Five Tips for your Teens Off-to-College Toolbox

Five Tips for your Teen's Off-to-College Toolbox Its almost here: your teens departure for college. When it comes to packing, he or she may be focused on dorm dcor and clothes, but there are a number of other intangible items your teen will want to remember to bring along when he or she begins the college journey. Dont forget these all-important tips and tools for the brand new college student: List of college resources Dont let your teen lose track of that college directory and handbook at orientation. As he or she learns to be an independent adult, your student may need access to the support services and other resources on campus designed to make his or her college experience a good one. Be sure he or she knows how to get a hold of the academic advisor, faculty advisor (if assigned one yet), tutoring center and other resources. If your teen has a learning disability, he or she may want to have the phone number and location of the disability support services office available. Think aheadwhat else might your student need? Where is the closest computer lab? How can he or she form a study group with students in his or her dorm or major? Good study habits Is your teen equipped with the study skills to succeed at college? If he or she is disorganized, now is the time to work on improving this skill. Other skills, such as problem-solving, goal-setting, persistence in achieving those goals, and focus are also so important. Off on his or her own for the first time, your teen will need to think critically, make decisions and learn from his or her mistakes. Time management Time management is arguably one of the most critical skills your teen will need to do well in college and in his or her career. At college, your student will have many choices on how to spend his or her time. Having the discipline and ability to prioritize all of the things in his or her life is crucial to your students academic successand overall happiness. You can begin working on this before your student leaves for college by keeping a family calendar, encouraging your teen to maintain a planner, and spending a little time together each night to go over any assignments due the next day or within a week and talk about any projects further out on the horizon. Financial basics While it is less of an academic tipbut no less importantyour teen must be financially responsible and savvy enough to take care of him or herself. Can he or she balance a checkbook? Have you equipped him or her with the street smarts to know not to max out a credit card or disregard bill due dates? If your student is paying for some of his or her education, be sure he knows how to access resources such as the financial aid office, too. An understanding of work-school balance College is an exciting journey for your student, and he or she should stay focused on the pursuit of his or her education. However, while your student should work hard in school, there is more to college than studying, and it is healthy to seek balance. By encouraging your student to lead a well-balanced life in high schoolmaking time for school, family, friends and any other priorities (volunteering, work, activities or other hobbies)youll also be helping to set the foundation for a successful college experience.

7 Steps to Get You Ready for the Big Move

7 Steps to Get You Ready for the Big Move You’re about to move and are a little overwhelmed? We’re in the same boat. I’m about to move abroad and should really be an expert by now. After all, I’ve moved ten times over the past seven years. These are the steps I’m taking to get ready:1.  Make a To-Do ListMaking a To-Do list is fairly easy, but the trick is keeping it to one list, rather than many, and actually working it off. As I’m falling asleep or walking home from work I think of a thousand things I need to get done before leaving. On a good day I actually jot it all down, only to end up with ten crumpled post-it notes that then end up in the dryer. Not so great. So my tip: Have one list and keep it close by!2.  Plan aheadIf I’m leaving on Saturday morning, I should be packed by Friday night. I’m busy all week, so I’ll get the laundry done on… ahm… I could really use a house elf right now. Take a good look at your To-Do list and plan ahead. It can save you a lot of last-minute stress if you do it rig ht.3.  Stick with your plan!A plan is only worthwhile if you stick with it. But the reality is that seeing your friends one last time is more important than arriving with ironed clothes and batteries for your life-saving electronic translator. So when I say “stick with your plan!” I actually mean, “Good luck! I hope it works out for you, but in the last seven years this part hasn’t worked out for me so well.”4.  Freak outHow did sticking with the plan work out for you? It obviously didn’t for me. It’s Thursday night, the laundry isn’t done, the To-Do list is long enough to cover the entire staircase, and time is running out. It’s time to freak out a little. You’re moving halfway around the world; it’s ok to be a little overwhelmed. If you’re too calm and collected, your friends may think you’re more of a robot than a person.5.  Toss it all inStill not packed? Here’s your chance! I ended up tossing it all in, sitting on the lid, and forgot to keep the weig ht limit in mind. If you can’t lift it, it’s probably too heavy. If you previously made a packing list, now would be a good time to take a look around the room and squeeze everything in that you previously missed. (I still haven’t managed to cross the ‘Make a Packing List’ entry off my To-Do List)6.  Pretend it was the plan all alongThis is the point where you can show off your theatrical skills â€" convince your friends and family that you enjoy the thrill of doing it all at the last minute. In the end, it always works out. As long as you have your passport and visa, don’t sweat too much about all the things you could or may have forgotten.7. EnjoyEnjoy the trip and be grateful for all experiences, even the ones you struggle with at the time. I can’t say it better than Eleanor Roosevelt: “The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”Here’s to your adventur e, to the experience of a lifetime! I’m off to Mexico, what about you?Dorothee Rembold is an intern at Teach Away Inc.