What your child absolutely, positively must master before leaving home.
To ensure success at college, your youngster must know how to manage time, set and stay within a budget, do laundry, and generally get through everyday life on her own.
Here are seven independent living skills students must master before heading off to college:
1. Managing money.
2. Doing laundry.
3. Having good sleep habits - getting enough sleep and being able to wake up on time.
4. Keeping track of appointments and deadlines.
5. Staying on top of academic assignments.
6. Requesting assistance when needed from tutors, counselors, and teachers - and being able to explain which accommodations are needed and why.
7. Using medication appropriately, and getting refills before running out. The first semester or two of college is not a good time to experiment with meds.
Talk with your child to gauge how well prepared he is to assume responsibility for these skills. Together, devise a plan to address any deficiencies.