You really don’t want your parents to come to visit; it's college, there’s a reason why you went so far away. You love your independence, but your parents miss you and want to see you. When your parents show up at your door, you have no choice but to make the most of it.
On the plus side, they take you out to dinner to really great restaurants. You get to order real food. No more café food while your parents are visiting. Your parents wouldn’t eat it, so why should you? Since you are not paying for your food, now is the time to order the most expensive thing on the menu, including dessert. Bring a couple of friends along too. They won’t care; your parents love meeting your friends. Spend time at your parent’s hotel. Pretend you are on vacation. Sleep in a real bed, not a twin size, hard wooden bed. Let your parents drive you around town. Better yet, have them take you shopping. Your parents want you to be happy. Now is the time to let your parents spend money on you. Enjoy it!
The downside to your parents coming is that they want to know everything. They want to know if you are seeing anyone, and if you are, they want to instantly meet them. They want to check up on your grades and make sure that you aren’t slacking. They want to know all the gossip about your school that they shouldn’t even be interested in. They love walking around campus with you; checking out all the places you like to hang out. This can get embarrassing, especially if one of your parents is an alumnus. It is bad enough when they wear the school gear, but it is worse when they have a captive audience with your friends and tell them all about the great times they had at school. You just want to scream - shut up and leave us alone.
In reality...
When my parents come to visit, they take me out to my favorite restaurants and pay for all my meals. They come and watch my softball games and cheer me on. They don’t really care how I am doing in school as long as I am passing and still having fun. They don’t have to ask if I am seeing anyone serious, I would tell them if I were. My parents love to come visit and can never wait to vacation while visiting me at the same time.
Your parents love you and want you to succeed in what you do. It may feel like they are breathing down your back every time they come visit, but in reality you just aren't used to having them around anymore. Be thankful that your parents care enough and want to see you, even if it does mean that they ask a million questions and annoy you. Not everyone can say that their parents came to visit them in college.
