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APPLYING TO PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS AT KU
Most students are admitted to KU in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and most students graduate from the College. For those students who want a degree from any of the professional schools at KU (Arts, Music, Business, Journalism & Mass Communication, Education, Engineering, Architecture & Urban Design, Social Welfare, Allied Health, Nursing or Pharmacy), a student must apply for admission to that particular school.
Admission into the professional schools is competitive. Each school has different application dates and procedures. Encourage your student to check into how to apply to the professional schools at KU. Visit the website for each school for specific information. Additionally, many majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have admission requirements. Those are listed on the department’s website or in the College’s Academic Services Office.
ASK A LIBRARIAN
The KU Libraries offer a full service “Ask a Librarian” program. Students may ask any research or library related question and receive help. Questions can be asked in person, by email, via Instant Message and even by text message. For more information about this helpful service visit: www.lib.ku.edu/askalibrarian/.
The City of Lawrence has new party hosting laws. If
your student lives off campus, he should know that the City of
Lawrence has further strengthened the ordinance for those who
unlawfully host minors consuming alcohol on their property. Some
highlights include:
- It is unlawful to intentionally or recklessly allow individuals less than 21 years of age to consume alcoholic beverages on property owned, rented, or procured by you.
- You can be found guilty if you provide the place of minors to consume alcohol, even if you do not provide alcohol.
- Presumes that all in attendance are invitees at social gatherings.
- If found guilty, you are subject to a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000, as governed by state statute.
The complete law is Ordinance 4-103.1 – Unlawful Hosting of Minors and is found under the City Code section at www.lawrenceks.org.
EXPAND YOUR MIND, NOT YOUR WAISTLINE!
The following tips can help students navigate their way through finals:
Principles of Healthy Eating:
- Choose a variety of foods from the Food Guide Pyramid (go to MyPyramid.gov for great ideas).
- Don’t skip meals and eat at regular intervals – about every four hours. Eating breakfast is important to speed up metabolism. Eating smaller amounts of food throughout the day keeps energy levels up and helps with concentration.
- Plan small snacks and study breaks.
- Get adequate sleep! Lack of sleep leads to overeating.
- Drink plenty of non-calorie fluids to stay hydrated (don’t eat when thirsty).
Managing Stress with Finals
- Don’t procrastinate with projects or exams.
- Take an exercise break. A short walk around the block is great.
- Stock up on healthy snacks – examples include string cheese with triscuits, individual apple sauces, puddings, canned fruits, and boxes of raisins, oatmeal, low fat granola bars, yogurt and hot cocoa.
- If you are a stress eater, choose one or two snacks and study at the library or with a friend away from your apartment or residence hall.
- Find ways to soothe stress besides eating. For example, soak in a hot bubble bath, call a good friend, or watch a funny DVD. Go to www.hawkhealth.ku.edu for further ideas on managing stress and healthy eating.
- If your student has uncontrolled episodes of eating, seek out help at Student Health Services.
Call Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at
864-2721, or call Ann Chapman, MS, RD
at 864-9575.
FINANCIAL LITERACY
 Why should you talk to your student about finances?
- 32% of college students, when thinking about their freshman year, admit they were “not at all” or “not very well prepared” for managing their money on campus (Key Bank and Harris Interactive, 2006).
- 75% of students admit to having made mistakes with their money when they first arrived on campus (Key Bank and Harris Interactive, 2006).
- More than half of all college students have accumulated more than $5,000 in credit card debt while in school and 33% accumulated more than $10,000 in credit card debt (Sallie Mae, January 2007).
The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) recommends that students develop a realistic budget to itemize expenses such as tuition/fees, books, room/board, transportation, and personal expenses. Students should consider all resources such as part-time jobs, family contributions, summer earnings, and financial aid including grants, work-study, and loans. The OSFA Financial Literacy Guide can serve as a resource to guide your student through personal financial decisions before, during, and after college, and is available online at www.financialaid.ku.edu/pdf/FinancialLiteracyGuide. In addition, students can access CashCourse, which provides financial education resources, at www.cashcourse.org/universityofkansas.
Financial literacy is an important part of college life and decisions your student makes now will impact his/her future. Many students rely on federal loans to finance their education. The OSFA encourages students to only borrow what is necessary based on careful evaluation of their expenses and other funding options. Some effects of excessive student loan debt after graduation are listed below (Higher Education Services Corporation, February 2007):
- More than 40% of college graduates who do not pursue graduate school blame student loan debt.
- Graduates with debt said they have delayed:
- Buying a house (44%)
- Having children (28%)
- Getting medical/dental procedures (27%)
- Car repairs (25%)
- Home maintenance or repairs (22%)
- Getting married (18%).
- A 2002 National Student Loan Survey found a correlation between student loan debts and delayed home ownership.
- Every additional $5,000 of debt reduces the probability of owning a home by about 1%.
- An additional $10,000 in income increases the probability of owning a home by 3%.
- Debt contributed to:
- Feelings of anxiety or sleeplessness (48%)
- Depression (38%)
- Arguments with spouse (34%)
- Compulsive shopping or spending (24%).
HAVING YOUR STUDENT HOME AT THANKSGIVING
 Many students head home for the Thanksgiving Break. You will probably notice some changes in your student. This may be the first time they have seen their friends who aren’t at KU. Expect some friendships to be strained and others to remain vibrant. Expect your student to flex some of that independence that he is used to while at school. Expect some students to be reluctant to come back to campus after being home for four days. The visit will go better for both of you if you share your expectations.
You may enjoy this article about college students returning home for Thanksgiving.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2112737_cope-college-student-thanksgiving-break.html.
ON-CAMPUS LIVING
Withdrawing from Student Housing?
If your student plans to leave KU at the end of this semester, please remind him or her to complete a contract cancellation. Forms are available at the Department of Student Housing Office in Corbin Hall or www.housing.ku.edu. Students who withdraw will be assessed a cancellation penalty, which is detailed on the student's contract. Call us, 785-864-4560, if you have questions. Students who are graduating or going on a study abroad program are not penalized.
Requesting a housing change?
Students living on campus may request a room or building change for the spring semester. Talk with hall staff and complete an occupancy change request by December 1. Students interested in moving to the scholarship halls should be sure they have submitted all required materials so their application may be considered.
Ask your student about this survey
Annually, the Department of Student Housing surveys all residents for their opinion about their community. We ask about programs, community climate, policies, accountability and other topics. We also ask about the trained staff we have in each building, including our resident assistants, proctors and complex directors. We do not track which student has answered the survey. Your student will remain completely anonymous. We use the information to help us set goals for the next year to provide KU students a more comfortable and academically focused environment. Your student’s opinion is important to us.
Coming up in Student Housing
We hope you will take time to talk about next year’s housing plans during the upcoming break. Students who live on campus get better grades and graduate on time, even as they work through those upper-level classes. And do not forget the options of suite-style living or on-campus apartments. We will announce information about signing up for housing next year at www.housing.ku.edu/residents_current.shtml.
PREPARING FOR FINALS
The Academic Achievement and Access Center offers a one hour workshop, “Preparing for Finals” on Tuesday, December 1, at 3:30 p.m., in the English Room of the Kansas Union. To learn more, contact the AAAC at 864-4064 or check their website: www.achievement.ku.edu. You can also find tips for dealing with finals’ stress at: www.studenthealth.ku.edu/documents/Stress%20Tip%20Handout.pdf.
REFERRAL GUIDE
KU offers many services for students. A handy referral guide is available online to provide easy access to the resources available on the Lawrence campus. You will find the guide at: www.vpss.ku.edu/referral.
SHUTTLES TO KANSAS CITY AIRPORT
KU does not provide shuttle service to the Kansas City airport. There are several commercial companies that do provide this service. KU Info has the most current information at www.kuinfo.ku.edu/~kuinfo/cgi-bin/info.shtml?p=q&id=4329.
TAKE YOUR PROFESSOR TO LUNCH
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will pay for you to Take Your Professor to Lunch. First, schedule a lunch time with the faculty member you would like to take to lunch. The faculty member must teach in a department or program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and cannot be a Teaching Assistant). You can even make your request online. To learn more check out: http://clas.ku.edu/students/lunch/index.shtml.
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