Having to Say Goodbye
To hug or not to hug—that is the question
For some parents, it’s their first, for some their last child to leave home for the great wide world of college. In the video above, a few of them share their feelings about what’s a major change for everyone.
In the last week, more than 4,000 freshmen arrived on campus, and at one point most of them had to say the same simple word: goodbye. Some did it in their dorm rooms, some in elevators, some in the streets. Some goodbyes were tearful, some were eagerly awaited, and many were painfully awkward. Some goodbyes lasted longer than the visits. Some students hugged, some just shrugged, and some said their final goodbyes on cell phones as their parents headed home.
“We all recognize that separation can cause anxiety,” says David Zamojski, an assistant dean of students and director of Residence Life. “But there comes a time when new students need to begin fully engaging in student life.”
Margaret Ross, director of behavioral medicine at Student Health Services and a veteran of goodbyes to three children, tells those parents who ask that they should be flexible, open, and supportive. “This is something totally new, for you as well as your child,” Ross says, “so make the most of it.”
And some clearly did just that.
“My mom is not a crier,” says Cherice Hunt (COM’14). “She’s probably already planning to use my room as a gym or something.”
In any case, as every departing mom knows, there are only 12 weeks until Thanksgiving.
Nicolae Ciorogan can be reached at ciorogan@bu.edu.
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