Why being a parent as part of the Mums and Dads scheme doesn’t require all of your time.
The start of term is only a few weeks away and we are reaching the final stages of promoting the Mums and Dads scheme among current and incoming students. I have been in office now for a solid month and a half, and whenever I talk to students about why they haven’t signed up for the Mums and Dads scheme, the answer is simply that they don’t have the time.
Leaving home and coming to university can be a daunting experience, but even more concerning is the transition from the comfortable school environment to the exotic university lifestyle. There are many questions incoming students may have during this transition, such as how heavy the workload is, how to perform well in the labs and more.
When I came to Imperial with a very small background in electrical engineering, one of the burning questions I had was how much experience does a student need beforehand. On the first day during Freshers Week I met my “Mum” and she told me that before university she didn’t have any experience in engineering either. When I asked her if the lack of experience posed any difficulties, she assured me that everyone is brought to the same level during their first year and the only thing I should be concerned about is getting enough sleep!
It’s things like that which is exactly what the Mums and Dads scheme is for and why I urge you all to sign up to it. You could be that assuring older student, as you’ve gone through a year or more at Imperial and could share your experiences and lessons with those that need some reassurance at this new and exciting time in thier lives.
Your Dep Soc is currently planning some events for you and the freshers for the following weeks, but the majority of these events won’t be compulsory. The only essential event will be their Mums and Dad’s introductory session and for that event your participation is vital so you can answer any questions the new freshers have.
After this, you can interact with your fresher children as little or as much as you would like. Some freshers after this point prefer to go at it alone, whilst others may need some more guidence. However, many parents in the past have formed strong and longlasting friendships with their younger counterparts and both parties benefit from the bonds forged in this first week. So you can see that being a parent does not need to take all of your time, it solely depends on your engagement.
I hope this small piece could convince you to sign up to the Mums and Dads scheme, which you can do so here.
If you have signed up already, I give you a virtual pat on the back and I congratulate you for being an awesome Imperial student.
