Tips for Parents Sending Kids to College

Susan Sanders-Kinzel
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September 2, 20080 found this helpful

Good tips! Another one is warn them that leaving their laundry in the laundry room may mean they lose all of their new clothes. This happened to my daughter her first week at college.

Susan from ThriftyFun

I had my son mark the page of his birthday (January 15 was 115) with a smiley stamp so that if the book were stolen and sold back to the bookstore they would know it was his since he has the stamp and he will report the theft to the campus police so the bookstore will be on the lookout. You can also just have them initial a specific page.

Madeleine

May 24, 20100 found this helpful

As a current college student these are all good ideas but here are a few of my own.

Flip Flops for the showers (trust me!)

Bathrobe to walk through the halls to the shower.

Toiletry carrier to carry shampoo etc too and from the bathroom (don't get the hard plastic ones! They are awkward and expensive shampoo ever fits in them right etc. instead get a mesh one. Be sure it can get wet!)

More than one pair of sheets. If you ever want your student to wash their sheets, make sure they have more than one pair so they can put on a clean set while they wash the other pair.

Monogrammed or different looking towels. This will prevent someone from taking your towel from the bathroom or laundry room. Monogramming can be expensive but you can do it yourself by stitching on a pattern or something. When I say different looking I don't mean giving your son hot pink towels (college is already hard enough!) but what about a beach towel with a cool pattern on it?

An honest conversation about money. I have several friends who did not have a conversation with their parents about money before they went to college they had no idea how much they should be spending on food outside of the meal plan etc. Have an HONEST conversation with your student about how much money you are going to give them in discretionary spending a month, if they want more they should get a job etc. It will save both you and your student stress in the long run.
I hope that helps!
M.