May 2004

Parent to parent: Spring has a different air

By Mom Marion

During the many years I worked in the basement of Wellman Hall at UC Davis, May was my favorite month. Just up the stairs and out my door was the wonder of spring, student style.

Student style means music on the Quad, Frisbees in the air, and clothes melting off like ice cream, leaving little residue. Lying in the grass after a brown-bag lunch, I'd get almost woozy with the warmth and the music, and I figured that everyone around me was delirious with pleasure, too.

Not so.

Some were blissful, as I was, but others had decisions to make. Spring is the time for students to decide on summer school or nail down that job or internship. If housing hasn't been finalized for next year, time is running short.

What is going on in their heads?

Freshmen, in particular, feel change in the air, according to Catrina Wagner, an academic coordinator in the residence halls. "Spring quarter is a shadow of the end of the first year," she explains. "Students won't be living with all those people in their building any more. They feel a little nostalgia, a little sadness. Closure activities begin. People get ready to say goodbye."

Gearing up for a third round of classes can also be a challenge. "The good weather and the anticipation of the year coming to a close generally make for shorter attention spans," says David Robertson, chair of the English department. "I always try to teach classes that have field trips in the spring, so I can take advantage of the desire to be out of doors."

Important choices, too

Meanwhile, academic decisions loom. Freshmen feel pressure to choose a major, sophomores even more so. According to Wagner, students narrow in on their choice. Or maybe they're considering a whole new path, she says. "Fortunately, they're more familiar with resources on campus."

If you're looking for a conversation starter with your student, ask about spring quarter. See what tales your student has to tell. Perhaps he or she will talk about outdoor classes, spring festivals and other delights. But if your student doesn't sound dizzy with happiness, you know your job as a parent.

Listen well.

Newspaper columnist Marion Franck is the mother of two college students, a freshman and a senior. She has worked with UC Davis students as a lecturer.

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