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Campus Resources Parents Should Know

College is an incredibly exciting and sometimes challenging experience. It is almost certain that students will encounter some obstacles during their time at university. One of the most essential skills students need to navigate these challenges is the ability to recognize when they need help and to seek it.

We hope you will partner with us to help your student to:

  • Develop the skills they need to communicate appropriately with professors and staff when they encounter difficulty
  • Proactively advocate for themselves rather than waiting until a problem has evolved into what feels like an academic or personal crisis and
  • Familiarize themselves with some key campus resources

It is important for parents and students to understand that while colleges and universities strive to offer support services for the purpose of helping students achieve their academic goals, there are limits to what the university can provide. The wrap around support and coordination of care that some students received in high school is not routinely offered by universities, particularly large decentralized campuses like Illinois. Families may need to consider employing a personal assistant or success coach for students who have not yet acquired basic life skills and/or are continuing to develop the organizational skills and level of personal responsibility required to function independently in the college setting. It should also be noted that while there are health and mental health services available on campus, they are intended to provide ambulatory and short-term care; most universities are not equipped to provide intensive care for chronic, and/or severe health issues. Therefore, it may be important for you and your student to contact these units before your child enrolls to discuss whether they can provide the type, level or scope of care your student needs. If it is not feasible to receive such services on-campus, we encourage you to seek out community providers in the Champaign-Urbana area to ensure that your student has the support they need.

Although not an exhaustive list, the campus resources page includes resources that many students will likely need at some point in their college career. We hope you find it useful!