The power of suggestion can be a dangerous thing. Then it hit me. Even if they don't tell you during those first few weeks, they do miss you. There's nothing more depressing than a week of empty mailboxes. So write your new student.
Letters are better than phone calls because letters are tangible connections to home.
They can be read and re-read at especially lonely moments. Parental curiosity can be obnoxious and alienating or relief-giving and supporting, depending on the attitudes of the persons involved. Your new student will change. It's natural, inevitable, and it can be inspiring and beautiful. Often, though, it's a pain in the neck.