A Parents Guide To Your Child’s First Year Away At College is a helpful article in helping parents get their teenagers ready for their first college year. As a parent one of the most difficult things you will face in life is taking your son or daughter away to college for the first time. Of course there are much more difficult things in life and this is actually a very happy moment but it’s still a challenge to get through. If you’re taking your son or daughter away to college that simply means that they were accepted into a college. That’s a good thing. Of course, everyone will face different challenges depending on the makeup of your son or daughter. Some kids are very independent and ready to go While others will have a hard time letting go. The same goes for the parents.
Table of Contents
Getting Prepared:
While there will be much trepidation between you and your son or daughter, getting ready for college requires a lot of preparation. In many ways, this is a good thing because you’ll be so much focused on making sure that you have everything that they need they’ll spend less time thinking about the point that you’re actually letting go of them for the first time. Let’s just say one thing very quickly about letting go. It will only be a few weeks until you see them again, because most colleges have parent weekend the first month of school. More on that later.
What You Need: The Mini Fridge
One of the first things you will need to find out about your child’s dormitory is whether or not the room has a small refrigerator. Lately, more and more dorm rooms have added them to the rooms. However, in many freshmen dormitories, the rooms do not have refrigerators. Most college dormitories especially for freshmen have at least two people per room unless you pay extra for a private room. Sometimes when two people are in a room the conditions t maybe so small it would be tough to fit two mini fridges in that same room. It’s something you may want to talk to your roommate about before you move in. Of course, that’s if you know your roommate is. A lot of times you will find out by the end of the summer and you will be able to reach out to your roommate.
Microwave or Hot Plate:
Make sure you find out the college dormitory policy on microwaves and hot plates. Once again most freshman dormitories do not allow hot plates or even microwaves. The college officials just don’t trust the freshman. Usually, every College dormitory floor does have a kitchen with a microwave in it. These are things that you have to check out before you move in.
Meal Plan:
The biggest piece of advice I can give any parent who is sending their kids off to college is to make sure you get them the best meal plan. There’s no skimping here. College kids get hungry, they get very hungry. You do not want to set them up with an unlimited meal plan. Usually, the difference between the cheapest meal plans and the most expensive mail plans may only be a few hundred bucks. Trust me it’s worth it.
Health Services:
All colleges require students to fill out multiple health forms. Kids get sick at college. Make sure your child knows where the health office is. We should also know where the nearest hospital as well as a local dentist’s office and eye doctor’s. You should find where all the medical services in the community are. At one point you will need one of them.
Transportation:
Not all schools allow freshmen to bring their cars to campus for their first year. Because of this, you must know where all the Local transportation is. Where is the train station, where is the bus station? Find out what services the school provides as far as Transportation goes. Many colleges have buses that will take his home for Thanksgiving break. Usually, this requires a student to go online and buy a ticket the second those tickets become available.
Books:
Most students will have their schedules way in advance sometimes months in advance before the start of school. Some will just get them at the end of summer. As soon as you get your schedule find out what books you need and buy on Amazon. You don’t want to wait until the first week of school starts and have to wait on that long line at the school bookstore only to find out that they don’t have any more copies left of the book you need for your class that starts in a couple of hours. The books can be a lot cheaper on Amazon but everybody knows this too so there’s a lot of competition for books. As soon as you know what books your class needs buy them. Both Amazon and the College Bookstore will allow you to also rent books. This can save you a lot of money. If you have the option to rent a book and you’re not the type that loves to keep your college books that’s the way to go. Just make sure to return them at the end of the semester.
Clothes, snacks and knick-knacks:
Every student who goes off to college for the first time brings too much stuff. They do not need to bring their entire wardrobe to college. Bring a nice mixture of warm and cold clothes. Remember they are going to go home a few times during the semester. Dorm rooms are small. You going to be in that room with somebody else. You going to need space. Don’t bring all your stuff.
Patience:
The first couple of weeks of the Freshman College domestic can be very difficult. Many kids get homesick. They not only miss you they miss their friends, they miss their house, they miss their room, they miss the way of life they have been used to living. It can be daunting for some. Be patient with them when they call you up saying they want to come home. Go to them, talk with them, and let them know that you are still around, and could be up there or down there at a moment’s notice. That one kid who was so homesick in the second week of their freshman year usually winds up being the kid who was so sad that their college career is over. It goes by fast, just like their childhood. Remember when they were a baby?
A Parents Guide To Your Child’s First Year Away At College article published on BabyCareGuru.com© 2023
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