Things Your Child Should Know Before Going To College

Both of my children are in college. My son is a senior and my daughter is a freshman. There are some basic things I feel like everyone should know before heading off to college to make life easier. Not only for the kids, but for the parents as well so a bunch of frantic texts don't come in at once. 

Have proper personal hygiene. You'd be surprised how many older teenagers seem confused by this. Deodorant is your friend. Apply it more than once per day when needed. Shower frequently. I repeat: shower frequently. 

Understand consent. No means no. No means NO. No one ever owes anyone ANYTHING. 

How to do laundry. I explained this to each of my kids. Mind you, it can be tricky because you never know what washing machine and dryers will be on campus. But I taught them the basics. I made it easy and just said to wash everything in cold so there isn't an accidental pink clothes outcome. 

Understanding health insurance. I explained what they'd do if they ever had to see a doctor or go to the ER. I showed them the insurance number and all that fun stuff. 

Cleaning. This goes along with hygiene, kinda, but some kids were never taught how to clean their spaces properly. I went over Windex, Lysol, etc...my son has a bathroom he shares with one other guy, and he keeps it clean. My daughter has a communal bathroom so it's cleaned for her, but she still does a wipe down before showering. She trusts no one. Both know to wipe down their rooms weekly. Mind you, my daughter isn't the neatest of people as her crap is usually everywhere at home, but in college she says everything has its spot. 

Writing down or memorizing important phone numbers should their phones run out of battery. Let's be honest, college kids will sometimes walk out with their phone at 5% and assume it's okay. And then if an emergency happens and they don't have certain numbers memorized, well, they're in trouble. So have them at least write down a few numbers down and have it in their wallet. Just in case. 

How to budget. My daughter, she tends to spend money as soon as she has it. But my son budgets. I give them a set amount per month in college and if they spend it within the first week, oh well. Both have a meal plan, so I know they will not starve. My daughter is getting better with saving at least. I mean, she did keep $20 going for 2 weeks, which is a record for her. She'll get there. But don't be afraid to tell your kids no. 

It's okay to say no to alcohol (or any other substance.) It's college. Many people around will be underage drinking. But it's okay to decline and stick to soda or water. If anyone mocks you for doing this, they aren't anyone you need in your life. And if you do say yes, do not go overboard. And always, ALWAYS keep an eye on any drink you have. 

There are so many lessons I could teach like not putting too much of your trust in a person and do not let people borrow money, especially college students, because odds are you'll never see it again. But I didn't want to overwhelm my offspring with too much knowledge. They know they can contact me whenever--day, night, 3 AM--I'll always be here to answer.