As much as parents hate to admit it, they actually miss you a lot while you’re at school.
Whether you’re two hours or half the country away, they’re going to feel left out of your life. Sometimes I think we forget that while we’re leading our own lives, they’re still at home, wondering what’s going on with us!
Luckily, you’ve got technology on your side to help keep your parents involved in your college life. Could you imagine having to correspond with your parents via snail mail? Lucky for us, technology makes everything a whole lot easier.
Here’s some advice on staying connected with your parents while you’re away at school … tech style.
1. Give your parents a virtual tour of your dorm room
Apps like Skype and FaceTime make it easy for you to give your parents a window into your world. Pick up your laptop, tablet or smartphone and show them what your dorm room looks like. Trust me, they’ll love it! Just make sure that you’ve thrown away the beer cans from the night before …
2. Send them email recaps
While you might not be able to have a 30-minute phone call every night, surely you can draft an email while you’re on the way to class (or even while you’re in class, if it’s boring). The point is to keep them updated on what you’re doing and what’s going on in your life. Even the small gesture of sending an email will mean the world to them!
3. Send them pictures
One of my Mom’s biggest complaints when I was in college was that she never saw any of my photos (This was before she was on Facebook). She wanted to know what my dress looked like for my sorority formal, what my date looked like and even who my sorority sisters were. It’s easy to share your photos with your parents these days … the options are endless! You could create an album on Picasa and send them the link, give them the link to your Instagram account or even better … print them out and send them in the mail (the good, old-fashioned way).
4. Host a Google Hangout
If you have siblings who are also in school, this is the perfect solution to get all of you together at once! While you may have to coach your parents through the process of getting it set up, a Google Hangout is the closest thing you’ll get to a family dinner. You’ll be amazed at how much less homesick you feel when you can see and hear your family members.
5. Scan your graded essay
Even though we’re not in kindergarten anymore, it doesn’t mean your parents still don’t have that urge to put your artwork/grades on their refrigerator Did you receive a good grade on an essay that you’re proud of? Scan the graded essay and email it to them! This way, they can print it out and post it on fridge!
