Parents “To Know” list as their child starts at FinnU

Below is a list of helpful tips and advice for parents of students at Finlandia University. This was produced by Dean of Students Erin Barnett and handed out during parent sessions prior to the first week of school.

Mailing Address

Use this address to send packages and letters to your student who lives in Finlandia Hall.

Student Name
Finlandia Hall
601 Quincy Street
Hancock, MI 49930

Cell Phone Service

• Most Reliable Providers in Keweenaw: AT&T, Verizon
• Less Reliable Providers in Keweenaw: T-Mobile, Sprint, Boost Mobile, etc.

Six College Parent Tips

1. Give your child some space.

• We know this may be new for you and for them, but allow your student to establish themselves.
• If your student likes to come home on weekends, great. But if they don’t, that’s fine too. Let them make that choice. (They’re busy people now, getting to know the area, meeting new friends, and hopefully, busy with school work. All great reasons to stay on campus.)

2. Allow your child to figure out issues that may come about.

• College is filled with ups and downs. Let them work through those issues as much as they want to.
• If they make a mistake (depending on the severity of that mistake), allow them to work through it. (We very much understand some situations require assistance from home. Just know that we have a great staff on campus to assist with those issues as well.)

3. Allow them to work through the autonomy that comes with college.

• There is a lot of independence that comes with this chapter in their life, give them the opportunity to take new chances and experience new things.

4. Who they were in high school and who they will become in college maybe two different people. Be willing to accept the identity they choose.

• Lots of insecurities exist during the adolescent stages of their lives. Being around the same people and same community can limit the freedoms they think they have to become who they really are. This stage, college, allows for them to start to find that true identity.
• As parents, all we’ve ever wanted is for our children to be happy. That shouldn’t stop if who they were and who they are now are two different things in your mind. Embrace the wonderful changes.

5. Have the tough conversations.

• We’re going to do our best to educate your child in all of the pitfalls that exist during this stage. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have those conversations too.
• It’s human nature to make decisions. Sometimes those decisions are not the best for their future or for their well-being. Help by talking with them about the consequences (positive and negative) that exist with these decisions.

6. Support them all along the way.

• You’ve got them to this point, and they’ll continue to reach out. Continue to reach back.
• Your path and ideas are not their path and ideas. So, what they choose to become may not be what you had envisioned, but that’s for them to decide.
• We have support staff here that will do all we can to walk them through their accomplishments and their issues. That doesn’t mean that you don’t still have an influence on their lives. Help us out when those moments arise.

Lastly, remember this:

Your child will do so much growing during this time in their lives. You’ve already done such a wonderful job to get them to this point, so now pull back on your responsibilities just a little. Let them take what they’ve learned from you; let them pull from what they will learn from us, and see what kind of successful adult they turn out to be.

Erin Barnett can be reached via e-mail at erin.barnett@finlandia.edu.