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A parent’s number one goal is to raise children to become happy, confident, and independent young adults. However, it’s not an easy task. What are things to know before college?
That’s our job as parents, to get them there. As a mom of two teenagers approaching college, I’ve been reflecting on this quite a bit. This article lists the top 13 things to learn before college.
Things to know before college
Finance things to know for college
1) How to use a debit or credit card
It is hard to remember how it felt to first learn to use a debit or credit card. I didn’t realize this was stressful for teenagers until mine revealed they were nervous about it even after having used it a time or two with us.
When you think about it, card machines operate slightly differently from each other. It’s a good idea to take them to multiple places and let them practice using their cards when they are with you. The gas station pump can be surprisingly intimidating for new card users.
Now that they are carrying a credit or debit card, ensure they have a good wallet or card carrier to secure it. It is increasingly easy for scammers to stand behind someone in line and steal credit card info by holding a small RIFD collection device near the wallet. Here is a great small RFID-safe wallet if you’re looking for a gift for your teen.
2) How to use mobile payment apps
People don’t carry cash with them anymore. When kids go out together, it’s common for one to pay the bill. The easiest way to pay back their friends often is by using a mobile payment app.
3) How to create and manage a budget
Most teenagers have no idea how expensive life is. The vast majority of them have not had to worry about budgeting up to this point. Involving them in financial decisions about their expenses during college is not only smart, but it’s also necessary in my opinion.
You don’t have to invest in any fancy apps or software. You can design a simple Google sheet and build a budget with them. Here is a great free student budget template (free template at the time this article was written) if you don’t have the time or skills to create one by yourself.
For those who prefer paper (I do), I love this Clever Fox budget planner. It comes in a wide variety of colors and has everything a teen (or adult) needs when it comes to financial planning.
It’s even a good idea to make them responsible for some expenses (even if you are the one supplying them with the money) before they leave the house.
Safety things to know before university
4) How to order shared rides
Although both my teenagers swear they will never drink, I’ve been a young adult. Therefore I’d rather be safe than sorry.
We plan on adding our own credit card to the kid’s shared ride accounts when they leave for college and will have a no-questions-asked policy when they use it. We will make sure they are 100% comfortable using the apps.
5) Basic safety concepts
Unfortunately, we live in a crazy world. While we can’t live in fear and avoid experiencing new things, it’s important to be as safe as we can. We’ve mainly managed the safety of our children up until this point, it’s time to share basic safety concepts with them.
- Do not walk alone at night. Use the buddy system or take a shared ride.
- Do not leave anyone behind. You arrive as a group, you leave as a group.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to the people around you and any strange behaviors.
- Follow your intuition. If you feel uncomfortable, remove yourself from the situation.
- Only agree to meet new people in public places.
- Always tell someone that you are going to meet someone new. Tell them who the person is, their contact info, and where the meeting is.
- Share your location with at least one person. It doesn’t have to be your parents, it can be your best friend.
For times when they’ll need to walk alone at night, consider getting a personal alarm keychain like this one which is very well-rated.
Life skills things to know before college
6) How to manage their time
It can be tricky for teenagers to go from only being responsible for their school work and social activity to having to manage regular grown-ups day to day tasks. Share with them how you manage your time.
You can also introduce them to different techniques that might be useful for them such as the time-blocking method.
A planner is a great option to learn to become and remain organized. Once again, Clever Fox is hard to beat for a solid young adult planner.
7) How to do laundry
This is a basic life skill that everyone should know. This is a great chore that can be taught to kids as early as 12 or 13 years old.
Talk about how often to wash clothes, sheets, towels, etc. Additionally, you can share tips and tricks on how not to ruin their clothes by making rookie mistakes.
For more ideas about chores for teenagers, check out this article.
8) How to clean
No matter if they plan to live in a dorm, apartment, or house, knowing how to clean is crucial. And no, it doesn’t just come naturally.
I will not pretend my children are great at cleaning. However, I will say that they know what should be cleaned and how to do it. I believe that their slightly rebellious and independent personality is preventing us from seeing their potential. But I have hopes.
9) How to cook the basics
I wrote an entire article about cooking the basics. I am passionate about the importance of everyone knowing how to make basic food.
Teenagers should be able to cook things such as pasta, rice, eggs, potatoes, veggies, meat, etc. Furthermore, they should be able to put simple but healthy and filling meals together.
For more info to learn how to cook basic things, check out this article.
Pro Tip: Order meal kits to teach your kids how to cook. The instructions are simple and detailed and all the ingredients are right there together. You can even let them pick the meals they will make.
10) Understand food safety
In addition to learning how to cook basic things, a list of things to know before college would not be complete without discussing food safety.
Did you know that 12%-20% of foodborne illnesses are due to poor food handling practices? Crazy, isn’t it?
Teaching your kids the proper temperature to cook meat to and why it’s important is key. Furthermore, they should understand the concept of cross-contamination. For example, they should not cut the vegetables for their salad on the same cutting board they just cut the chicken on.
11) How to grocery shop
A grocery store can be an intimidating place for new shoppers. It’s helpful to understand the common layout of most grocery stores, where to find certain items, and how to read labels.
Additionally, it’s a good opportunity to show them how they can save money on groceries but using coupons, checking the sales before heading to the store, and doing some meal planning.
Here is a great 7-day meal plan for college students with a grocery list for under $65!
Transportation things to know before university
12) Change a spare tire
If your child is taking a car with them to college, I highly encourage you to review how to change a tire with them.
They will likely spend more time than ever before on the road and a flat tire is bound to happen at some point. Alternatively, and especially if their car isn’t in great shape, you could take a AAA membership to share with them.
13) Understand how to use public transportation
If your teen won’t be taking a car to college and if they’ve had little to no exposure to public transportation, you should add this to your list.
We’ve already discussed shared rides earlier. However, for day-to-day transportation, this can get pretty expensive.
If they’ll be using the subway or bus and this is new to them, it’s a good idea to study the bus system in the city they’ll be living in. It might even be a good idea to take a ride together to make sure they are comfortable.
In conclusion
The college years can be some of the most amazing for young adults. They can also be stressful and filled with uncertainty. As a parent, try to help them navigate this new season of life,
I hope this blog post has given you confidence in the top things to know before college.
Thanks for reading.
Cat xx
