About a month ago, at the end of September, the University of Connecticut celebrated family weekend with events like Bingo, a cookout, and even a cornhole tournament. While my family came this weekend, we created our own itinerary that matched our schedule and interests a bit better! So, whether it’s family weekend at your college or just a weekend where family is visiting, here’s how to make the most of time spent with parents, grandparents, siblings, and whoever else you call family.
Don’t Be Afraid to Do Your Own Thing
While lots of colleges have perfectly curated schedules for family weekend or host events that seem destined to be filled with students and their families, don’t feel pressured to attend all or any of these events!
While UConn had fun events during family weekend, many of them were expensive and didn’t seem worth the money. Therefore, my mom, uncle, and I made our own schedule! Instead of attending a family barbecue or a sports game, we walked through the Mansfield Festival in downtown Storrs before exploring campus at our own pace and grabbing a bite to eat.
So if you’re unsure of what to do when your family visits, do some research beforehand and come up with a game plan that is fun for both you and those you love. Whether that’s attending a sports game, checking out your college’s bookstore, or just taking in the fall foliage around campus, make a schedule that works for you. Sometimes the best plans are those made out of spontaneity, so don’t feel pressured to even have a set schedule!
Explore with your family
Maybe your family is expecting you to be an expert in all things college. They might also be expecting you to know every square inch of your school. But chances are, they don’t expect expertise. All your family cares about is your presence!
Therefore, sometimes the best plans for when your family is visiting involve a team effort of figuring out what sounds best. Haven’t tried a certain restaurant off campus or gone to a football game yet? Do these firsts with your family! Trying new things will matter even more to your parents, siblings, or grandparents, because they will remain a part of your college experience, regardless of the distance and weekends spent without them.
Although I had never been before, I went to the UConn Botanical Conservatory with my family during family weekend! These greenhouses feature all sorts of plants, including over 2700 species used for research and education. It was super fun to try something brand new with them and through the experience, I gained a new study spot I’ll have to try out in the Spring!
Let Loose, A little bit
Another fun part about family visiting in college is that it gives you a much-deserved break from your normal weekend routine. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to live in the moment! Forget studying and homework. Forget the dorm life. For a weekend, you can just embrace time spent with loved ones.
If you’re feeling very bold, letting loose could even look like going to a bar or party with your family. Although I was not bold enough to bring my grandma to a darty (nor would a UConn darty have been able to handle her wild side) or convince my mom to order a Beaver from Teds, my family and I went to Chucks, a steak house and margarita grill in Storrs. While my grandma had a few sips of a raspberry margarita, our meal was mostly focused on taco bowls and enchiladas!
So, depending on how wild your family gets, you can embrace their wild side when they visit you at college! Of course, watching a sports game, getting merch, or doing other relaxing activities is totally okay too.
Following Traditions
Of course, family visiting is also the perfect time to show them college traditions! Whether these traditions are visiting a certain statue, doing a ritual before a game, or participating in an event run by a student council or a fundraising organization, letting your family in on these classic college experiences can help them feel like true college students themselves!
These traditions can be especially important if you have any younger siblings who have yet to go through the college decision process or family members who are alums of your college or university! My mom, who also attended and graduated from UConn, is a true forever-Husky and loves visiting campus to see Gampel, Jonathan the Statue, and going to Chucks for a margarita (which she once did long ago)!
conclusion
Whether your family likes to make their own rules, go on new adventures, or unleash their wild side and relive glory days, make the most of family visits at college! Your family appreciates your presence while visiting, so make sure to give them your undivided attention and enjoy the moments that feel like home.