It’s mid summer and everyone is enjoying their time off or they are working like crazy before the Back to School craziness begins. We spend a good part of our early lives learning in School.
If you are finished with the first part of the chart in blue……you are surely moving forward into the green section. Back to School at a New College or University will be a major adjustment for many students. Our focus will be the first time students entering into the college or university level of education.
Many of these first time students will be leaving home for the first time. There will be anticipation, panic, excitement and renewed fervor in learning all kinds of new things. New friends and some old friends will be starting off on a whole new academic year that they have never done before. Being away from home also adds that extra bit of anxiety, as the student will be responsible for him/herself, without parental input.
There will be Frosh parties and a whole week of initiation into the life of whatever college they have chosen to study at. Your student will be learning about what buildings their classes will be held at, what kind of student clubs are available, they will be offered initiation into sororities or fraternities and a whole host of other activities that are new to them. The Library, will still be a favorite meeting place.
How do we, parent’s, help prepare our Children for this awesome adventure in their lives?
They will have certain needs when they arrive at their dorm rooms. One of those will be bedding, because after all is said and done, they will be exhausted from all the excitement of those first few days and they will need somewhere to rest their heads.
The next most important thing they will need is a computer bag, either for their full sized laptop, or their smaller tablet. They will be toting their devices with them at all times. Some colleges and universities are now digital friendly, to the point where students get their assignments by email. They will need a bag to keep that all important device handy and ready for any information input.
ESSENTIAL COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY NEEDS LIST
- Bedding
- School Supplies (pens, paper, computer, laptop, cell phone)
- Personal Supplies, clothes, shoes, coats etc. (shampoo, soaps, shaving needs, toothbrush, tylenol, bandaids, antibiotic creams, etc)
- Personal information (Driver’s Licence, Health Cards, Insurances etc.)
- Personal items (teddy bear, favorite bracelet, pictures, security blanket, phone list, emergency numbers, guitar)
- Prepaid credit card (for emergencies only)
- A map of the city where the college or university is located, highlighting the closest hospital, walk in clinic, pizza parlor and coffee house! (A prepaid coffee card would be a nice extra too!)
Some of the things on this list will make the student more comfortable and some are meant to make first time parents (those whose first child is leaving home) feel more at ease. One thing is certain, your child will grow in ways that are not measurable in terms of academics, but rather in terms of life experiences.
The next four, five or six years will be fantastic and at the end of it all, you will be the proud parents of a graduate!
Very good article. I love your pictures. They’re brilliant!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed them.
Oh my, this post brings back some fond memories. I remember my first year of university -me and my friend would run around looking for the right lecture room to go to. The campus was literally scattered all over the suburb that it was situated in.
Zee, it’s true, many campuses are scattered and new students can become very stressed trying to find their way around. Beginning college should be fun, not stressful. So a map and directions really help.
We homeschooled our sons, so it was really exciting when our oldest started college. He lived at home, but there still was a lot that he needed, including clothes! No matter what the situation, going off to college is such a busy, even hectic time. New students and their parents will find your list very helpful, I’m sure.
Thank you Susan, how lucky for your sons. My daughter went away to college, so we were scrambling to get everything she needed together. It was as bad as moving to a new residence. Hopefully the list will help many parents remember those things that are taken for granted….
I will be going back to work as a teacher and back to college online too. I am thankful I don’t have kids going back to school too….those were the worst days ever. Well once they hit middle school. They hated school and it was depressing…
Yes I can imagine. Once they get to college, hopefully they will take on some responsibility for themselves and excel.