May 1st is also known as Decision Day in the world of college-bound students. It’s the day by which they need to accept the offer of admission to a college, so for many students it’s the day to choose between the offers they have received. It’s a big decision!
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The Essential Off-to-College Supply Guide
Graduation is fast approaching! What do you really need when your launching your young adult off to college? Check out this guide to see the items they will find indispensable when it comes time to style and organize their new digs.
before decision day
In order to prepare for the momentous decision, we suggest that your young adult take an active part in getting to know the various colleges they have been given offers at. Colleges offer Admitted Student Days days during which they can explore the campus, sit in on a class, eat lunch in the cafeteria, meet with a financial aid officer and so much more. Many colleges also offer virtual tours and events to help broaden the opportunities to those that live out of state and/or can’t take time away from school and work to participate in the live events.
THE SUMMER BEFORE COLLEGE
Decision Day has passed and your tuition deposit has been paid – now what??
It’s time to learn all about the college that has been chosen and get ready to launch them into the world of dorm living and campus life.
Facebook is a wonderful way to connect with like-minded individuals and that applies in this situation as well. Most colleges will have a Facebook page sponsored by the college, but especially look for Facebook groups aimed at parents and at incoming students. These groups are invaluable to aid in beginning to make connections, finding or getting to know potential roommates, and just an overall great resource to use when you have questions.
You are going to want to watch for several important upcoming dates:
- Orientation days – some colleges will have those during the summer and others will wait until closer to the beginning of the fall semester. Make sure you know when those are.
- Move-in day – this is a big one! Make sure you know when the freshmen are supposed to move in – at many schools it is slightly earlier than upperclassmen.
- Parent weekend – this is generally a few weeks after school starts. Go visit them in their new environment, meet their new friends and see how they have settled into their new digs. You want to get this on your calendar – it’s a not to be missed weekend.
- When is the first break – getting those dates on the calendar can help ease some of the anxiety – we are big fans of counting the “sleeps” until we get to be together again.
Before you get to all those important dates listed above, you need to start gathering the things that will be needed for dorm room living. We put together The Essential Off to College Supply Guide to help you get started with that.
It’s a good idea to start thinking about transportation to that move-in date. Are you driving or are you flying? Will your student be bringing a car to college, or are you dropping them off? (Do you need a trailer?) These decisions will also help to determine what you are bringing and what you may end up having shipped or purchasing on location. Investigating plane tickets and the cost thereof will also help you figure out how often you can visit and your student can come home.
The summer is the perfect time to carve out some one on one time to connect and also have some important conversations.
- Legal Documents – The fact is this – the sweet child you welcomed into the world 18 years ago is now a full-fledged adult. That also means that your ability to advocate and maneuver for them has become limited. In the case of an emergency you want to make SURE you have the proper documentation in place so you can step in and help out if needed. It’s not something we like to think about but it’s important to have the conversation and the legal documents in place before a situation arises.
- Finances – although you may have fully supported them financially up to this point, what is the agreement going forward? It’s good to have your and their expectations aligned. The last thing you want is disagreements that could have been avoided with a simple but clear conversation on the forefront. In addition to college tuition, who will pay for books? How about travel costs? Medical costs? More discretionary spending like shampoo and pizza?
- Car to college? Some schools discourage students from having a car on campus – particularly first year students. They want them to hunker down and get into campus life. Best to have this discussion early in the game so the expectation and cost is known and agreed upon.
get registered
Lastly, but certainly not the least important….get your kid registered to vote! For out of state college kids they may need to request absentee ballots. This generation is going to do some amazing things. As they start the next chapter of their lives at college, you can help their voices be heard and reflected in our leadership.
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