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STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
2
For most students (and parents), attending college can be an anxious time — exciting but potentially
overwhelming. No matter how prepared you think you are, you can still experience anxiety. It is
this anxiety that results in learning. Having the privilege of participating in higher education is a
transformative experience. It is a time for self-exploration — exploring new interests, trying out new
roles and responsibilities, meeting people you share common interests with, and also getting outside
of your comfort zone interacting with those different from you.
As a parent, understanding that your student will experience changes in their identity, intellectual
abilities and values, and that these changes are expected, will ensure a successful transition for you
both. Their transition will include periods of a honeymoon phase, cultural shock, initial adjustment,
mental isolation, and acceptance and integration. They will struggle with questions:
“What am I to become?”
(e.g., major, career
paths); “Who am I to
love?” (e.g., friends,
significant relationships);
“What do I believe”
(e.g., beliefs learned
by other influences or
their own beliefs); and
“What do I stand for?”
(e.g., ethics, principles
and values that guide
one’s life). Each period
may result in a student different to you as they work through these and other developmental issues.
While only three months separate a high school senior from a first-year college student, these
three months and the first semester are significant periods of growth and change. Your student is
learning how to be a college student. You will be reminded of these changes at Orientation, through
divisional newsletters and from other communications from the university. We encourage you to
remain supportive of your student while they manage their emotions, become autonomous, foster
competence, develop relationships and discover their purpose. At the end of their college journey,
you will be amazed and proud of the person and professional they will become.
Suggestions for Enhancing Your Relationships with Your College Student
As a parent or guardian, your support, guidance and direction has assisted your student’s acceptance
into a 23rd-ranked public institution. For many parents and guardians, raising a child is one of
their most significant investments. As a parent, you have helped your student successfully navigate
the educational process, resulting in their enrollment at Clemson. Sending a child to college often
creates a variety of emotions for parents. Much literature exists to help, but we would suggest you
PARENT TESTIMONIAL
“Our daughter came to
Clemson from out of state
and did not know anyone
coming to Clemson. She made
a conscious decision to get
to know her roommates and
meet other people. She made
an effort to go beyond her
comfort zone. Even when her
high school friends were trying
to get her to leave Clemson for
the weekend, she chose to stay
and try to establish friends at
Clemson. She made a good
number of connections as a
freshman and increased her
friend base as a sophomore.
She is thriving socially and
academically, but it took time
and effort to make it happen.”
Mary Blount
Atlanta, Ga.