Supporting your Student - Advice from the O-Team

How did your family best support you when you first came to Bentley?

Student Coordinator Shannon Bushey My family supported me by encouraging me to take my time and get to know people. They were there whenever I wanted to FaceTime or call but they wanted to give me a space to grow by myself.

Student Coordinator Evan Omi The best thing that my family did for me was to have confidence in me and my choices. I realized early on that I was not enjoying my major and wanted to switch. They did not argue with me at all because they had faith in me that I knew what was best for me. That confidence made it much easier to actually make up my mind to switch majors knowing that I had their full support.

Student Coordinator Erin Buckmeier My family was very understanding that I needed time to get to know my new peers and the campus. They were happy to hear about my new experiences at Bentley, but they gave me the space I needed my first year. My family was supportive of the different activities I joined in college, such as the Bentley cheer team, when I hadn’t participated in these activities in high school.

Orientation Leader Erin Looney The first semester is definitely a crazy time because you are trying to get your footing in so many ways.

Not only are you making friends but you’re also getting used to classes and a new environment and dynamic. Because of this, I was so busy that it made it hard to find time to carve out to call my family or friends. One thing that really helped me feel supported was that every night my mom would send me a goodnight text. It was just a small and subtle reminder that even though I was no longer living at home, home was still a part of me and even though I was in an unfamiliar place with so many new people, I was always reminded that there were people who loved me and had my back. With this said, within DAYS at Bentley I instantly felt comfortable and I think a part of this was because freshmen had their own unique experience, which really allowed them to connect with each other.

Orientation Leader Arafat (Afoo) Rasheed There are a number of different ways my family supported me when I first joined Bentley.

Starting out with helping me buy all the college essentials! All my cousins helped me create a list of things I will need to feel comfortable and be successful in college. They were one phone call away whenever I felt lonely or sad on campus. Most importantly they were there when I needed help and advice on making friends in college. I was able to get great advice from them on how to start conversations with different people and be true to myself. Overall, they helped me be the real me through the transition to Bentley, and I could not have done it without them!