Give them their Space - Children leave home to go to college not just to get a degree but also as a sign of independence. Try to respect this part of moving into adulthood. Don?t visit your child every weekend on campus. College is a time when students need to learn to take care of themselves. They need time to study and to meet people and make new friends. This doesn?t mean not ever visiting them or not calling them. The key here is to keep it to a reasonable level.

Talk about Finances - Outside of studying, money or the lack of it, will be one of the biggest issues your college student will face. Many students graduate college in a mountain of debt and many times this debt is credit card debt. College students are surrounded by credit card companies and schemes to get them to sign up for credit cards. Help your child to remain out of debt as much as possible by discussing with them the responsible use of credit cards. Or you may wish to give them a card that either has a low limit such as $500 or a credit gift card that you put money on and they can only spend that amount. These types of cards are available at some banks and credit card companies.

Sending your child off to college can be hard. But it is a part of their growth and we have to give them the wings and the space to fly.

About the Author

Bruce Gibbs has worked as a college instructor and is the author of the college success book, Giving Away the Keys: A Professor Unlocks the Secrets to College Success. Details about the book can be found at www.GivingAwaytheKeys.com .The book is available at all major bookstores and online retailers such as Amazon.com.