HEADLINERS
New Parents Orientation: August 23-25, 2007
If your son or daughter is new to Wheaton College, we're looking forward to meeting you during Orientation Weekend. Visit the student orientation committee's website for student information and a full schedule, or click here for a schedule of parents events. In early August, you will be mailed a copy of the 2007-08 New Parents Handbook & Orientation Guide, which will provide further details about the weekend as well as helpful information to use as a resource throughout the coming year. If you have questions or need assistance as you prepare for Orientation, don't hesitate to call the Parent Relations office at 630.752.5712 or e-mail parents.program@wheaton.edu.
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A
Glimpse into your Student's First Semester
Here’s
the scenario: Your student is beginning their first
semester at Wheaton College. After a few weeks, perhaps
months, you receive a phone call or visit from your
perplexed student. Certainly this will vary by child,
but don’t be surprised if your student experiences
any of the following:
• Syllabus shock
The volume and intensity of the college workload can
overwhelm a student. Moving from a high school level
to the demands of college courses can seem daunting.
Practical ways for your student to combat syllabus shock
are to practice time management and develop strong study
habits.
• Social and/or roommate issues
Adjusting to having a roommate and developing new social
circles can be stressful. Encourage your student to
be patient. Regarding roommates, extending grace and
committing to loving communication set a foundation
for a healthy roommate relationship.
• Realistic expectations
Some students feel like failures if they haven’t
met lifelong friends and/or a spouse by November. Encourage
realistic expectations—developing lasting and
authentic relationships takes time, and doesn’t
occur instantaneously.
• Feeling stretched
There is no doubt that at one point your student will
feel significantly stretched—both academically
and emotionally. Some students even experience a degree
of separation anxiety.
Most
importantly, commit your student to daily prayer as
they navigate through this time of adjustment and transition.
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Helping vs. Hindering: Defining a Parental Role
It is a commonly known fact that Wheaton College parents
desire for their children to grow intellectually, spiritually,
and develop a sense of self. At times parents have a
difficult time of “shifting gears” from
their role as a high school student parent to that of
a college student parent. This can be especially challenging
if a parent is preparing to send their first child off
to college.
Many
parents ask for guidance, to ensure that they model
productive behaviors to help their student, instead
of hinder their student. If these pointers could be
helpful to you, please read on.
• Be an enabler; coaching your student to independence–not
dependence.
• Be available; allow your student to reach out to you–avoid
smothering.
• Be an encourager; students are experiencing a life transition,
developing a sense of self.
• Be supportive; engage in dialogue about your student’s
choices and decisions–avoid instruction.
• Be delighted; enjoy watching as your student uncovers
his or her direction and passions.
• Be prayerful; commit your student and your relationship
with your student to daily prayer.
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Getting Off to the Right Start: Eleven Encouragements for your Wheaton Student
- Encourage your student to remember that anything he or she may post on Facebook may be stapled to his or her resume.
- Encourage your student to choose friends carefully.
- Encourage your student to remember that this is college; not high school.
- Encourage your student to get involved but to not over-commit.
- Encourage your student to join a service-oriented project.
- Encourage your student to not procrastinate and to manage time carefully.
- Encourage your student to find a good location to study and develop study habits.
- Encourage your student to get to know professors. Participate in "Dine with the Mind"–coordinated through Student Government.
- Encourage your student to dress modestly.
- Encourage your student to get to know their residence hall floor-mates. Spend weekly time with their roommate and get connected with a variety of people.
- Encourage your student to be themselves to avoid “Camp Wheaton” syndrome. During the first 4-6 weeks of college, new students experience “Camp Wheaton.” Everyone is on display, putting their best foot forward. By the end of week six, the novelty has worn off and the reality of being a college student has sunk in.
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TAKE
NOTE
Financial
Aid
The Financial Aid office is available to help students meet the cost of an education at Wheaton, and has committed the majority of available funds to helping those with demonstrated need. Access our website at www.wheaton.edu/finaid for applications, forms, descriptions on the types of aid available, loan counseling, frequently asked questions, an outline of costs, and much more.
New students who have submitted all required forms should have received their financial aid package. Both freshmen and returning students will be able to see their award on Banner Web. Also check Banner Web to ensure all required forms are completed. Financial aid awards will not appear on your son’s or daughter’s fall invoice unless all disbursement requirements have been met. Financial aid awards are being made on an ongoing basis for all students who have turned in the required forms. Be sure to check Banner Web to see if an award has been made, or if documentation is still missing. Do you have questions about your student’s financial aid package? Contact the Financial Aid office by e-mail at finaid@wheaton.edu or call 800.362.2674.
If your student is a first time Stafford Loan borrower, please be aware that a Master Promissory Note (MPN) must be signed with the lender before funds will be sent to the College. For questions or confirmation of status on the loan, please contact your lender directly.
Financial aid, including parent loans, is not automatically credited to the Wheaton Installment Program (WIP) account. The Student Accounts Office oversees the WIP program and can be contacted by phone at 630.752.5801, or by e-mail: student.accounts@wheaton.edu.
Financial aid can be seen on the fall term invoice sent out from the Student Accounts Office and disbursed only if:
(a) a financial aid award has been made, and (b) all requirements for disbursement have been met.
Financial aid awards will be disbursed into student accounts starting August 20.
Students who have received scholarships from other organizations need to notify the Financial Aid office of the donor’s name and the amount of the scholarship. If a scholarship causes a change in the financial aid award, your son or daughter will be notified of the change.
When new students arrive on campus, their Wheaton College e-mail address will be activated. Offices will officially communicate with your son or daughter through their Wheaton e-mail address only, so encourage your student to continually check their e-mail account. Returning students need to check their Wheaton e-mail account over the summer for important e-mail messages and reminder.
A Job Fair will be held for students on August 30 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. Representatives from off-campus companies and on-campus departments and organizations will be available to interview students for open positions.
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Student Health Services
Student Health Services (SHS) is available to all students enrolled in classes at Wheaton College. Nurses are available at no charge from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, and 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. No appointments are necessary to see a nurse. The SHS has five medical providers available Monday - Friday by appointment only, for a $20 office visit charge. If additional tests or treatments are necessary, fees for these services will be applied to the student account. The SHS does not bill insurance companies. Students receive invoices in their college mailbox for submission to their insurance company for reimbursement.
Services provided
SHS provides a wide variety of services for reasonable costs. Some examples of these services are allergy shots (after being seen by an allergist), blood work, massage therapy, nutritional counseling, self help table, travel consults, variety of vaccines, sports physicals and more. For more additional information, please visit our website: www.wheaton.edu/healthsvcs.
Meningococcal vaccine
For students who are living in dormitories or traveling overseas to endemic countries, this vaccine is highly recommended due to an increased risk of serious infection and exposure. The SHS offers Menactra (meningococcal vaccine) for prevention of meningitis for a reasonable cost. Refer to these websites for more information about meningitis or the Menactra vaccine:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/VIS/vis-mening.pdfhttp://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/mening/mening_fs.htmhttp://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/mening/mcv4/mcv4_acip.htm
New Students: All new students beginning classes the fall semester at Wheaton College are required to complete the medical form, which includes an entrance physical as well as submitting their immunization records. These forms were due July1, 2007. Failure to return this form by September 1, 2007 will result in a $100 medical records fine being charged to the student account, and the student will also be placed on registration hold.
Health Insurance: All students are automatically placed on the Wheaton College Student Health Plan upon registration for classes. If they have comparable coverage to the student plan that covers both emergency and non-emergency illness and injury in the Wheaton area, they may waive the student coverage by completing the online waiver at www.wheaton.edu/healthsvcs. The deadline for waiver submission is September 14, 2007. Most insurance companies require verification of college student status to continue coverage under the family plan, please contact your company regarding their requirements. As a general rule insurance companies do not automatically send notification of this provision to the subscriber. If written verification is required, please contact the Wheaton College Registrar’s office with your request. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Karen Mulder at 630-752-5573 or Karen.K.Mulder@wheaton.edu.
Freshmen orientation: College life is exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. Freshmen orientation is a wonderful way to learn about the opportunities and programs here at Wheaton College. The SHS will be present during this time around campus, or come to the Wyngarden Building to see our facilities. We would like to meet you and answer any questions you might have. We will be at the Welcome Center on Thursday, August 23 from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Friday, August 24 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
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Career Services
Career Services encourages you to use our website to learn how Wheaton College seeks to equip your students for life after Wheaton. Although access to our current 733 full and part-time jobs is restricted to students and alumni, you are welcome to view our calendar of career events and to encourage your student to attend our events.
Career Services offers career guidance, informative workshops, on-campus interviews with such organizations as World Relief, CIA, Kimberly-Clark, ConAgra, and Chase Bank, and resume writing and mock interview sessions. Students have many academic and extra-curricular activities, and we have found that a little encouragement from parents to make career preparation activities a priority goes a long way.
Career Services is focused on continuing to build a network of employers to which Wheaton students may turn for informational interviews and employment. If you know of a job opening in your company, let us know so we may assist you in recruiting high caliber Wheaton College students and alumni. Access to our Parent and Employer pages may be found at www.wheaton.edu/career.
New to ePartnerships this year, Career Services Director, Ita Fischer, will be regularly contributing helpful hints on how you can help your student discern God’s call on their lives.
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Wheaton College Bookstore - Textbook Reservations available online NOW through Friday, August 3rd.
How does it work?
Go to www.wheatonbooks.com
Click on the green “Reserve Your Fall Textbooks Now!” box...
Choose between New/Used & Required/Optional...
Choose your classes...
We reserve your books! Your reservation will be converted to an EasyBook order in August & be ready for pick-up when you come to campus. Please note - ALL textbook orders will remain on campus – we do not ship textbooks at this time of year.
Why should students sign up for Textbook Reservations?
- Get first dibs on used books = save $$
- Drop one thing from the “to-do” list!
- One student will WIN FREE Textbooks for Fall 2007 – sign up before August 3rd and it could be you!
After August 3rd, EasyBook ordering will be available on our website until we reach our quota of 1000 orders. (EasyBook ordering allows you to see every book required for each class – this is made available when we have received all our Professor’s requisitions for Fall.) Have your student order early!
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GET
CONNECTED
Listen Online
You can watch and hear Chapel messages, concerts, sporting events, conferences, academic events and many more Wheaton College events on the WETN website. Some events are presented live, others are archived, and yet others are available for free downloading. Please keep that in mind as you say goodbye to your student this fall.
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Parents in Prayer
If you receive the e-mail notification alert for e-Partnerships,
then you will also receive our Parents in
Prayer list. Parents in Prayer,
a program initiated and supported by the Parents Council,
provides an opportunity for parents to pray more specifically
for the needs of the College. The next issue will be sent in October.
If
we do not have your e-mail address on file please consider
e-mailing it to us. Along with receiving links to e-Partnerships and Parents
in Prayer, your address will be
added to our emergency distribution list.
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The Artist Series
The Artist Series at Wheaton College 2007-08 season will include performances by Ladysmith Black Mambazo (grammy-award winning group known for their work on Disney's The Lion King and Paul Simon's Graceland album), Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Pinchas Zukerman, violinist, and the State Symphony of Mexico - just to name a few.
Tickets and Subscriptions are available with great rates for students! Call 630.752.5010 or visit www.ArtistSeries.org for more information.
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Your son or daughter’s Wheaton education is made possible by three important resources: tuition and fees, earnings from Wheaton’s endowment, and gifts from alumni, parents and friends to the Wheaton Fund.
A very sincere thank-you to you as parents who gave to help meet and exceed the $4.3 million dollar Wheaton Fund goal this past fiscal year. During the 2006-2007 academic year, through your gifts to the Wheaton Fund, you helped:
- Provide more than 1700 students with $14.11million in financial aid and scholarships.
- Wheaton’s 300 faculty instructors mentor more than 300 students.
- Buswell Library maintain cutting–edge resources to support 38 undergraduate majors and 18 master’s and doctoral programs.
- More than 400 student athletes pursue 22 intercollegiate varsity sports.
- At least 600 students participate in outreach-oriented ministries and spring or summer missions trips.
- 30 students complete six-month-long HNGR internships in developing nations.
We are deeply grateful for your faithful stewardship of time, talent and treasure to benefit students and the mission of Wheaton College.
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