As your students settle into the Winter semester, there is likely a big question on their minds: what should I do this summer? Some students will take part-time jobs, volunteer in their communities, job shadow and learn about career aptitude through internships. These opportunities can help students build valuable skills while determining career fit as they think about their futures.

Mary Sheffieck, an Industrial and Operations Engineering major, took a summer internship and shared the benefits:

Tips for Summer Subleasing

Is your student thinking about subletting their place this summer? If so, you may want to suggest that your student take a few moments to learn about their rights and responsibilities to ensure they don't run into any issues at the end of the summer.  

Encourage your student to consider the following tips, resources and opportunities as they navigate subletting.

In Fall 2018 Student Life launched the M-Lead website, making leadership development opportunities easy to find and access for all students.

What is M-Lead?

M-Lead is Student Life’s leadership education approach; it is purposeful, collaborative, values-based and oriented toward making positive changes on and off campus. We believe that change occurs through the development of self, collaboration with others and commitment to citizenship.

We may be deep into winter here in Michigan, but Spring Commencement is just around the corner. If your student is planning to graduate this spring, here are a few important dates to keep in mind. 

Today:

Is your student planning to work, study or volunteer abroad?

Depending on their itineraries, students may need to take steps to protect their health as they prepare for their journey. For example, students visiting countries with reported health risks such as yellow fever and malaria may require vaccinations and medications prior to their trips.

You can help your students by encouraging them to make use of these university resources if needed:

Nationally, mental health is a growing concern for college students, with students increasingly reporting and seeking help related to their mental health. This may be partially due to changing attitudes; mental health problems carry less stigma, so students are more inclined to acknowledge problems, seek help, get diagnosed and find effective treatment.

You may want to try the following strategies for helping your student as they navigate adulthood:

Sleep is a strong predictor of academic success in college, yet sleep problems are common and may be difficult for students.

In the 2018 U-M National College Health Assessment:

Parents and families of the U-M community,

I hope your students are feeling settled and inspired as they enter into another cozy month of studying, working, gaining life skills alongside members of their clubs and organizations and making memories with friends.

If you plan to visit campus for graduation or to pick up your student, we hope you take time to enjoy some campus features and traditions. 

Explore the Wave Field: The Wave Field is an earthen sculpture on North Campus, designed and created by Maya Lin, the artist known for creating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. It's the perfect place to take a breath and take photos!

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, your student is probably graduating this spring. We hope this guide will help take some of the stress out of the big day (or days) so that you and your student can enjoy this momentous occasion.

Tip #1: There is more than one graduation ceremony for the University of Michigan. 

Understanding this concept will help you better plan and communicate with your student.