Visiting Home

Expectations for visiting home vary greatly among students and their families. Some students desire to return home every weekend, while others are comfortable with staying on campus for the majority of the semester. Even if you would like to see you student often, encouraging them to stay on campus during the first month or two of the semester helps to promote a successful transition to the university setting. Many activities and events are scheduled during this time to help your student meet new people and to get to know campus.

Homesickness, in some form, is common to all students; whether or not a student is willing to acknowledge this feeling is another story. Establishing regular communication patterns with your student can help to alleviate homesickness. While phone calls and emails are not the same as an actual visit, they reassure your student that you are thinking about them. Oftentimes students are so busy during the first few weeks of the semester, trying new experiences and meeting new people, they don’t have time to be homesick. While you may miss your student terribly, try not to project these feelings onto them. Guilty feelings over not visiting home are especially burdensome for students while they are trying to adjust to their new environment.

If your student calls home repeatedly with serious concerns about homesickness, let us know. COMPASS can outreach to your student to address concerns if needed. Call 906-487-3558 or email compass@mtu.edu.

When it comes time for University breaks, including Thanksgiving recess and spring break, students often carpool home with others from their area. Ride sharing, even for partial trips, can save time and gas for family members who would otherwise pick up their student from campus. Michigan Tech’s Ride Board allows students to post and search requests for rides and passengers with whom to share costs. The University’s BarkBoard forum is another place to post ride-sharing requests online.