Be You @ BU Fall 2022 Magazine

Parent’s Perspective

F ull disclosure: I am a helicopter mom. A part of me wants to apologize for it, mostly in order to protect my child from utter embarrassment. However, as I am probably too late for that, I won’t. My (now) 19-year-old fi rstborn started Bishop’s University in September 2021. I did everything in my power to convince her to stay closer to home, or even at home, in Aruba. Obviously, I failed. I had saved and dreamt of the moment I would take my child to college, but the pandemic decided otherwise. As with many other plans and expectations, we were forced to adapt and adjust, despite the fact that I chose to fi ght it every step of the way. My daughter stepped on a plane to fl y 3,658 kilometers away to a small town she had never seen before… armed only with two vaccines in her body and a mind full of fantastic notions. In my mind, it was a recipe for disaster. My daughter is a sun-loving beach girl who loves to surf. What was she going to do in cold Sherbrooke… smack in the middle of nowhere? A single semester later… and I have to admit that I was wrong. I was wrong to underestimate my daughter, and wrong to underestimate Bishop’s ability to make her feel at home thousands of kilometers away. For all the parents who may be facing similar doubts, please allow me to share some of my top ten observations as the parent of an inter-national student at Bishop’s University. 1 Sherbrooke is a small town, but it is not in the middle of nowhere. As a matter of fact, it is in the middle of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. People around the

5 Make sure your child attends O-week. The bonds and friendships forged during this week create memories that will last throughout the college years and beyond. As a parent, knowing that your child has a network of friends and support makes all the di ff erence. 6 Yes, the students at Bishop’s take their social lives very seriously. But they are also the same students who spend countless hours studying and dedicating themselves to academics throughout the semester. As a university, Bishop’s provides the opportunity and support for both, while simultaneously providing the students with an education at a very high level. The University acknowledges that some students are learning to balance the two, learning to fi nd themselves. I appreciate the fact that Bishop’s meets the students at their level by providing them the space they need to make their mistakes, but also by providing a cush-ion in case they need it. 7 Not everything is picture-perfect at Bishop’s, but the school is aware and open about their issues. As a parent, I received the same information directly from Bishop’s that I had received from my daughter or had read about on social media. 8 Paperwork: international students have to take care of all their paperwork at least 9 months prior to attending Bishop’s: 9 Make sure to join all the Zoom meeting opportunities of- fered (there are many) and join Bishop’s on the social media platforms they engage in. 10 Be flexible. COVID seems to be dictating a lot of what happens (or doesn’t happen) on campus. Trust that Bishop’s wants the students on campus as much as the students want to be there. They go out of their way to o ff er the students an adapted version of the “traditional” college experience while protecting them as much as possible. As for me? Well, I am a work in progress. I am still not com- fortable having my daughter living thousands of kilometers away, but I have come to accept the fact that Bishop’s is probably the next best thing for her after “home”. Besides, if her smiles and anecdotes are any indication, I can now worry less and let go (a bit) more. a) apply to Bishop’s b) apply for the CAQ c) apply for the study permit d) take care of biometrics e) get vaccinated

globe pay good money to experience fall foliage in the Eastern Townships, to ex- perience perfect snow conditions during the winter months. Our kids? They live there! It’s all about perspective. 2 The size of the school and the town itself, creates a sense of belonging, of being a part of a community. My daughter has never felt lonely. Though she misses home every now and then, her new friends have become her new family. 3 There are many international students at Bishop’s but my daughter has yet to meet them under that label. It seems that Bishop’s is a single community, and the international students blend in seamlessly.

Mandy, Oranjestad, Aruba

Author: Mandy Hernandez

4 Living in residence means she is never truly alone. It also means she will never go to bed on an empty stomach. Bishop’s o ff ers a wide variety of meal options from early morning to late at night.

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