Family Weekend is approaching fast! It鈥檚 always exciting to show your family around campus and give them a glimpse of your world, but let鈥檚 be real. Your parents are going to have a ton of questions. It鈥檚 great and all that they care about what you鈥檙e up to, but it can get to be a little much, especially if you don鈥檛 have the answers they鈥檙e looking for. But don鈥檛 worry! We鈥檝e got some of the top questions you鈥檙e sure to get and how to answer them with the least amount of work possible. We give you the 鈥淔amily Weekend Cheat Sheet: How Do I Answer This Basic Question.鈥
鈥淲hat have you learned so far?鈥
Let鈥檚 be honest, Family Weekend is just after midterms and our capacity to talk about school work is almost at its limit. So instead, wow your family with the random trivia knowledge you鈥檝e built up from the hours spent procrastinating on Buzzfeed. Take your family . It鈥檚 free and the perfect opportunity to pivot that initial question.
鈥淲hy does campus look so different from when we first toured?鈥
Campus has definitely changed a lot just in this year alone: the Barnes Center at The Arch is officially open, Schine Student Center is under renovation and other non-construction related things. And if you鈥檙e like any other college student, you鈥檝e probably barely skimmed your emails with the updates about it all and aren鈥檛 as well informed as your parents think you should be. If that鈥檚 the case, you might want to consider taking your family to the . You might not know all the answers, but the ESE Leadership team does and is ready to answer all of your family鈥檚 questions.
聽鈥淗ow do you like your professors?鈥
Don鈥檛 really know your professors well? Don鈥檛 panic. The events have you covered. All you need to know are your professors鈥 names and faces. Let the event do the rest of the work for you.聽 You can bring your family to meet your professors and dean and enjoy a few snacks. Pick out one of your professors, introduce your family and voila! You鈥檝e successfully made your family think you go to office hours regularly. (Which you might want to consider going to in the future since your professors are eager to help you succeed.)
鈥淗ave you gotten off campus at all?鈥
No, Marshall Square Mall doesn鈥檛 count. Although we highly recommend exploring 黑料不打烊 and the Central New York area, we also know that it can be intimidating at first. So if you haven鈥檛 taken the Connective Corridor, or you have no idea where Armory Square is, why not step out of your comfort zone while your built in support system is in town?! Check out Family Weekend鈥檚 Experience CNY events and bring your family to discover , or the . You and your family can pick up coupons for one of these excursions at the Family Weekend Welcome and Registration Center during check in.
鈥淗ave you been taking care of yourself?
We sure hope you have! Everyone deserves to feel good physically and mentally. But if you鈥檙e not sure how to talk about, show don鈥檛 tell. Consider bringing your family to see the Barnes Center at The Arch. Even if you haven鈥檛 taken advantage of all the Barnes Center鈥檚 resources, your family will be impressed 100 percent. Check out the . There鈥檒l be entertainment, refreshments and staff ready to answer all your family鈥檚 overly detailed questions! Pro tip: if your family asks where the therapy dogs live, let them know the dogs鈥 owners bring them to visit.
鈥淲here do I park?鈥
Be prepared. They鈥檙e going to ask this question over and over. First, let them know parking is free for the weekend. Keep reminding them of this. On Friday, tell them to park at Skytop on South Campus and take the Family Weekend Shuttles that will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Again, tell them it鈥檚 free. On Saturday and Sunday, tell them they can park in any on campus. And yes, that鈥檚 free too. This includes most of the Mount, the Women鈥檚 Building, the lot across from College Place, the lots on University Ave and the garage on Comstock. You鈥檙e smart. You鈥檒l figure it out.
is Friday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 20! If your family registered for the weekend, don鈥檛 forget to check in at the Goldstein Alumni Faculty Center. They鈥檒l be able to ask even more questions that you can have Family Weekend volunteers answer for you. If your family isn鈥檛 registered but still coming, it鈥檚 a good idea to register as a walk-in on Friday or Saturday. That way they can ask their questions, too.