Centenary College Orientation - Parent FAQs.
Kristen McKitish, Director of Co-Curricular Transitions |
Stacy Rinaldi, Coordinator of First Year Leaders |
Being a part of the Centenary Experience
Whether this is your first child entering college or your fourth, when you drive away you will have mixed emotions ranging from pride to sadness. This is normal. Just remember we are always here to listen to your concerns and to answer any of your questions.
The best way to minimize worries about how your student will do is to begin to talk, NOW. Now is the perfect time, the closer we get to school opening the higher emotions run, try to talk now when everyone is still somewhat relaxed. Some topics you definitely need to discuss:
- Alcohol. What is responsible behavior and what is not.
- Personal Accountability. You cannot fend for your child forever, now is a great time to have them begin to stretch their wings in a safe yet intellectually liberal environment.
- Personal Health. Personal behavior patterns change a great deal during their first year, make sure you discuss how your child plans to sleep, eat, and exercise during this time. Staying healthy is key to a successful college career
- Grades. What are your expectations? What are their expectations? Do they match, or are they even close?
A discussion about grades needs to be honest and between adults. Positioning yourself as the adult and your student as the child only serves to set up an adversarial and emotionally charged encounter. Keep the discussion neutral, relaxed, and non-judgmental. A discussion that ends poorly will only serve to have your student keep information from you. Always make sure the discussion ends with positive feelings from both sides.
We also recommend the following materials:
- Letting Go: A Parent's Guide to Today's College Experience, by Karen Levin.
- Beating the College Blues, by Paul Grayson and Phil Meilman.
The First Year Programs Office is always ready to answer any Orientation questions you may have.
Cell phone service
Although they are all improving, the best reception is found with Verizon, Sprint, and Nextel.
First Year Leaders
First Year Leaders are an integral part of the First-Year program. They help bridge the gap between first-year students and administration/faculty by providing useful and necessary information within realistic contexts.
Essentially, First Year Leaders are student resources. They fill the roles of mentor, friend or informative source for incoming students. Because First Year Leaders are also Centenary College students, they have personally had many of same questions, concerns, and problems in their process adjusting to life at Centenary. They work full-time during orientation and on a part-time basis during the academic year.
Food and snacks
The food in the Centenary Cafeteria is provided by Chartwell's Food Service. The food is very good, with a great selection and plenty to eat.
The room and board plan includes 19 meals per week --- 3 per day during the week, brunch and dinner on the weekends. Should they miss a meal, it can be transferred Tillie's Grill located at the rear entrance of the Seay Building.
Students receive a cash equivalent at Tillie's to use on anything from chips to fries and chicken fingers. If your son or daughter is working at the bar they can request a bag lunch. Your child will not starve, we promise!
Holiday break schedule
Click here for the latest Academic Calendar.
Illness
The Centenary College Health Center is located in the Seay building. All students are welcome to visit the health center at no cost. Should an emergency arise during or after regular hours, our Student Life staff is trained to activate Emergency Medical Services. With Hackettstown Hospital being located approximately two miles away your student is in good hands.
Lodging
Our personal picks would be for the Comfort Inn in Mansfield and for the Inn at Panther Valley. Both have a great reputation and have been great to work with in the past.
For a complete list of accommodations, click here.
Meningitis shots
It is now the law in New Jersey that all students must be fully immunized against meningitis before they arrive for Orientation. Centenary has not had any cases and we hope to keep it that way.
Please contact Jean Robert at 908-852-1400 ext. 2206 for more information.
Residence Halls
Your first year student will live in either Smith or Reeves Hall. Both halls are part of the original Victorian campus and have been completely modernized to meet NJ state requirements for sprinklers and fire safety.
All rooms in these dorms are double occupancy (two students per room). The windows varying in size so it is best to move in before buying window coverings.
Floor sizes vary slightly. Most students purchase a 9' x 4' or 5' rug or remnant. Carpets are nice to have in your room as they help to contain noise and shield bare feet during the winter!
Centenary provides a beds and mattresses for each room. You will need extra long twin sheets. Each room has a desk, a dresser, and a chair for each student. Each student also has a phone line, and there is a single cable outlet.
Be sure to check out the What to Bring page.
Be sure to check out the Freshman FAQ page.
Security
Centenary College monitors the campus 24 hours per day. During the day there are two security officers on duty. After 7pm, security increases to four officers.
Security is available for escorts to the parking lot and for car problems.
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