FAQs

1. What is the level of supervision provided?
2. Will my child be safe?
3. COSMOS seems really strict. Can I authorize my child to have more freedom?
4. What is the best way to communicate with my child?
5. What should I do if my child is homesick?
6. Can I come visit?
7. Are there other programs similar to COSMOS?
8. Other questions?

Q: What is the level of supervision provided?

A: While students are ultimately responsible for their own conduct, administrative, instructional, and residential staff all work together to provide supervision. When students are not in class, they are supervised by residential staff who live in the dorms with the students. The residential staff consists of one Coordinator for Residential Assistants who oversees a staff of 10-12 undergraduate Resident Assistants (RAs) from UC San Diego.

Students will meet with their cluster RA on a daily basis. At this time, the RA will check in with students to see how things are going in their cluster. If a student has any concerns, they should bring it up with one of their cluster RAs, a floor RA, the Coordinator for Residential Assistants, or to any other COSMOS staff member in which the student feels comfortable.

Q: Will my child be safe?

A: The COSMOS policies are put in place to keep the students safe at all times. Some of these policies include:

Students must be in the dorms by 10 p.m.

• No traveling on campus alone. Students must use the buddy system.
• If going off campus, students must be accompanied by a COSMOS staff member or with a pre-approved family member.
• On field trips, students must check in with staff at designated locations and times.

Students and parents should review the Student Handbook for more specifics on COSMOS policies. Parents will know best if a student is capable of following the policies while away from home.

If at any time, a student does not feel safe, they should let a COSMOS staff member know so that the situation can be remedied.

Q: COSMOS seems really strict. Can I authorize my child to have more freedom?

A: Inevitably, there will be students who are given more freedom at home and feel that the rules at COSMOS are too strict. There will also be students who have stricter rules at home and are surprised by the amount of autonomy they are given. The COSMOS policies were designed to help us ensure each student's safety and manage a large group of teenagers on the campus. There is one set of rules for all students, regardless of their age or "freedom" allowed at home.

Older students, or students who are used to operating more independently should consider this before coming to COSMOS.

Q: What is the best way to communicate with my child?

A: Students are kept very busy at COSMOS and often don't have a lot of time to devote to writing letters, email, or calling on the phone. Even if you don't hear from them, trust that they love to hear from you. Below are some suggestions and comments on different options for communicating with your child while they are at COSMOS. You can also read our "Testimonials" to see what worked (or didn't work) for parents in the past.

Letters: A hand-written (or typed) letter is a great way to communicate with your child and to help them feel in touch with the family. Students are thrilled to receive mail and can read a letter over and over. Encourage other friends and relatives to write letters as well.
E-mail: Students who bring a laptop computer to COSMOS will have an easy time accessing e-mail (please have your child set up an e-mail account with a service such as Yahoo or Hotmail prior to attending COSMOS). All students will have access to the computer lab, but the hours and numbers of computers are very limited. If your child sends a quick note in lieu of a long, detailed update, it's probably because there is a line of students wanting to get on the computer.
Phone: The numbers of pay phones on campus are limited, making it difficult for students to call home on a regular basis. Phone conversations may be shortened due to a long line of other students waiting to use the phone.
Phone Messages: To get a message to a student quickly, you can phone the COSMOS office and leave a message. The RA will give the message to the student that day. .
Cell Phone: Students are only permitted to use cell phones in their resident hall rooms or during free time, therefore, it may be necessary for parents to leave voice messages for their student. If parents must reach their student for any reason, we encourage you to contact the COSMOS office.

Please see our "Testimonials" to see what was effective for other families.

Q: What should I do if my child is homesick?

A: Four-weeks can be a long time to be away from home (for the student and the parents). Before coming to COSMOS, this should be discussed with your student. The first week is often the most difficult to get through. Our staff will work hard to make sure that students are connecting with one another and feeling like they belong.

If you are concerned about your child's homesickness, please contact the COSMOS office immediately. Our staff will work hard to help the student adjust to life at COSMOS. Nearly all students who initially experience homesickness ultimately enjoy their COSMOS experience.

While it can be extremely difficult, please do not respond to your child's "rescue call" by coming to campus to talk them into staying. Once a student sees a ride home, there is rarely any turning back. If a student is begging to come home, please call a COSMOS staff member so that we can discuss different options. While it may be best for the student to go home in the end, we prefer to try other strategies first.

Please see our "Testimonials" for other suggestions.

Q: Can I come visit?

A: As many families live too far to visit during the program, it is certainly not necessary to visit your child during the program. Weekend time allows students to establish friendships and become fully involved in residential life. For those who live nearby, parents and family members may come to campus on Family Visitation Weekend. This weekend is designated for families who wish to reunite with their student from 9:00am on Saturday, July 19th to 6:00pm on Sunday, July 20th. Students who choose not to or cannot participate will have other activity options available to them. We thank parents for their cooperation in limiting their visits to that designated Family Visitation Weekend and inform the COSMOS Team of their intentions by completing the Family Visitation Weekend Departure Form prior to the start of the COSMOS program.

Please see our "Testimonials" to see how other parents felt about visiting during the program.

Q: Are there other programs similar to COSMOS?

A: We understand that COSMOS might not be for everyone. Over the years, we have created a list of other summer enrichment programs in California. Many of these programs offer similar areas of study. The majority of these programs charge tuition, but quite a few offer financial aid or scholarships.

Please note: we do not have any affiliation with these programs, nor can we answer questions regarding them. We offer this list just as an additional resource for interested students and their families.

Q: Other questions?

A: If you have other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.