As the holidays get closer, most of us will be going home to visit family…and with family comes lots of questions. Probably the most ridiculously unspecific one of them all is the infamous “how’s college?” question. The automatic response of “it’s good” is never enough for family and usually leads to a million other questions. Obviously, they ask because they are just curious, but sometimes they really catch you off guard. Here are some of those questions you may get, and some ways you can prepare to answer them.
Have you made friends?
When family asks you questions, they are usually trying to start a conversation. Therefore, avoid saying “yes” or “no” to these, and opt for a short story. Before going to a family event, think about some stories you could bring up. For example: “Yes! I met my new friend, __, when I joined the __ organization on campus.” By adding a club/group that you have joined, it will assure your family that you are getting involved and making friends.
Are you getting into any trouble?
This question comes in many varieties and there is no good answer and usually no way of avoiding it. If you are in an uncomfortable conversation like this, it can be helpful to turn the question on them. Ask them how their college experience was (if they went to college of course). Let’s be honest, people love talking about themselves anyway.
How are your classes?
Another thing to think about before family gatherings is your favorite class you are taking or favorite professor you have. If all of your classes are stressing you out to no end, be honest with them! Simply telling them your favorite class, project or professor should start an interesting conversation. Especially if you have a major that people are not generally familiar with, telling them about your classes will help them understand your passion and why you are pursuing that degree.
How is the food?
I am really not sure why family members are so adamant on knowing how you feel about the food at your school, but they are. Tell them about your dining hall options and your meal plan. Again, asking them about the options they had during their time at school usually takes the stress off of you in the conversation.
Are you dating anyone?
I talked to lots of people about this question and found that only some families ask this, but the ones that do will not take “yes” or “no” as an acceptable answer. It is probably one of the more awkward conversations you will have, because either you say no and they ask why not, or you say yes and they ask for all of the details. If you are not dating anyone, answer the question by saying “no,” while adding something about your life that you are proud of (activities, grades, projects, community service, etc.). If you are in a long-distance relationship and your family asks how it is going, tell them how you are still spending time together. For example, “It’s nice being home and seeing them, we just went bowling together.”
What are you going to do with your degree?
Most family members only ask this question if they have limited knowledge of your major. It is good to have some facts about the career you are pursuing to make your family sure that you will be happy and stable with your future work. If you are undecided or are thinking about switching majors, be honest but short. Tell them the steps you are taking to reach your goals (taking a class in an area of interest, looking for internships, etc.).
…And just in case you have a huge family or fear having to answer the same questions over and over again, I made a simple template for anyone to use to get the mundane questions out of the way!