What’s Next? A Conversation with Your Student

Despite the unusual circumstances of the past year, your student has almost made it to the end of their Spring semester. Between virtual learning and navigating a remote environment, FSU students have more than proved their resilience and adaptability.

As this semester draws to a close, it is important to connect and chat with your student about their needs for finishing this semester, reflecting on events throughout the spring, and preparing them for closure and the approaching summer.

Finishing the Spring Semester

With the end so close, it’s quite common for students to feel overwhelmed and fatigued--even much more so because of "Zoom burnout.” It is crucial to guide and support your student through finals when they need it. Sometimes the extra bit of encouragement can help them to finish the semester with confidence.

Additionally, make sure to encourage your student to take care of themselves as they study. One of the best ways to eliminate some stress and test anxiety is to get some rest, eat well, and spend some time getting that excess energy out. Your student might consider adding some brief walks or activity throughout their day to stay moving or adding some outdoor time to soak up a little sunshine.

Finally, encouraging your student to stay organized and on top of their assignments will help to eliminate stress or fear of forgetting an assignment or exam. Scheduling out the final weeks of school with a to-do list, planner, Google Calendar, or other organizational resources will give students a bigger picture of what is expected of them. If they find themselves struggling with a subject, encourage your student to visit their professors during office hours or utilize some on-campus study resources like the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) or the Reading-Writing Center (RWC).

Reflecting

Helping your student reflect on their past semester at FSU encourages them to start thinking about what their next semester will look like. While thinking about their next semester, consider brainstorming some ideas and plans with the following questions:

  • What went well (academics/social integration/involvement)?
  • What did not go so well?
  • What are their goals for next year?
  • How can you help them achieve their goals?
  • What did they learn?
  • What do they wish they would have done differently?
  • How did this year compare to last year?
  • How would they describe their freshman/sophomore/junior/senior year?

Perhaps your student heard about all of the great events happening on and around campus, but never seemed to get to one. Maybe they wish they had spent a little more time studying. Encourage your student to begin brainstorming ways they can work on these areas for next year. Maybe they should visit Student Organizations & Involvement to see the complete list of Recognized Student Organizations and pick a couple of organizations that they’d like to be part of. Or maybe they should seek out some additional studying help through the Academic Center for Excellence.

It’s also quite possible that your student had a completely different experience and instead of not getting involved, they got too involved. The end of the year is a great time to reflect on this area as well. If this is the case, encourage your student to really think about what they got involved with this year, what it meant to them, how much of a time commitment it required, and what the perks of involvement were. Once they have done this, they can make a decision about what areas to continue working with and what to cut back on.

Closure

Saying goodbye to friends in their residence hall or apartment, to fellow members of organizations, and to other students that they have met along the way can be difficult and can bring up some unexpected emotions. It’s never too early to help your student prepare for the goodbye process, even if it is just for the summer.

Advise them to spend some quality time with each of the significant people in their life at FSU. Whether it’s a night at the movies or just hanging out talking about their favorite happenings of the past year, addressing these emotions will ease the transition that their upcoming summer may bring. The most important thing to remind your student of is that summer break doesn’t have to mean goodbye forever.

Prepping for the Summer

There are several opportunities for your students during the summer.

  • Summer Classes. Has your student registered for their summer coursework? A great way for students to stay engaged academically or get ahead in their program of choice is by completing some classes over the summer during one of FSU’s summer sessions. Registration for the summer terms is open until April 16, so this is a great option if your student is looking for something to do this summer.
  • Working. Whether your student is in Tallahassee or in their hometown for the summer, there is always the option of applying and accepting a part-time job to occupy the summer months. Encourage your student to check out some places that are hiring in Tallahassee or at home so they can gain experience and make some money before starting classes again in the fall.
  • Internships. For many degree programs and majors, an internship is required to graduate. If this is something your student is considering, they should start the search process for finding an internship and begin applying for internship opportunities. The Career Center at FSU has several resources and guides for helping students navigate the internship process, and helping your student find the internship that is just right for them.

Regardless of how your student feels about this past semester, the good thing to remember is that they have another year (or more) to work on what they want their legacy at FSU to be. You and your student are well on your way to another great year at Florida State.