Center for Advising, Career and Student Success

Students are most successful when they have the space to adapt to the demands of college life, while maintaining a connection to their home life and culture.

The transition to college can be daunting even for the most prepared student. You know best what areas your student struggles in (academic, personal, social) as well as their strengths.

Academic: I’ve heard college courses are harder than high school. What do you think of that so far?

Physical: Are you finding ways to exercise and get enough sleep? Making a routine can help!

Social: Have you connected with any of your classmates, tutors, advisor, or other people on campus?

Personal: How are you feeling about your classes and the online college experience? Are you feeling in control, a little nervous, or overwhelmed?

Here are some suggestions:

~College courses are more demanding and require more homework and study time. For each hour spent in class, students need to spend 2 to 3 hours outside of class-- almost the opposite of high school, where most students spend more time in class than doing homework.

~Help identify and provide a space in the home that the student can use to do homework and study. This space should be quiet and free from distractions and interruptions. Many classes have in-class activities that require students to be online, via zoom, during class times, and may require group work to complete class projects.

~Allow the student balance their family and household responsibilities and obligations with their school work and other requirements of college. Taking a full load of college classes (12 to 15 units) is the same time commitment as a full-time job.

~Encourage you student to be open about challenges, and to reach out to faculty, advisors, tutors, or other resources as needed.

~Don’t manage your student’s academic life. Although it may be difficult, empower your student to be responsible for every aspect of her own academic success. Help them advocate for themselves. Though it can be hard for parents to let go, it is important to empower your child, to advocate for themselves, so that they have a chance to grow and mature even though they are living at home.

~Do, ask the student questions about how they are doing and show a curiosity about what they are learning.

Help them explore the CSUMB website to find activities, groups, and support systems. Have them reach out to their advisor if they are feeling lost.

Attending college is a milestone event for both students and their families. Fall 2020 is an unusual situation. Your student is ready to learn to handle tasks and needs as an independent adult, and should be starting to take ownership of their education and their future. Parents are encouraged to support this life transition as much as possible, even in these challenging remote-learning times, so that your student can adapt and mature.

The most important thing families can do to assist in the process is ask that their student be responsible for themselves. While they should reach out for help they must also take an active role in learning about what University policies may affect them during their stay at CSUMB. Students must take advantage of campus resources and ask questions to get the assistance they need. When your student expresses concern about their progress or academic planning, ask them:

“Who is your academic advisor?”

“Have you contacted or scheduled an appointment with one your academic advisor?”

“Have you spoken to your professor or your course tutor?” (If it’s a concern about a specific class)

There are many services offered at CSUMB to support your student. We offer tutoring support at the Cooperative Learning Center for many courses at CSUMB. We also recommend that your student take advantage of professor office hours and form study groups in their classes. Lastly, if your student needs more support in regards to academic skill-building like time management, improving study habits, or test-taking strategies, they can meet with a Success Advisor at the Center for Advising, Career and Student Success.

Make sure to talk with your student when both of you have uninterrupted time and privacy. Raise the subject in a caring, supportive manner. Sometimes, even if a student hasn’t mentioned feeling upset, they can feel relief to hear that you care enough to notice that they may be struggling. You can suggest counseling services through the Personal Growth and Counseling Center. You can also contact the Center for Student Success staff with a concern. However, please note that due to privacy laws (FERPA), staff at CSUMB cannot speak to you directly about a student’s progress without the student filling out the electronic Student Consent for Release of Information form.

If you are concerned about your student’s grades, you may: ask your student directly, encourage them to check in with an advisor, and empower them to access resources (tutoring, talking with teachers, etc.).

If you want to talk to a CSUMB staff member about your student's academic progress, either 1) have the student fill out the StudentConsent for Release of Information OR 2) if you can show documentation that the student is claimed on your income taxes, then you can also gain access to your student's education records. For more information regarding a student's right to privacy please visit FERPA.

The Personal Growth and Counseling Center (PGCC) offers a number of services for students including individual counseling as well as group counseling and workshop support. If you are concerned about your student and feel that she could benefit from the services provided by the PGCC, please encourage them to make contact with the center.

Your student can log in to their CSUMB Dashboard and access their OASIS account where the most current balance will be listed. You can ask your student to log in to their OASIS to determine what is owed for tuition. In addition, you can find more information about tuition and payment by visiting the FAQs page. You can also view the Cost Calculator to help you determine the cost of tuition and housing.

In the case that your student is having a difficult time with a roommate, they are encouraged to follow the protocol outlined in the Community Standards, Living with Roommates. Students are encouraged to contact their Resident Advisor to initiate a mediation process.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (commonly known as the Clery Act) requires higher education institutions to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses on an annual basis. The law requires schools make the annual reports available to all current students and employees, and readily available to prospective students and employees upon request. The 2015 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is located on the University Police website in the Annual Reporting link.

There are other numerous services to ensure your student's safety which includes the campus Night Walk or shuttle service and courses like CPR training and Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Systems self-defense. Please see the University Police website for more information.

Students and families can also receive emergency text message alerts via otterAlerts by registering your cell phone number.

Student Housing & Residential Life policy allows for overnight guests. A guest registration form must be completed and submitted for approval before any guests are permitted to stay. For more information regarding overnight guests please see Guest Registration.