Now that high school is over and the summer is underway it is time to start planning for your student’s arrival at their college campus in a few weeks. Besides shopping for dorm items and figuring out what to bring from home, you can begin to set them up in the new community they will be calling home.
#1 Check your health insurance plan and find doctors near their campus that are within network and create contacts in their phone for any emergencies that may arise.
#2 Have them scan a copy of their health insurance card into their laptop in case they need to email it to any doctor’s offices or it gets lost.
#3 Find a local urgent care and ER near the campus that is covered under their insurance and explain when they should seek an urgent care or an ER over the student health center.
#4 If they are bringing a car to an out-of-state campus research the local state laws to see if any updates to insurance or a state driver’s license will be required.
#5 Order a parking pass now if the campus requires one so it will be on the car on move-in day.
#6 Most college campuses have ATMs or a local bank branch on campus so it may make sense to open a small account, even if it is not your primary bank, where you can send money to your students if needed and they can cash checks or get cash.
#7 If your student does not have a credit card, discuss if this would be a good time to have them open one to establish credit and have access to a charge card for purchases like ride-share services, travel to and from home, textbooks, etc.
#8 Set-up online access to credit cards or bank accounts including alerts (parents may want to also have access if they will be making online payments or transferring money to the student).
#9 Help them create a professional LinkedIn account where they can start adding contacts as they attend networking or club events on campus even as freshman.
#10 Students may not be savvy shoppers yet when it comes to toiletries or groceries so plan on taking them on a few grocery runs and pointing out the differences in store-brands versus name brands and how to compare what sizes are the best value for their needs.
#11 Find local grocery stores, mass market chain stores, and pharmacies near their campus and, if they will not have a car on campus, research the best way a student can get to these places; some campuses may have a shuttle service that makes daily trips to popular spots or a bus/mass transit stop right near the campus.
#12 Go over a budget with your student and let them know what you will pay for, what they will be expected to pay for, what expenditures you feel are appropriate, and when they need to get input from you before they make a purchase over a certain dollar amount.
Helping students understand more about their campus and the surrounding area will make them feel confident and prepared to handle any emergencies that arise and give parents a sense of peace knowing their young adults have the tools they need to navigate their daily life from day one.
