<p>Should my mom come to the Freshman Orientation?</p>
<p>Do parents typically attend their child's orientation?
Are your parents going with you?</p>
<p>I don't know what to expect, so I don't know whether my mom should go or not.</p>
<p>Please help!
Thank you~</p>
<p>Both of my parents came to Orientation with me. The reason is my dad hadn't been able to visit campus, so he really wanted to see for himself before sending his only child to LA. It really made him feel better about me going away.</p>
<p>Orientation has two tracks. A student track and a parent track. There is a ton of info for them, so it is very useful.</p>
<p>Most parents go to orientation with their kids--to scope the school out, make sure it's safe, etc. Often times going without parents is actually more awkward.</p>
<p>To add a bit more detail, both of my parents have seen the campus.</p>
<p>In addition, my mom has been to Explore USC and will go to the On Campus Reception with me, so she is familiar with the school.</p>
<p>Should she still go to Orientation with me?</p>
<p>I've watched him play soccer so I don't need to watch another game?
I've eaten dinner with him so I don't need to do that again?
I've been to freshman orientation with him which he will do only once in his life where I heard all the details about his new adventure... oh wait, I haven't done that yet!*</p>
<p>As a parent, I wouldn't miss it for anything!</p>
<p>(*That was just for a melodramatic point. I actually went to all three of my kids' orientations.)</p>
<p>While the emotional decision is relatively clear for the majority of parents, there may be financial considerations to this decision, particularly for people who have to fly in. The cost of attendance can easily exceed $1k per person. While I have not attended orientation, the sample schedule provided on USC's web site suggests that the parent's role is marginal at best, particularly for parents who have some familiarity with the school. To use cc411's analogy in reverse, if you know how you are paying for college, know the security situation, have already sent three kids to college so you know all about the calls you will be getting, why waste a perfectly good $1k? Sure, most parents would love to be able to do it, but if money is an issue it is probably not worth it.</p>
<p>But won't it be awkward for the student? I'll probably be in that position in one year... :)</p>
<p>I am planning to put our son on the plane to LA and not go with him to orientation in the summer. I think this is part of the growing up experience going out on your own. However, will my son see everyone else's parents there and wonder why I did not show up? Your thoughts please.</p>
<p>I pondered not going to orientation with my d because of the financial implications. We're flying from Chicago and airfare has gone up dramatically recently with all this oil inflation. But in the end I have made arrangements to attend. I don't want to have any regrets or miss out. I can see myself regretting not going, but I can't see myself regretting going in any circumstance. I might admit that it was not really crucial or necessary after the fact, but I still don't think I will regret going. On the other hand, maybe I could miss out on something by not going.</p>
<p>mdcissp, idno: I think it will be fine if you/your parent don't/doesn't go. I think there will be plenty of kids there without parents. I remember that at the Explore we attended, there were many whose parents did not accompagny them.
There will be informational sessions and so forth for parents, but if you aready have much of the info, I believe it's not necessary.</p>
<p>My recollection is that there were only about half of the parents at orientation so don't worry if parents don't go.</p>
<p>My point above (#5) was just my personal opinion. There are obviously other factors that play in to whether a parent attends ($, time, independence issues), that can come in to debate about this. This forum is a good place for those opinions and debates to come out. Either way, I don't think the student will feel uncomfortable. Most of the time, you are in separate sessions anyway.</p>
<p>My argument about the independence issue is that for this event- Orientation- we parents are invited. They even have special sessions just for us. We are not invited to MANY more events AFTER move-in where the kids will experience growing up and going out on their own.</p>
<p>All my arguments being said, there are boring parts! Just find other parents to sit with and bond while you are lamenting together.</p>
<p>Yes, lamenting. I'll sit with the parents who wonder what happened to the 10 year old who suddenly became 17 and is about fly away.</p>
<p>You won't be alone. My daughter will be going there by herself. However, my family has been at USC 2-3 times already. I would like for my daughter to be on her own for this event just to test the water. In a few months, she will be there by herself. But everybody is different, I also not the one to watch every game of soccer either. My husband is the designated soccer person in my household.</p>
<p>Do you know what the sessions for parents are? My other concern is that I have another younger teenager who would have to tag along and I am not sure the sessions would interest him. My husband has done the other tours (Explore Day, initial tour) and is entirely pleased with USC. We also have to think about the expense involved with move in day and parents visiting in October. We have a family event in September and just thought I would go visit in September when the family is getting together. I will have to talk to my son about this as I don't know if the kids WANT their parents there or DON'T WANT their parents at the orientation.</p>
<p>This page has sample schedules for both students and parents: <a href="http://sait.usc.edu/orientation/schedules/FreshTransHawaii.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://sait.usc.edu/orientation/schedules/FreshTransHawaii.pdf</a></p>
<p>A parent should go. There are questions concerning housing, medical care, billing, and emergency contacts, for example, that parents will need to know about.</p>
<p>Here is a sample schedule, scroll down to the "Parents" session. Students and parents are separated early on, and are together mostly for the social events: <a href="http://sait.usc.edu/orientation/schedules/FreshTransHawaii.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://sait.usc.edu/orientation/schedules/FreshTransHawaii.pdf</a></p>
<p>I think that the major parental contribution can be giving some advice on selection of classes. Part of that can be done ahead of time, but especially for undecideds a bit of parental input could be useful.</p>
<p>If you want to give advice about class schedule, do it beforehand because you won't be with them when they do that at orientation . But once they've logged in and registered for classes at orientation, they will be able to make changes on their own from home.</p>
<p>A student might need a parent there to pay for things, like football tickets. Is it ok to bring a checkbook to pay for football tickets? My daughter does not have a credit card. She won't have one until she turns 18.</p>