Understanding Your Student’s Journey 

Division of Student Affairs

The transition from high school to college marks an important milestone along the path from adolescence to adulthood. It’s a big step for students and families that’s both exciting and, sometimes, stressful. Students are exploring fuller independence while their relationships are changing. New students may be wondering: How much support do I need? What are common transition challenges that I might face as a new college student? How will I communicate with my family and friends? What do I do to ease the transition to college if I have a preexisting health or mental health problem? These are important considerations for anyone transitioning from high school to college. Our goal at UM-Flint is to help you thrive while adjusting to college. Learn more about adjusting to college from the Jed Foundation.

At UM-Flint, we create a pathway experience that supports students’ successful transition to a new environment and college expectations, familiarizes students with campus services and resources, builds relationships with faculty, staff, and other students, and creates meaningful learning opportunities in their first-year–all of which promotes a sense of belonging, academic success, and well-being.   

Supporting Your College Student

Heading to a university is filled with new opportunities for growth and charting your student’s path in life. As your student enters college, it also marks the start of a new dynamic for you.

During the K-12 years, you most likely had direct access to your student’s academic records, as well as to their teachers. Now, due to federal privacy regulations, the student controls access to their college record. The university is limited on what information can be shared without specific student consent. However, UM-Flint recognizes that you are still a very important part of your student’s life. We encourage you to be a champion and supporter of their college journey. Below are some of our top success strategies we share with students: 

• Meet with their academic advisor at least one to two times before the fall semester begins and complete any surveys/assessments their advisor recommends.
• Check their university email every day.
• Become familiar with how the MyDegreePlan online software works and how they and their advisor use it as a road map to degree completion.
• Understand how to register for classes, and make sure to register as soon as the registration period opens.
• Understand what their total charges for the semester will be and have a plan in place to cover the cost.
• Be cautious about working more than 15-20 hours per week if enrolled full-time (generally four or more classes at a time), especially if the job is off-campus
• Know where, when and in one format their classes will be held
• Have consistent access to a computer every day of the week, preferably their own laptop, and a contingency plan in case of equipment failure.
• Create a planning calendar and map out their academic, work, and personal time commitments.  Strive for a healthy balance.
• Be cautious about letting social media and recreational video consumption distract from studying and other academic work.
• Never hesitate to reach out for help. If they don’t know who to contact, the Student Success Center is a good place to start.

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