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Marketing and University Communication UW-Green Bay, CL 815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2626 E-mail: hildebrs@uwgb.edu Last update: 9/27/07 |
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In
the News Archive - Year:
August 31, 2004 Leaving for college a tough journey for some Trying to make new friends can be stressful By Cynthia Hodnett Three years ago, the couple saw their oldest child, Sarah, now a 21-year-old
senior and music major at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay leave
home for college.
On Monday, the couple helped their youngest child, 18-year-old Kyle,
move into one of the university's residence halls.
"It's a little sad," said Jody Scidmore as she gathered boxes of her
son's belongings from the family's van. "He's my youngest, my baby. I
called in sick to work just to be here."
"We're going to miss his sporting events, going to his baseball games,
the FFA (Future Farmers of America) events" Joe Scidmore chimed in. "But
he's only 2 1/2 hours away. It'll be easy for him to come home."
The estimated student headcount for the fall semester, which begins
Thursday, will be about 5,400 students, according to UW-Green Bay officials.
Nearly 1,000 students will be freshmen, 750 living on campus, said Glenn
Gray, director of the Office of Residence Life.
On Wednesday, more than 1,000 returning students will begin moving into
residence halls including the newly opened Tom Haevers Hall, Gray said.
The recent opening of Tom Haevers Hall and two other residence halls
brings the capacity for on-campus housing to about 2,000 residents, Gray
said.
"For the parents of freshmen students, it's usually a little bittersweet,"
Gray said. "They are anxious and nervous because they may be sending their
youngest child off to college. For many of the freshmen, they may be the
first one to move away from home. They're pretty happy to have the more
than 130 faculty and staff who are out here today helping them because
it reduces a lot of that anxiety."
Kyle Scidmore, a biology major, said living on campus will provide more
of a college experience that includes gaining new friends and more independence.
"I'll miss the easy living and not having to pay for anything," Scidmore
said jokingly.
"My sister told me what to expect and to take advantage of the experiences
that I'll have, so I'll be OK."
While parents often struggle with their children moving away to college,
making new friends is one of the biggest stressors for many freshmen,
Gray said.
To address that and other college related issues, the university offers
freshman orientation which provides ice cream socials and other opportunities
for students to meet each others.
A record 83 percent of students who started at UWGB in fall 2002 who
returned in the fall of 2003. Many of those students lived on campus,
Gray said.
While many freshmen already have friends who also attending the university,
others have met their college roommates before they arrive to campus.
Scidmore and his roommate, Michael Gitter, 18, of Neenah, had an hour-long
telephone conversation several weeks ago. Their introduction continued
Monday when they met in person for the first time.
"I think it will work out because we both like a lot of the same things
— baseball, video games and golf," said Gitter who is majoring in
history and secondary education. "I'm looking forward to college —
being in a different school and having different teachers. I'll have more
independence and I'll have the chance to meet new people."
For Michael Gitter's parents, Dennis and Sue, seeing the oldest of their
three children move away will take some getting use to.
"We're going to miss him ... we do depend on him a lot because he's
the oldest out of our three children," Sue Gitter said. "But it's time
for him to experience things on his own. He's a good kid and he's level-headed
so we're not too worried about him."
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