What the College “Need-to-Bring” Checklists Fail to Mention

As my son prepares for his sophomore year of college, I cannot help but think back to last year. I read all the “must-do” and “must-bring” lists. However, there were still certain items we discovered somewhat by accident.

These were less about “things-to-bring” and “nice-to-haves” but things to consider, especially if your college-bound child will not be 18 when they leave for college. Here are a few more items to keep in mind. 

Privacy Laws

Once your child turns 18, they are considered an adult in the eyes of the law. As a result, privacy laws make it challenging for parents/guardians to communicate with doctors, financial providers, and college administrators. Even though your child may be away at college, there are certain situations where you’ll want and need to help your children. Consider researching Power of Attorney, HIPAA Release, Financial Power of Attorney, and the FERPA release. You can work with an attorney and reference online resources such as Mama Bear Legal Forms.

If your child turns 18 before leaving for college, you can easily take care of the necessary documents before they leave. If not, like my child who turned 18 during his first semester away, there will be a few weeks without that protection, as forms need to be notarized—work on completing the process on that first school break after they turn 18. Extra steps and forms are likely if your residence and your child’s college are not in the same state.

Medications

Certain states cannot sell some medications to anyone under 18. It depends on the state and actual medication, but it is something to look into if your child is not yet 18 when they leave for college. Consider purchasing prior and sending it to college with them.

If your child goes to school out of state and is on prescription medication, it is necessary to address this before they leave for college. Their current doctor may not be licensed to practice medicine where the college is. Therefore, will not be able to call in a prescription. You can use the campus doctors, local doctors, and a local pharmacy. College student should bring their insurance card to college.

Register to Vote/Absentee Ballots

Turning 18 and being able to vote is a major milestone. To vote, you must be registered! The first national election will likely fall during the first semester of freshman year. With early voting, it’s possible they can vote in person during a school break. If not, order an absentee ballot. Also, all male US citizens and male immigrants are required to register with Selective Service at the age of 18.

AP Credits

These credits do not just automatically transfer. And credits and advanced placement are different things. Review the college’s deadline for getting AP scores and send them as soon as possible to ensure they’re received on time. Although more schools than ever before are accepting AP scores for credit or advanced placement, there is no blanket approval process. Some colleges may accept the credits; some may not. To get credit, you must request that The College Board send your official score report to the college of your choice. You’d be notified of any credit, advanced placement, and course exemptions you earned.

Local Recommendations

Have a general idea of emergency rooms, mechanics, barbers, doctors, dentists, pharmacies, urgent care (as sometimes the health centers on campus are overwhelmed), and similar. Encouragement, hints, and reminders to make their own appointments are most likely needed. A general idea of transportation around town, if any, is a good idea.

Campus Resources

Always helpful to learn where certain places are and their hours of operation – the laundry rooms, bookstore, campus health center, and package delivery area. For instance, you don’t want to send a perishable package to arrive on a Friday or Saturday if the mailroom is closed.

Additionally, the College/University websites are phenomenal resources. Try to find the answer before running to pose the question on the parent Facebook pages. But, if you must, give the search feature a shot first.

Email Accounts and Student Portals

Urge your child to check their college email and portal early and often. Students can access a portal with information on housing, classes, meals, etc. Often, the information they need is there if the student logs into their email and portal. Systems such as these are not new to them, as they’ve used similar systems in high school.

Understandably, freshman and their families have many questions. We’re teaching our children to be self-sufficient; the best thing we can do is lead by example.

Hopefully, some or all of these items will help you avoid a few of the stumbles we experienced! Good luck to all the children heading back to college and those starting their college careers. It is an exciting time for all!