GM CONNECTION

Continuing the link between you, your student and the college community

______________________________________________________________________

January/February 2012 Issue

WEEKEND PROGRAMMING

February 4th ~ King of Prussia Shopping Trip 1:00-4:00pm

February 11th ~ Dodgeball

February 18th ~ Snow Tubing at Blue Mountain

February 25th ~ Ping Pong Tournament

Resident Life

2012-2013 Room Selection Important Dates:                                       

Monday, January 30

      Housing applications available

      (outside of Loyola #130 and Alexandria #130)

Friday, March 16 ~ 3:00 pm

Housing Deposit deadline ~ Campbell Solution Center

Housing Applications deadline ~ 130 Loyola Hall

Friday, March 23

Room selection Lottery Numbers distributed to student on-campus mailboxes

Monday, April 2 & Tuesday, April 3

Room selection in Waldron Boardroom

Wednesday, April 27 ~ 5:00 pm

Last day to request full housing deposit refund for 2012-2013

Housing for 2012-2013

Room selection information for 2012-2013 is available to students beginning Monday, January 30, 2012.  Any student who is interested in living on campus next Fall must submit a housing application to the Office of Resident Life and a $250 deposit to the Campbell Solution Center.  Eligibility for housing will only be considered after BOTH items have been submitted. Please take note of important dates and deadlines on the time line above.

PLEASE NOTE: In accordance with Student Billing, the College’s policy requires that room deposits for room selection will not be accepted or processed, nor will lottery numbers be issued for any student who has an outstanding balance on his/her account.   

NEW FOR FALL 2012!!!! Honor Housing

 The Office of Resident Life and the College Honors Program are pleased to announce that, beginning in the fall of 2012, students enrolled in Honors may apply for housing in a section of the residence halls reserved for Honors Program participants. Honors housing will be located on the first floor, A-wing, of Alexandria Hall. Current students and new students who have been accepted into the Honors Program may apply for this specialized housing during the Room Selection Process. If you have any questions about this housing opportunity or if you need further information, please see a member of the Resident Life Staff or the Director of the Honors Program.

Health and Safety Inspections

Health and Safety Inspections will be occurring on Saturday, March 3, 2012.  The Resident Life Staff will be entering all rooms beginning at 9:30am to conduct health and safety inspections. Staff will be checking for fire safety, sanitation, and other safety conditions.  Resident Life staff can and will confiscate items not allowed in the Residence Halls as well as any items that are identified as College property.  Violations of College policy will be noted and will result in judicial hearings.

See the "Room Condition" section in the Resident Life Handbook (on-line) for additional information or contact any member of the Resident Life Staff.  Please note that the Office of Resident Life is not responsible for any confiscated items that are lost, broken or damaged in any way.

Spring Break Information

The Residence Halls close for Spring Break on Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 10:00 am.  The Residence Halls will re-open on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 12:00 noon. Students with a college-related reason to be on campus anytime during the Spring Break period must complete a Break Housing Form, available on-line only.

Please remember, any students on judicial probation will not be approved to remain in the residence halls during any college break period.

All completed forms must be submitted online by Friday, February 24, at 5:00 pm.  Late forms will not be considered.

It is important to remember that anyone applying for housing during the break period is not permitted in the Residence Halls unless their request has been approved by the Resident Life Staff.  All students who have applied for break housing will be notified through email if their application has or has not been approved. For more detailed information regarding breaks, please refer to the Resident Life Handbook available online.

Students on Disciplinary Probation Reminder

Consequences for students on disciplinary probation include loss of the privilege to reside in the residence halls during any college break period. In addition, students on disciplinary probation who choose to participate in next year’s Room Selection Process this Spring semester will receive their lottery numbers at the end of their rising class; these students are allowed to be “pulled into” a room by another student during the room selection process.

COUNSELING SERVICES

Starting the Second College Semester

The second semester is a very different experience from the first.  The worries and the unknowns are gone and, hopefully, some wisdom has been gained about the college experience. Parents can help to get their young adult ready to return for this second semester with these few tips.

Tip 1) Talk about expectations The beginning of the second semester is a good time for parents and students to review together expectations. Everyone has more experience now. What has worked, and what needs to be revised? Are financial expectations working? Are academic expectations being met? Is everyone satisfied with social choices? This is a good time to communicate as honestly as possible about the successes and shortcomings of the first semester.

Tip 2) Ask for goals for the semester  Encourage plans and goals to be established for the next four months.  Putting goals into words or even onto paper makes them more real and will help them to make a plan of action.

Tip 3) This is new beginning.  A new semester means a fresh start. Everything was new the first semester which creates stress. Hopefully, this second semester, they know what to expect and have gained confidence in being a college student.  If the first semester was a success, encourage the continuation of their strategies.  If it wasn’t, a new semester is the chance to do things differently and with more confidence.

Tip 4) Learn from the past.  A lot was learned during the first semester about college as well as themselves. Encourage them to reflect on what was and was not useful in accomplishing their goals. Encourage more of what worked and less of what didn’t work.  This can include becoming more involved on campus as it often helps students academically.  Being involved helps build connections and to feel more satisfied with the college experience.

Tip 5) Mixed feelings arise.  Returning for second semester is not as exciting as the first. Although being home may have been stressful, the understanding of what lies ahead in work load may be more stressful and, there may be the loss of friends who did not return.  Recognize and understand that “second semester blues” is a normal feeling.

Helping your young adult start their second semester with realistic expectations and goals will help you both to take advantage of the new start. The ultimate goal of maturity and independence will be that much closer and allows you to take one more step back to watch them blossom.

Counseling Services

counseling@gmc.edu