An Article for the Parents

"An Article for the Parents", May 2008.

I thought I’d take a slightly different avenue than normal, and provide some information for parents. Although this is a

resource for students, there are likely parents perusing this website as well (or hopefully?). What I am presenting to you can be forwarded to your parents, if they have not found this on their own.

For some parents, university can be as daunting for their children as it is for them. Having not gone to university or college themselves, they are unable to provide some kinds of support. These first generation or first in the family students have different challenges with the transition into university life because no one else in the family has post-secondary education. Nevertheless, parents are still able to provide support for their children, and students are able to get support, but must seek it from different places (which is not to say that these parents are providing none, but they cannot give their students advice on their time in post-secondary institutions).

For example, the FYEO (First Year Experience Office) has a program for First Gen students that occurs during the academic year. There is also a special session for First Gen students and their parents available on Welcome Day, Friday August 8 2008. The FYEO’s website is about to be updated, but it still has some worthwhile information as of posting time. There is also talk of a bursary being available for First Gen students as well (free money! w00t!), but additional information about that is not available at present.

McMaster actually has a whole portion of their website devoted to parents. It is under the umbrella of Student Affairs, where many useful services are, including McMaster Security, the libraries, the Ombuds office, the McMaster Association for Part-Time Students (MAPS) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA). If you look at the website, you will see it has information on residence, coming to Hamilton, finances, campus life and resources, emergency information, graduation information, and a Parent Newsletter.

The Parent Newsletter has issues going back until October of 2003. The newsletters have a wealth of information for parents about how McMaster functions in various ways. They explain what services are available, common issues with students in school, common feelings parents have with their children in university and many more. Issues come out quarterly, so there is a decent amount of archived issues available.

If you are a prospective student (or parent of one) there is information in the issues that you would find informative as well, so I suggest reading them. Furthermore, as a current McMaster student there is probably some stuff about McMaster that would be worthwhile for you to know and you may have missed, so I think you should read them over the summer.

The Parent Newsletter website also lists several other websites which parents and students can check out if they want more information about what has happened, or what is happening currently at McMaster. There are faculty publications, the Sil (which is in dire need of an update by I'd like to mention), Daily News and some others.

Or they could check your Facebook status...ha ha.