Preparing for College
Your student has likely been getting ready to go to college by signing up for orientation, choosing housing arrangements and roommates, and starting to pack. As a parent of a soon-to-be college student, you also need to prepare.
Why It Matters
- Emotions can run high.
Your student may be anxious about this major life transition. You may also have mixed feelings about your student’s sense of independence and ability to cope without having you around on a daily basis. - Expectations can act as a guide.
Your student will likely have a new level of independence and the ability to make different choices than while living at home as a teenager. If you are clear about your expectations, your student will have those as a guide for behavior you think is reasonable. - It’s time to take care of details.
A lot of little — and not-so-little — things will need to be handled over the summer and early fall. The college may expect your student to complete certain tasks, like freshman orientation, alcohol and behavior awareness training, and required reading. As a family, you will need to make arrangements for moving in and paying the first bills.
What Your Student Can Do Now
- Check the college website and emails.
Your student should be checking email daily for notifications from the college about potential tasks to complete. In addition, the college website is a great source of information about orientation, student organization sign-up days, housing and dining, and more. - Explore possible class schedules.
Your student should check when class sign-up will be, whether it will be at orientation or another time. Before that date, your student can explore the academic catalog and information about required courses for specific majors online. Some colleges will allow students to tentatively place preferred classes in a virtual shopping cart before sign-up; others may require a session with an academic adviser. Your student should understand what the specific process is and prepare a list of backup options to avoid frustration with full and unavailable classes. - Check out organizations.
Colleges generally have student organizations for every interest, from gaming clubs, hiking groups and honor colleges to fraternities and sororities, student government and swing dancing. Your student can choose a few of interest to start exploring before orientation and classes start.
What Your Student Can Do Later
- Attend orientation and complete other tasks.
Your student should follow the college’s timeline for signing up for and attending orientation. Registering for classes, completing any online training and move-in dates should also be noted. If important documentation, like a final high school transcript or vaccination records, is missing, the college may notify your student through an online portal or email, so frequent checking is important. - Look for a campus job.
If your student will be relying on earnings to pay for some of the college costs, now is the time to start exploring possible jobs on or near campus. If your student has a work-study award, they should check for instructions on how to find and apply for qualified positions. Otherwise, colleges often hire students to work in food service, staff resource desks and faculty offices, clean buildings and work at special events. Local businesses may look for additional help during the academic year and are used to working with college students, so your student should also check for openings in the areas surrounding campus. - Develop a final budget.
By now, your student should have a good idea of how much spending money will be available each month. This is a good time to create a budget that your student can easily access and use to track spending and income, whether it involves a spreadsheet, online banking portals or a phone app. See if the college offers any free financial education or literacy services on campus to help with budgeting or financial aid concerns. - Seek guidance.
Be sure your student is connecting with an advisor and other helpful campus services to get the most updated information and assistance possible.
What You Can Do
- Help your student with basic skills.
Your student may be solely responsible for laundry, cooking, making and keeping appointments, arranging travel and other everyday tasks for the first time. Discuss with your student the types of things that may come up and be sure your student is prepared for them. While online tutorials and internet browsers are a great resource, having practiced some of these tasks can help your student develop confidence and give you peace of mind. - Plan ahead.
If you will be traveling for move-in day, parent’s weekend or other upcoming dates on the college calendar, plan to make arrangements well ahead of time. Parking and hotel rooms often become scarce during the busiest days, and prices may spike. - Discuss your expectations.
Talk about how you expect your student to make decisions, perform academically and seek out help with academic, emotional or other issues. You may also wish to establish a schedule for touching base, so you both know when to expect to hear from the other. You know your student best, and these conversations can help your student make the transition from a high school student to a young adult in college.
Next Steps
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Additional references, handouts and talking points are available in the right sidebar to use at your leisure. They may prove beneficial to reference now or after receiving future emails — we’ll leave it completely up to you. Use our emails like a recipe for a successful outcome — assemble the recommended ingredients and then follow accompanying directions to add flavor and depth.