It was reassuring, at least, to see the place.</p>
<p>It was interesting to hear other parents’ questions during some of the sessions, which were mostly about student services (like counseling, health, safety) and resources available to help your student succeed academically (advisors, math/writing help centers, tutoring, etc.) Parents were told to remind their kids to meet with their academic advisors each semester. One mom raised her hand and said, “Wait–why are you telling ME to remind him? My kid is an adult now! I thought he’d be in charge of his own life. . .” (There was an interesting exchange then, with the head of academic advising). While I see her point, I think most parents made a note to themselves to remind their kid.</p>