KUER Local News
(2005-08-19)
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COLCHESTER, VT
(VPR) -
Millennials head off to college
(Host) You've heard society's labels for people born after World War II: The Baby Boom Generation. Generation X, and then Generation Y.
Well the newest group, those born after 1980, are the Millennials and many of them are heading off to college this month.
As VPR's Nina Keck reports, many campuses are finding they've had to make changes to accommodate this new group and their parents.
(Keck) Type in the words Millennial Generation on any search engine and you'll find out loads about the twenty-somethings in your life. Much of it's good. Statistically speaking, they're optimistic, they're team players, they accept authority, they're smart and they are the most watched over generation in memory.
Whether from parents, soccer coaches or day care providers, these kids have been supervised and catered to. So much so that their parents even have a label. Dani Comey is Associate Director of Student Life at the University of Vermont.
(Comey) "The classic definition of the 'helicopter parents' is that they hover. And I think helicopter parents are closer to their children both relationship wise and physically, often accompanying their kids to not only the major events like graduation, but to every soccer game."
(Keck) Comey, who's been running UVM's orientation for 13 years, says today's college students are much closer to their parents than in past years. She says the number of parents coming to orientation has increased dramatically and she says many parents even stay on campus the first few days of classes to help their kids get acclimated.
(Comey) "I have an awful lot of students who talk to mom or dad every day via their cell phone."
(Keck) While Comey says that involvement has many benefits, she says the downside is that many of today's college students need more help with decision making, coping and troubleshooting skills. To encourage more independence among students, she says UVM runs separate orientations for parents and students and even uses parent bouncers.
(Comey) "The parent bouncers are folks who are trained to work with parents to understand what parents need. The parent bouncers are there in some ways to keep the parents out of the registration area but also to help parents remember why it's important for students to do it on their own."
(Keck) Researchers say the Millennial generation has great potential UVM's Dani Comey says it may just be a little harder for their parents to let go and let them achieve it.
For Vermont Public Radio, I'm Nina Keck.
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