College Bound

Are you consumed by the hustle and bustle of Senior year? As it comes to a halt, your next step is to make that a to-do list for your soon-to-be college freshman.

Excited, anxious, clueless, confident, and melancholy are all wrapped up in a shortened summer. What I learned about a year summer ago will last me a lifetime. These 7 thoughts I share with you:

1. Your child will surprise you with what they can handle.

2. If you set the groundwork of trust and respect early on, you will hear from your child more in college than if it was their Senior year in High School.

3. As a parent, it is crucial to offer advice and guidance, but ultimately your child has to make the final decision.

4. Expect late-night and early-morning phone calls and texts. There is an option called Focus on the iPhone that will sound when texts come from certain contacts. Set your phone to this option. You don’t want to wake up in the morning to texts that were meant for you to see 8 hours earlier.

JULY/AUGUST PREP:

5. Who is bringing what? Have your soon-to-be college student discuss with his/her/they roommate who is going to supply items such as the mini-frig, microwave, and possibly a small vacuum if needed. These conversations will save you time and money before move in. My daughters discussed color schemes and decor before they arrived at college. It caused a lot less stress to have these interactions before the hustle and bustle of the week before classes started.

6. Logistics of Move-In: Use College Boxes to simplify your life. This company will send you boxes, fill them up, and then schedule a delivery to your college of choice right from your front door. College Boxes will store your boxes until you designate the delivery to your school or destination of choice. Everything that you packed and shipped will be waiting in the dorm room when you arrive. It’s as SIMPLE as that! My daughters both go to school out of state. This process made moving in much more enjoyable and manageable.

7. Must Haves for Room/Apartment Set-Up: Setting up your college student’s home for the year can be fun yet exhausting. These must-have items can be packed in your College Boxes or a suitcase (the scissors will need to go in a checked bag) for easy access at move-in.

Bottle water or water in a reusable sports bottle. Move-in requires some amount of labor and you may find yourself working up a sweat!

Snacks so that you can energize yourself!

Scissors, tape, command hooks/strips for hanging and opening packages.

Different sizes of Zip-Loc bags for organizing personal items, snacks, etc.

Batteries and a flashlight. You never know when the power will go out, especially if you have a student in South Florida.

Clorox wipes and a roll of paper towels. Most dorm rooms are not as clean as we would like. You may need to wipe down the bed and furniture during your stay.