Leaving on a jet plane 🎵🎶

We’re leaving soon to head down for our baby girl’s college orientation. Where has the ducking time gone? If you’re going through the same thing, I wanted to pass along some things that have helped us with staying in the know.

First, join the Parent Group page for your child’s college or university. These pages have the best info!! I especially love the tips and tricks from parents who’ve done it before. For example, one of the dad’s posted on our page that it was totally worth the extra $50 to guarantee yourself an early move in slot for the dorm. Everyone agreed! I also found out Instacart will deliver directly to the dorm. Now I can stop stressing about her not having a car! I also loved the list of dorm essentials. We won’t have to spend money on things she won’t really need. You need to check out these pages for actual details you won’t get from the university.

Second, sign up for any newsletter the college offers. They’re online so it comes right to your inbox. These letters provide dates that you kids will never remember to give you. You’ll get dates for parents weekend, homecoming, move-out dates, etc. You know, the stuff that you’re kids will answer with I don’t know. 🤦🏻‍♀️ It will also give you updates about other things happening on campus. Reminders about finals, tuition payments, and the like are usually in the letter as well. We also got a listing a fun things to check out on campus and in town.

If the university or college has it, sign up for the Parent Portal. Here, you can track grades, pay bills, add money to your student’s dining card, and the like. Each university has different levels of transparency for parents. If you can get your kids to do it, have them allow as much access as possible. I’m hoping having visibility to her grades will help keep her focused.

While college is a time for your kids to grow and mature, it’s nice to have a way to get info about what’s going on so you don’t miss anything important!

What are your tips for getting ready to send your child to college? Can’t wait to hear from you! Love, TC