Culture 1. Who is this man behind the news desk?

Culture

1. Who is this man behind the news desk?

#winning

#SGP

#firstworldproblems

#lifewaseasybefore

#sorryimnotsorry

#Bones

2. Where would you find phrases such as these?

3. Who is he and what famous “decision” did he make?

4. What game does this cartoon represent?

5. Where can you find these four celebrities together?

6. Where would you find this information?

7. On what website would you find messages like this?

8. Who is this woman and why is her baby famous?

9. What book, turned movie, is this symbol from?

10. What do these shirts represent?

The Millennials• "Millennials” refers to a specific

cohort of individuals born, roughly, between 1980-94.

• "Millennials” are primarily children of Baby Boomers, though some are children of the older Gen X adults.

• A central characteristic of what defines "Millennials” is that they have no memory of the Cold War, just as Generation X has no memory of the Vietnam War and the Baby Boomers have no memory of World War II.

Characteristics of a Millennial Student

• Greater sophistication• More informed but less disciplined• Greater group socialization• High levels of stress

and pressure• Cutting edge

of technology

Common Beliefs and Behaviors

• Special• Sheltered• Confident• Team-Oriented• Achieving• Pressured• Conventional

Political Views

• Disenchanted with politics and nation’s social institutions

• Bifurcated in political attitudes• Liberal in social attitudes• Socially conscious and active• Consumer oriented• Local community focused

Academic Preparation

• Weak in basic skills• Learn best in ways different

from how they are taught• Pragmatic• Career oriented

Personal Attributes

• Sexually active yet socially isolated• Heavy users of alcohol• Hardworking • Frightened, tired, and want security• Demand change• Diverse and divided

Future Outlook

• Committed to doing well and doing good• Idealistic and altruistic• Optimistic about our collective future• Committed to preservation of the American

dream

“Generation Me has so much more than previous generations – we are healthier, enjoy countless modern conveniences, and are better educated. But Generation Me often lacks basic human requirements: stable close relationships, a sense of community, a feeling of safety, a simple path to adulthood and the workplace.”

- Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D.

Generation Me (pg. 136)

The Entitlement Generation

• Shockingly high expectations for salary, job flexibility and duties• Mismatch between expectations and reality• Raised on extensive praise and expect it• Will share sensitive or private information• Need to know WHY something needs to happen and make things

task oriented• Will work well with others from a different background• Formality of Mr. and Mrs. and cleaning up are sometimes lost on them• Ambitious • Have had an education in excuses and cynicism • Need Career Counseling• Need to learn what they’re good at and what they’re not

– Not motivated by feelings of duty

Developmental Issuesstudents will face

Social integration (Chickering and Reisser, 1993)

• Developing competence• Managing emotions• Moving through autonomy to

interdependence• Establishing identity• Developing mature relationships• Developing purpose• Developing integrity

Developing Competence

Developing Competence

Three kinds of competence:

• Intellectual• Physical and manual• Interpersonal

Managing Emotions

Managing Emotions

• Developing an understanding/ reading of personal emotional triggers

• Learning to balance self-assertive tendencies with participatory ones

• Developing appropriate channels for releasing irritations and emotions

• Bonding with another or feeling a part of a group

Moving through Autonomy to Interdependence

Moving from Autonomy to Interdependence

• Emotional independence• Instrumental independence• Means respecting the autonomy of

others and looking for give and take

Other Relevant Theories

Perry’s Theory of Intellectual and Educational Development• Dualism

– Right or wrong– No shades of grey

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development• Level I: Preconventional

– Avoidance of punishment– Follow rules if in interest to do so

Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

Parent Types

• Helicopter (hovering and always fixing)

• Lawnmower (mowing everyone down)

• Bulldozer (destroying everything in its path)

• Blackhawk (extreme helicopter)

• Blue Angel Parent ( zooming in unexpectantly)

Parent Types

• Stealth (secretly hovering from a distance)

• Stroller (not letting child walk alone)

• Psycho• In-Denial (not my perfect angel)• Lion Parent (roaring and

devouring)• Mosquito (always poking around

and irritating people)• Partner

• What level of involvement is appropriate, healthy, and helpful?

• The 90/10 balance—90 percent of life is great, it’s the 10 percent that we learn from.

• 24 hour rule…act on something if it is still an issue 24 hours later.

Some Points to Ponder

• Facing a challenging professor will help your student gain life skills to manage a difficult boss

• Managing an uncomfortable situation with classmates will help your student learn to work with peers and co-workers

• Roommate issues can help your student learn to live with a partner or spouse

• Dealing with bureaucracy helps your student develop independence and leadership skills

Allowing your child to be uncomfortable

Helping your Student find the Magic!

• Finding their place takes planning.• Finding their place takes patience.• Finding their place takes accepting the truth.• Finding their place takes training.• Finding their place takes having the right people in

their corner.

First Year Timeline

August/September• Homesickness and feelings of insecurity are common. • Sharing a room is a new experience. • Initial adjustment to new academic environment and social

life occurs. • New and unfamiliar places and people seem overwhelming. • Long distance relationships are navigated. For some,

homesickness is more intense. For others, it fades. • Some begin to feel disenchanted with college life, finding it

isn’t what was originally envisioned. • Academic reality arrives (long homework assignments, first

quiz grades, test anxiety).

Conversation Starters

• What is your roommate like?

• Which classes seem most interesting to you?

• Have you found a good place to study?

• What events have you attended?

First Year Timeline

October/November• Anticipate mid-term exams and grades. • Some might feel a sense of loss and failure associated with

grades. • Struggle to handle social pressures of drinking, dating, sexual

activity. • Time management conflicts are a common concern. • Academic pressure begins to rise due to procrastination or

academic load is more demanding than expected. • Colds and sickness more likely. • Depression and anxiety can increase. • Roommate conflicts may begin or intensify.


• How are you managing the workload? What is your study schedule?

• What courses are you thinking of taking next semester?

• Are you thinking about joining any groups or clubs or activities? Which ones? Why?

• Have you met with any of your professors or teaching assistants?

• What can you do differently on your next exam/paper to do better?

First Year Timeline

December/January• Final exams may mean all-night studying and extra efforts to

secure desired grades. • Excitement builds for winter break and family time. • Time management pressures are common due to academic

demands and extracurricular responsibilities. • Students worry about what it will be like back home for break. • Some students may wonder if their major is right for them. • Relationships may have been strengthened or terminated

over break. • Stress associated with the new semester may appear.


• Which exams are you most concerned about?

• What could I send you to make you feel better?

• What do you want to do at home during your break?

• Let’s talk about how the rules will change for you when you are home, now that you are a college student.

• What was the best part of your first semester in college?

• What would you do different?

First Year Timeline

February/March• Pressure to keep up with school work. • Applications for many student organizations or leadership

roles begin. • May over-commit to student activities. • Anxiety over relationships or lack thereof may surface. • Planning for summer jobs or internships begins. • Mid-term exams and mid-term grades are expected. • Anticipation for spring break builds. • Questions about the fall semester—class schedules,

confirming major, living options—surface.


• What do you like about your new classes?

• Are you doing anything differently with your studying this semester?

• Have you decided what you are doing for spring break?

• Tell me about your good friends on campus.

First Year TimelineApril/May• Stress and fatigue continue. • Academic pressure builds as finals near. • Pre-enrollment for the fall begins. • Spring fever may cause concerns about focus, lack of significant

other, etc. • End of year banquets and student organization activities are

scheduled. • Finals week creates some feelings of stress and anxiety, followed

by relief. • Concern builds over parents’ reaction to grades and moving home. • If starting summer school, concerned about not taking a break. • If starting a new job, concerned about learning the expectations.


• What courses are you taking next year? Are you starting to narrow in on a possible major?

• What are you looking forward to about your living arrangements for next year?

• How do you think you have changed this year?

• What do you wish you had done differently in your first year of college?

• I am so proud of everything you have learned and accomplished this year!

Discussion Scenarios

Scenario #1

• You begin a casual phone conversation with your son/daughter about how things are going with classes. You hear that classes are difficult but manageable, and that it is taking some adjusting to get used to the expectations of TU’s faculty members.

• As the conversation continues, your son/daughter begins to drop hints about not feeling connected to other students, administrators, or faculty. He/She has spent a majority of his/her time alone and does not seem very happy with TU.

• How do you feel? What, if anything, can you do?

Scenario #2

• You are talking to your son/daughter on the phone and he/she comments about going to a party over the weekend. He/she then goes on to say that he/she is surprised at the amount of alcohol on campus and the number of students who are drinking.


Scenario #3

• Your son/daughter asks for additional money to “go out with friends.” This is the third time he/she has asked for money since the beginning of the semester and it is not even midterms yet?

• What do you do?

Scenario #4

• Your son/daughter shares his/her first-term grades with you and he/she has received a D and a C, as well as a couple of B’s. These grades are lower than he/she has ever received in high school or previous institution. When you ask him/her about the grades, the response is that they will improve over the next term.


Scenario #5

• Your student calls home late on a Friday night and tells you he/she is not feeling well and that the health center is closed.

• How do you feel and what, if anything, can you do?

Scenario #6

• Your son/daughter got along great with his/her roommate at the beginning of the semester but now the honeymoon is over. The roommate is borrowing clothes without asking, leaving the room unlocked, playing music too loud and eating your son/daughter’s pop tarts.


“Trying to think of a new metaphor for my ideal style of parenting, I decided I want to be one of those guys on the landing strips at the airport, with the flags. I am on the ground, and my kids come see me when they need something and I direct them, but they are still operating the plane. I also decided that was a lot of words and I needed to find out what those people in the bright jumpsuits are called.

After much unproductive googling, I contacted my air traffic controller cousin and this is what he wrote back: “That position is called a ‘Ramp Agent.’ They do everything from guiding the plane into its gate, loading and unloading bags, cleaning the inside of the cabin, and just about anything else needed to get a plane ‘turned around’ and ready for its next flight.” Perfect.

The code I have developed with my own daughter is this: If I haven’t heard from her in a few days, or if I just have an ache for her, I will send her a text that says, “Say ‘hi.’” She will respond with those two letters and it is astounding, really, how much better I feel.”

- Kathleen Volk Miller

Parenting Secrets of a College Professor

“I think we’re all more afraid in 2012, and that technology can both relieve and feed those fears. I’m not accusing anyone of being a bad parent. The only reason we panic when we haven’t heard from our child for three days is because we can, and often do, hear from him or her nearly constantly. But learning to respect boundaries is part of this process, and we have to do it, even when technology has erased the lines. This is the same moderation and balance we want our kids to learn as they navigate the bumpy freedoms of adulthood. Just because you have access to all the alcohol you can drink doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can shut off your alarm and roll over without any immediate ramifications doesn’t mean you should.

That’s the lesson we parents have to learn. Just because we can peek in on our children, doesn’t mean that we should. Just because you can see that your child has not swiped in at the Dining Center but instead bought $12 worth of snacks at the campus bodega, do you need to know that information? I am going to do my best to stay a ramp agent and try not to helicopter, waving my flags on the tarmac — even if sometimes that waving gets frantic.”

- Kathleen Volk Miller

Parenting Secrets of a College Professor

Welcome to Towson Orientation Schedule

Saturday 8/25 Sunday 8/26

- Move-in & Packet Pick-Up (9 am – 6 pm) - Skills & Resources- Commuter Picnic (5:30 pm)- Parent Reception (6:00 pm) PAWS

Monday 8/27 Tuesday 8/28

- Academic Transitions - Exploration of campus and Towson

Dr. Teri HallAssociate Vice President of Student Affairs, Campus [email protected]

J.R. RathjensAssociate Director, Campus Recreation [email protected]

Presented by

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Culture 1. Who is this man behind the news desk?

Documents