Saying Good-bye

Freshmen and their parents bid farewell

| From BU Today | By Nicolae Ciorogan

In the video above, members of the Class of 2015 and their parents prepare to say good-bye.

Earlier this month, 4,000 freshmen arrived on campus, most accompanied by family to help them get settled. At some point came that inevitable moment—dreaded by some, anticipated by others—time to say good-bye. For many—parents especially—it’s an emotional experience to find themselves heading home without their children.

“It can be hard for parents to let go,” says David Zamojski, an assistant dean of students and director of Residence Life. “Saying good-bye to a child at college represents the end of one chapter, but it’s also the beginning of another chapter. Parents have so many ways to stay connected to their children—email, Facebook, text messages, Skype, phone calls. Yet it’s very important for students to begin making connections to school: to new friends, professors, members of the University staff, to clubs and organizations and to the city of Boston.”

It’s normal for parents to feel stress in the coming weeks, says Margaret Ross, director of Behavioral Medicine at Student Health Services. “This is a big change in a family’s dynamic,” she says. “Suddenly, you realize as you’re setting the table that you’ve got one fewer plate to take out. When students leave home for school, it’s the beginning of a life transition.”

For everybody, it’s a time of anticipation. “It’s definitely exciting,” says Wendy Sgulic, who came with her son, Ryan (CAS’15), from Brooklyn, N.Y. “A great chapter is starting for him, and it’s awesome.”

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