Every single year the point comes when parents sad because their child has grown up enough and is going away to college. As they walk away from their parents, there is a little grin, they are now independent! It may be their first time away from their parents for a length of time and they are looking forward to it, but there are some different things that students forget about living at college and being prepared for every eventuality. Most students will think that living at college will be easier and more fun without their parents, but some do struggle with the different things, such as cooking and washing, which they will have to do.

When you are living at college it means that you will be the sole controller of your expenses, work, study, essay submission deadlines as well as other things. But, when you get used to all of these it will become easier. If you are looking at how you will eat at college then it could be a good idea to invest in a fridge and freezer (one of the compact ones), which will allow you to keep frozen items in your room. And, for those important snack times, you should buy a microwave when you need to have a hot snack.

Having laundry detergent and other tools is a must as you will be doing your own laundry, and you will notice that doing your laundry at college is a time consuming process. Also, you will recognise that this is one of the things that will help you recognise your independence too.

You will need to make sure that all of your credit card information is changed to your college address as you will want to keep your payments up to your credit cards as you won’t want people banging on your door demanding money. You want to make sure that the early days of your credit rating are going well and that you are working up to when you actually need to get credit, after college. If you end up without a good credit rating after college, then you could experience some negative effects.

Remember to protect yourself from thieves in your dorm. Keep all your identifying information and credit cards and such in a hidden place while keeping your door locked at all times. I know this may seem a bit paranoid, but many students find items disappearing as they keep their doors open often and/or unlocked. You may not notice, but the one in your dorm a few doors down who would like to have some of you stuff certainly does.

It is also important to stay healthy in college. If another college student comes down with flu, which keeps them bedridden, then there may be the possibility of you catching it and missing some of your classes. This means that, when you spot a symptom, you should take advantage of your health center when feeling sick.

When you are preparing your clothes you should consider taking warm clothing. If you don’t then you could have a chilling experience when walking to class on a cold morning. If you are just wearing pair of lightweight pants and a shirt, then this isn’t going to keep you warm and protect you from the cold.

While preparing for college, you should think about your dorm room and your living situation, and if you will take any decorative items to put up in your room. You will have a roommate and will need to get along with each other as this will help you survive your first year at college. You will both be staying in close quarters, so respecting each other‘s feelings ad own space is of importance.