Calling home really is the best option.

The first two weeks of school are almost done. By now perhaps you realize four classes in a row on a Thursday wasn’t so great an idea. You still haven’t recovered from the upsetting news that the Bullseye shut-down Friday night. The impending doom of the Kenyon Krud is sending you to the Health Center with sniffles and hand sanitizer. All of these worries make you wish you could cry to your mom, but you have no idea what to even say. Look no further; we’ve got you covered.

• Rule #1: Call every week. Whether you want to call your mom, father, grandmother, or other adult in your life, make sure you do it often. Although it may seem like everything at Kenyon happens at lightning speed, if you don’t check in on a regular basis then your mom may think you are still “oh so into Johnny the Frat Boy” when really he dumped you outside the bookstore and now you’ve taken to flirting with squirrels. Even if you give a quick five-minute call you’ll probably feel better and also make someone else’s day. 
•  Rule #2: Content, Content, Content. This one is key. Mentioning that you got an A on that Psychology quiz? Stellar. Mentioning that you hooked up with every junior on the baseball team in a single night to your father who still thinks you haven’t had your first kiss yet? Not so great. What you say to your parents or guardians honestly just depends on what kind of relationship you have with them and what you know they would be comfortable hearing. This isn’t to say you could never boast about winning the World Series, but perhaps easing into that conversation over a few months would better suit you.
• Rule #3: Don’t feel ashamed. This could be whether you accidentally switched the answers on your French quiz to whether you made a huge mistake and told everyone your best friend Sammy cheated on her girlfriend, but your parents and guardians will understand and still love you. They saw you grow up for at least eighteen years, out of anyone in the world they know and love you the most, so even if you have done the worst thing they can give you amazing perspective and support. You may be in college, but even adults still need their rocks and foundations sometimes.