A Message to First Year College Students and Their Parents

August.

The time of year when first time college students are excited (and maybe a little nervous) about starting a new phase in their life.

The time of year when parents begin to realize that their 'baby' is no longer a baby and is about to spread their wings and fly.

I have written some things in the past to parents and students about how to navigate this time of life that merit re-visiting.

For parents,
my post on Coping When Your Child Leaves for College has tips on dealing with your feelings and navigating the weeks after your student leaves home.

For students, even though you probably heard some great tips at orientation about succeeding and getting involved at college, these 5 Simple Steps for College Success are easy to do.  I promise if you implement them from your first day of class, you will have a great semester!

As you shop for dorm room accessories and decide what cooking supplies you need, this post, Dorm Room Cooking will help.  It also has some easy recipes that can be made in the microwave.

Parents, when you start thinking about care packages and finals survival kits, check out Create the Perfect College Finals Survival Kit.  I created this after looking for ideas that didn't include tons of junk food.  It has a good mix of healthy and fun.  

Enjoy the last few weeks of August.  

Rejoice that your student is maturing.

Students- call home sometimes.

When December rolls around, both students and parents, will be amazed at the difference a few months can make.