How to help your teen make a smooth move to college

Jet, July 8, 2002

Congratulations! You survived the SATs, ACTs, college campus visits, prom night, graduation day and deadline after deadline for admission, housing, financial aid, scholarships and grants. You are now officially the proud parent of a college undergrad. But before you sit back and relax this summer, there is one more matter that must be addressed.

The Big Move! If your young adult will be leaving home for life in a campus residence hall this fall, then you need to get moving now to avoid a shopping-shipping-packing-yelling nightmare come September.

Here's what you need to do to make the big move go smoothly:

* Keep a checklist. It's easy to forget something crucial when you have a million and one things to do to get your son or daughter ready for college. Stay on top by making a list of everything that needs to be done before the big day--booking flights, shipping appliances and supplies, renting a vehicle for a road trip, checking on out-of-state medical coverage for your teen and submitting last-minute paperwork.

You should encourage your teen to keep a personal to-do list, from sending new-address cards to friends to visiting the doctor for important prescriptions.

* Prioritize. Keep from getting overwhelmed by prioritizing tasks. Airline, hotel, rental car and shipping reservations need to be made early if you want to get the best deal and get your teen and his or her things to campus on time. Other tasks, like shopping for those elusive sheets that only fit dorm-room size beds, can be scheduled at your leisure. And don't try to do everything at once. Give yourself and your teen realistic deadlines and post them on a calendar, refrigerator or another prominent place to remind you to meet them.

* Be spartan. Save time, energy and money by packing only the essentials: basic kitchen supplies (plastic bowl, cup, utensils, can/bottle opener), room supplies (alarm clock, desk lamp and bedside lamp, fan, storage bins, clothes hangers) and bed and bath items (two sets of sheets and pillowcases, two pillows, bath towels, washcloths, blanket, comforter, mattress pad, laundry bag).

Toiletries and school supplies can be purchased once your teen arrives on campus. Your son or daughter can retrieve extra items or restock supplies during visits home or can have them shipped as needed. And your teen probably won't need a huge wardrobe, since most college students are more worried about midterms and finals than fashion.

* Share the load with roommates. It doesn't make sense to have more than one TV, stereo, refrigerator or microwave if your son or daughter has a roommate. Avoid duplicate items--and ease the burden on your back and wallet--by having your teen divide the responsibility of bringing major appliances and furnishings with roommates.