Parents’ Weekend at Boston University is coming upon us very soon, this weekend to be exact. This means it is time to not only mentally prepare yourself, but also to have some plans in place, to ensure this small amount of time you have with your parents runs as smoothly as possible. Seeing your parents for the first time since you’ve left for school can be both exciting and overwhelming. You miss them so much and can’t wait to see them, but at the same time you’ve started a new life here at BU completely independent from them. Here are some tips to survive the weekend ahead!
1. Plan out an itinerary in advance. It might be Parent’s Weekend but you must stay in control at all times. This is your school, your newfound life; don’t give them the chance to ruin it by dragging you to any of BU’s lectures or information sessions. You’ve been there, done that. Instead show them the side of BU and Boston that you’ve come to love in you own way.
2. Don’t attempt brunch with your parents hung-over. Let’s just say it’s not fun, and I highly suggest you avoid it. This means you probably shouldn’t go out partying to your fullest the night before. If you do happen to find yourself crawling the streets of Allston the night before you welcome your parents to BU, and they ask if you’re tired (which they inevitably will), then just smile and nod.
3. Get a big group together with your friends and their parents. During my freshman year Parent’s Weekend, my friends and I took our parents out to dinner at Yard House by Fenway (which I highly recommend) and it was a great way to ensure my parents that BU had truly become my home away from home. This year we plan on keeping the tradition alive, and getting everyone back together again. Plus, parents just love meeting other parents; it’s a thing.
4. Answer their questions with a smile on your face. Your parents are going to have a ton of questions, an overwhelming amount, but just try to be cooperative and answer them without a huff. You may have this awesome new life, but their lives have stayed the same, except now you are missing. You going off to college is a big change, but an exciting one, that they want to hear all about.
5. Milk it! Go to nice restaurants, the grocery store, and talk up that new pair of boots you have been eyeing. Trust me, your parents are going to be more than willing to splurge.