Throughout life, many of us have looked to our parents for guidance and assistance. When a student begins their journey as a college student, their parents and respective family members tend to be right in hand with them.
On July 21, 2008, an unofficial parent group was made for said parents, and it currently has nearly 9,000 active members.
Sheri Hughes, a mother of a freshman student from Maryland, provided her thoughts on the group and how it has helped her to associate with the university.
“Being in this group makes me feel more connected to UT and my student. I appreciate all the info and advice that is shared. I have learned a lot of valuable information from this group and many times I think I know more about campus processes and goings on than my student does. It has greatly benefited us both. Having a group like this is really a lifeline for out of state parents, especially parents of freshmen,” Hughes said.
The group discusses various topics. This includes personal frustrations, leasing apartments, tickets, parking passes, housing, dining, socializing and becoming active in the community on campus and problems that students face on a daily basis.
For instance, many parents of freshman students ask for advice on Fall Family Weekend, opinions about on campus housing and tuition payments. Their questions are always met by experienced members and administrators of the group who provide the needed resources.
Furthermore, at the beginning of every semester, the admins of the group make sure to upload links to frequently asked questions and post photos of where everything is located on campus.
Amanda Rosenbloom, a mother of a freshman from Maryland, spoke on how the group helped with her concerns.
“Without having seen the school and being so unfamiliar entirely with Knoxville minus pictures and Googling, I was looking for all the minutiae of info that the parent group was able to fill in for me … In simple terms, all of the things that ‘moms worry about’ were answered there, easily and quickly…Most of all, I rely on the fact that if an emergency were to occur, I could likely find a local parent to help out before I could get there for either my daughter or her roommate,” Rosenbloom said.
Furthermore, Rosenbloom took it into her own hands to create a parents page for the dorm where her daughter resides. The Massey Hall Dorm Parents Page provides parents of these students to solve problems together, create a community of students that live together and allow students to rely on each other for any needs or concerns.
Additionally, the group has helped many parents when they become worried about their student and how the college experience will treat them on the university’s campus. There is always a chance of an emergency occurring, and parents trust the community built within the group to lend a helping hand if it is ever needed in a situation.
Beth Rhodes, a mother of a freshman from the Powell community in Knoxville, spoke on how the group continues to ease her mind and introduces her to other parents.
“It’s always stressful when you have a student away, but worrying about medical emergencies, safety or other issues that can come up is always a parental concern. I’ve become Facebook friends with a handful of parents who have reached out when I’ve posted about being local,” Rhodes said.
“I think more than anything it’s helpful for parents just to know that there are others who are close by. No one wants to ever have an emergency, but when you know there’s an adult who is also invested in your student and your student’s community, it’s comforting even if you never need their assistance.”
