Texas Tech University

Tips for Planning Your Trip with Your Student

Tips from the Think Tank: Planning to visit your Red Raider during Family Weekend (or any time!)

by Jennifer Colehower

My son, Asa, is currently a junior working towards a business degree and math minor, and my husband and I are both graduates of Texas Tech's School of Law.  We love coming to Lubbock to visit Asa because it gives us a chance to visit old and new places around campus and Lubbock.  

Some new discoveries for us while visiting during family weekend were a visit to the Museum of Texas Tech, which has a great collection of art and rotating exhibits, and the Moody Planetarium.  The people sized chess board was a hoot.

We also enjoyed Lubbock's First Friday Art Trail, which is held the first Friday of the month.  The event promotes art and outreach within the community of Lubbock by providing an opportunity to enjoy fine art and entertainment.  Lots of great food trucks, live music and art.  First Friday Art Trail, visit The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts.

We also made plans to visit some of our favorite restaurants that have been around for years and discovered some new ones. (Taqueria Jalisco on Avenue Q and Las Brisas Southwest Steakhouse)

 

Some tips with planning a Family Weekend or Family Days with your student:

Know your student's schedule and respect their commitments: When planning your weekend, get to know your student's commitments ahead of time, and be intentional about getting blocks of time to spend quality (fun) time with your student.  They are young adults with independent lives, and it is a great opportunity to start new traditions with your budding young adult.  This could be picking a unique restaurant to visit that can be a new tradition for future visits or finding a local event or concert that you both would enjoy.  Since there is no shortage of activities offered during Family Weekend, pick one or two to focus on and enjoy together.           

Plan activities you like to do for when your student is not with you: This is your weekend, too.  Maybe there are some things you would like to see that do not interest your student (you may not have a tour guide on your hands).  Go do those things when your student has other commitments and share with them what you discovered.  If you do have a tour guide for a student, have them show you their favorite places on campus.

Include your student's roommate or new friend(s) to tag along for a meal or an activity:  Your student is now living away from home, so there are fewer opportunities to meet the new people in their lives.  If their roommate or new friend(s) don't have family visiting, extend the hospitality to them through your student for a meal or activity.