At B&L Properties, we are here to serve both you and your student. As your student begins this new adventure of living away from home, you may have many questions that go beyond the documents he/she will be signing. You may have questions about what they should pack, how to transition to college life, and how you can help support them so they can be successful. As a result, we have provided you with links below to some resources that will help support you through this transition to your student living away at college.
Practical Packing Tips: When helping your student prepare to live in their own apartment, there are many items that they will need in order to survive this new living experience. Much like when you bought your first house or lived away from home for the first time when you were in college, there are many things you use on a regular basis that you do not think twice about until you go to grab them and they are not there. Here are links to lists of some of the most commonly forgotten items that your student will need to have on hand in their apartment:
- 19 Things Students Forget to Bring to College
- The College “Don’t Forget” Packing List
- What to Bring to College – Best College Packing List Ever
Support: Many parents are unsure of the best way to support their student as they begin the journey of earning a college degree. They seek to find the right balance between allowing their student to be independent and yet still providing them with wise counsel along the way. This can not only be an extremely hard balance to find but also a difficult one since it requires you to give your student the freedom to make their own decisions. The Jody Michael Associates provide a wealth of suggestions on how to help you find this balance:
Letting Go: As a parent of a college student who is living away from home, it can be an incredibly difficult process to let your student go. As you help your student move into their apartment, you feel as though you are dropping them off to begin a life on their own but you are not ready for this change yet. You are unsure of what lies ahead in your student’s future and how they will handle living on their own without you there to watch over their every move. Yet, letting go is an essential part of the parenting process and one that comes with much fear. See what Dr. Jann Gumbiner has to say about this process:
Success: There are a variety of things that your student can do to help ensure they have the most successful first year possible. Or, you may have a student in their sophomore, junior, or senior year who could use some reminders of what makes a successful student. As their parent, you can encourage your student to do the following things found here:
Again, we are honored that you have chosen B&L Properties to house your student during their college experience. We do not take this job lightly and we will do our best to make your students’ living experience the most successful one possible.