Building Your Portfolio

BUILD YOUR

EXPERIENCE 1 2 3 4

4 BUILDING YOUR
PORTFOLIO

A Day in the Life Managing family relationships while in college can sometimes be a real challenge! Whether you are attending college in your hometown or across the country, relationships with those who are close to you will change. Sometimes parents or other family members have a hard time letting go, and it is sometimes difficult for new college students to start making independent decisions.

  1. In a Word document, describe some of the ways in which your life has changed since you came to college (e.g., more independence, more personal responsibility, less free time). How have you handled these changes? What has been the most difficult aspect of your new college life so far? Why?
  2. Have you considered how your family’s day-to-day lives might also have changed since you began college? Conduct an in-person or phone interview with one (or more) of your family members about how life has changed for them. Tips:
    • Set up a mutually convenient time to talk.
    • Choose a quiet place, free of distractions.

    Here are a few questions to get you started:

    1. What do you think has changed in your life since I began college?
    2. Is the family routine any different now? If so, in what way?
    3. Do you worry about me? If so, what is your biggest concern about my college experience?
    4. Do you think that we communicate enough (by phone, e-mail, etc.)?
  3. Save your responses in your portfolio or in the Cloud. Reflect on what you learned from the interviews. How can you be sensitive to your family’s needs and concerns while recognizing your own changing needs?