Preparing your teen for college can be a very difficult task, but an important one all the same. You don’t want to be overbearing, but you do want to make sure that they have everything they need before they leave and that they’re fully ready for the transition that they are about to embark upon. Here is how to prepare your teen for college.
Purchase Needed School Supplies
There’s nothing worse as a college student than not having all the supplies that you need. It can be easy to just stare at all of your classmates with their laptops, tablets, and nice backpacks that organize everything so well and not get jealous. If your teen has outdated technology or if some of their school supplies are falling apart, you may want to see what you can do to update some of them.
Encourage Your Teen to Meet New Roommates
If your teen is getting ready to live in the dorms at Marylhurst University, then there’s a good chance that their roommate will be selected well in advance. You can encourage them to start getting to know their roommate ahead of time via social media or email and talk to them about how they feel about moving in together. If they are having any apprehensions because their roommate seems disorganized, loud, inconsiderate or wild, then you can talk to them about how to set ground rules and compromise ahead of time.
Practice Healthy Spending Habits.
Whether or not you will be helping your teen out financially while they are in college, it’s important that you teach them the virtues or healthy spending habits. They need to know how to make sacrifices when it comes to eating out at restaurants, how to minimize fuel expenses, and how to limit shopping expenses. If they do not have smart spending habits when entering college, then you may want to think seriously about whether or not they can handle a credit card or allowance.
Help Enroll for Classes on Time
If your teen wants to get the best classes and create a schedule that works with their preferred sleeping habits, then they need to enroll for their classes as early as possible. You can help them to look at the class schedule online and find out when all of their classes are offered, then show them how to lay out their schedule so that they are ready to enroll the moment that their registration window opens up.
Impart Cooking Skills
Knowing how to cook for yourself is not only good for the sake of saving money, but it’s also the best way to avoid gaining a lot of weight your first year at college. If you want to make sure that your teen doesn’t come back 15 pounds heavier over the holidays, then you will want to teach them how to cook all of their favorite home recipes. Not only will it help them in the future, but you will also be able to really bond over the summer before they leave.
