Tips for Parents About Communication: Keep the lines of communication open by following these tips: Be a good listener Be understanding. Students feel stress about being away from home, meeting new people, choices of courses and academic pressures of exams or papers.  It is common for many students to wonder if they are good enough to be in college. This is stressful. Your understanding and support can make a difference when your student feels overwhelmed.

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• Be trusting. Respect and trust your student's ability to make decisions--this builds self-esteem and self-confidence. Over the years I have discovered one and only one exception to the principle of respect and trust. It is when people abuse alcohol and drugs that good people can't necessarily be trusted. Otherwise, it is best to trust, respect, and keep communicating.
• Be a home base. Your student wants a point of reference. They need to be able to turn to you for comfort, support, and to be able to share with you their accomplishments.
• Show interest in classes, new friends or activities
• Avoid pressuring for information when your student is reluctant to talk
• Keep an open mind to their new ideas, experiences, and opinions
• Be supportive by being available to talk, listen and give encouragement

Consider your dreams:

The greater personal freedom of being a parent without live-in children is an opportunity for you. Avoid the "empty nest" syndrome. For example, keep busy and involved by:

• Spending more quality time with your spouse, partner and friends
• Join a club or activity you have put off in the past
• Learn something new (e.g., how to use a computer to email your student)
• Take a class or start a new hobby

Excerpted from: USC's Parenting During the College Years: A Survivor's Guide, by Bradford D. King, Ed.D, Director Student Counseling Center, University of Southern California

Tips For Building a Good Roommate Relationship

1. Sharing a room requires flexibility and consideration. Compromise is a saving grace in successful roommate relationships.

2. All roommates should feel a sense of ownership in the space. Take time to talk with your roommate(s) right off the bat and keep at it. The following questions will get the discussion started:

• What do you think are the most important things for us to work on as roommates?
• What type of environment helps you to concentrate effectively (i.e. can you study with music or others in the room, etc.)?
• Are you a morning or a night person? When do you typically go to bed? Wake up?
• What are some of your hobbies?
• What kinds of things do you feel like you're pretty good at?
• What kinds of things do you feel very passionately about?
• What kinds of movies do you like? Music? Sports teams? TV shows?
• What are your views on...........?

3. Discuss equal access to the computer, stereo, CD player, microwave, TV, etc. no matter who brought them.

4. Come to an agreement about "borrowing" another's clothes, sports equipment, etc., and if so, under what conditions.

5. Decide on how late it is OK to receive calls and how you will split the phone bill.

6. Agree on how messages should be taken and communicated to each other.

7. Decide on some "ground rules" regarding the alarm clock and what happens if someone sleeps through the alarm.

8. Talk about how you will handle it if one roommate is studying and people drop in for the other roommate(s).

9. Discuss the guest policy if one of you is gone for the weekend; i.e. is it OK for a guest to use your bed. Make sure you follow USC Residential Life guest policies.

10. Bring up issues directly with your roommate. This shows that you respect them and want to make things work. Be direct and to the point. Once an issue is laid on the table, it'll be easier for roommates to determine the next steps to resolve the situation. Make eye contact and use "I" statements.

11. Explore some topics through discussions...........eating lifestyle choices, cultural background, faith life, spirituality, how you celebrate certain holidays, special things you've experienced.

12. Respect safety concerns by locking the room, not sharing passwords and phone codes, carrying keys and the USC Card, and following the USC policies regarding smoking and candles in rooms.

13. Encourage your roommate to seek assistance with the RA for referrals for academic assistance, family issues, and behavior issues related to an unhealthy life style.

Source: Roommate Connections, Paper Clip Communications