Whether moving across town or across the country, launching your teen to college is a huge milestone in your parenting journey.
In addition to lists of things to pack, things to buy and classes to enroll in, make sure your college student makes their health a priority.
Wellness Visits and Vaccinations
To prevent germs from spreading in communal living spaces and classrooms, most universities and colleges will require a pre-entrance physical and up-to-date immunization record.
It’s a good idea to schedule a wellness exam for their healthiest start to the new school year, and you can make sure your student has had all the recommended vaccines, including meningococcal, measles, chicken pox and flu.
Accessing Healthcare
The student health center is a great place to start for care once on campus, and step one is being sure your student knows where to find it. Making the trek when healthy and well will make finding care much easier if they get sick during the year.
Establishing primary care with a provider if your student has moved away is another important step into adulthood. Even if they’re staying close to home the shift from high school to college is the perfect time to transition from pediatric to adult care. Find a new provider in one of our markets here.
Keep Moving and Eat Well
Gaining the freshman 15 is not inevitable, and you can help prepare your student to live their best life even with access to round-the-clock snacks on their meal plan. Emphasize portion control, getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated, all of which will help ease the transition away from home.
Encourage your student to make use of the student rec center for exercise and perhaps join a sport club to get even more active while making new friends.
Student Drinking Culture
Your student will likely need to navigate the ritual that is drinking at college. Harmful and underage college drinking can have an enormous toll on the health and well-being of students and their communities.
The continuing influence of parents is a preventive factor in reducing the potential harm, so discuss alcohol use, its consequences and how it can be harmful with your teen before they set off for school.
Stay in Touch to Offer Support
Managing mental health is a huge challenge for everyone, especially college students. The newfound independence is great, and new and returning college students do need their space. It’s also important for them to know parents are only a text away.
You’ll find a rhythm for regular check-ins with your student, and your emotional support will help buoy them through the ups and downs of settling into a new college routine.
