{"id":221664,"date":"2023-08-24T14:46:17","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T18:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=221664"},"modified":"2026-05-26T16:23:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T20:23:46","slug":"excitement-abounds-on-move-in-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2023\/08\/24\/excitement-abounds-on-move-in-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Excitement Abounds on Move-In Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

While Move-in Day is an exciting one, it can also be a time of mixed emotions \u2013 especially for first-year students and their parents as they embark on their next chapter. ÌÇÐÄvlog staff have been providing some advice to help create a smooth transition for both students and parents \u2013 particularly those leaving home for the first time.<\/p>\n

As part of the University\u2019s overall orientation this week, Montclair Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) counselors have been leading sessions for students and their parents at Memorial Auditorium and University Hall, giving them an overview of the University\u2019s resources and letting them know how CAPS can support students, says Sudha M. Wadhwani, a staff psychologist, who also happens to be a parent of two college students.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talk with parents about how we refer to their children \u2013 as students not as children \u2013 and we encourage them to guide and support their students but let their students take the lead in contacting professors, in reaching out to schedule appointments with advisors, with counseling services, with the Health Center,\u201d Wadhwani says. \u201cThat process of ‘adulting’ in the real world starts now.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Wadhwani, Move-In Day and the orientations hit close to home, having\u00a0 recently gone through this rite of passage with her own two children, a junior and a freshman, both of whom are attending college out of state, making her a newly minted empty nester. She admits to shedding some tears and showering her \u201cdog baby\u201d with lots of extra love as a result.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year feels very different when I do the parent orientations because I’m there myself. I can just go sit in the audience with them,\u201d she jokes, adding, \u201cI have much more empathy for parents. They’re excited and nervous for their children. They’re anxious. It\u2019s hard to let go. As a parent myself, I feel all of those emotions. But if my student is doing well, then I’m doing well. If they’re happy, I’m happy. If they’re enjoying their experience, I’m happy for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Parents introduce themselves during Move-In Day at Montclair.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While students have likely \u201cseparated and individuated developmentally\u201d over the years, \u201cNow is the most profound transition\u201d for both parents and their students, she says.<\/p>\n

Wadhwani reminds parents that \u201cFrom Day One, we’ve been working toward this moment, and now we hope that they have the skills and values that we have tried to instill in them.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about \u201cfinding that balance of how much to support and guide your student and how much to let go and empower them to adult.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wadhwani urges students to set up check-in times with parents that don\u2019t interfere with class or study time, to utilize Montclair\u2019s many resources and get involved in the many activities or clubs on campus. \u201cParticularly if they are commuters to get involved, to not just come here and go to classes and then go home,\u201d she says, noting that college life is not just \u201can extension of high school.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A student happily wheels her belongings toward her residence hall at Montclair.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CAPS staff also inform parents of mental health resources \u2014 available for free to students. \u201cI make clear that this is a stigma-free campus, and that we believe that seeking counseling and all of our other services is a healthy thing to do,\u201d Wadhwani says. \u201cWe want them to know that their students are not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all answer to dealing with the high school-to-college transition, Wadhwani says. \u201cIt varies depending on if your student is living on campus or commuting, based on cultural background, on each individual family’s needs and dynamics, as well as each student,\u201d she says.\u201cEach student has their level of readiness as well, depending on how the high school years have gone, depending on whether they may have mental health concerns, whether they may have a peer-support system or already have built certain skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A family member captures the rite of passage that is Move-In Day on her phone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wadhwani says it\u2019s important for parents to give their adult children \u201cthe opportunity to express and create their space and their story at this point in their journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have so many opportunities for our students to develop in all areas of their identities, to get engaged and involved and become leaders,” she says. “We know that students who are engaged are likely to build greater confidence and skills, better manage their time and have stronger mental health and ultimately, do even better academically.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A Red Hawk and his mother work together to move him onto campus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More scenes from Move-In Day and Orientation<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Story by Staff Writer Sylvia A. Martinez<\/b><\/a>. Photos by University Photographer Mike Peters<\/b><\/a> and John J. LaRosa<\/b>.<\/p>\n

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