Graduation Archives - Mom Knows College

Tips for Moving Into the College Dorm

I’m writing this post today a bit selfishly, as I’m about to embark on the dreaded bring-your-college-freshman-to-school day.

I’ve got mixed feelings, like all parents do – a mix of excitement and pride. But right now it’s mostly panic.

It’ll be an emotional day.

To prepare myself for the inevitable roller coaster of emotions, I’ve collected the very best tips I’ve heard from moms who’ve done it before. I’ve also found nuggets from across the web.

It’ll help make for a relatively smooth (though not without tears) move in day.

And, Mom…I hope it helps you, too.

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4 Things Your Teen Should Know Before Leaving for College

by Lea Leave a Comment

There are dozens of life skills that our teenagers need to learn before heading off to college and being on their own for the first time. The more you teach your teen before heading off for school, the more prepared she’ll be.

Make the transition to college easier for your teen by teaching some basic living-away-from-home skills.

Here’s a short list of essential skills to get you started:

What You Need to Know About Choosing High School Courses

by Lea 5 Comments

There’s a simple question that many parents don’t realize they should be consistently asking themselves each school year:

Is my teenager taking the right courses to get into the right college for him?

Disappointingly, it might not be your teen’s high school counselor that will have this answer.

Parents often assume that their kids’ high schools have the college admissions thing figured out, and the whole plan for the students who attend is to be ready to get into the right college fit after graduation. But unless your teen goes to a high school that boasts its commitment to college prep, this may unfortunately not be the case.

So, it’s really up to you to be aware of which courses your teen needs for college admissions.

Don’t let your teenager get caught at the end of senior year without having necessary courses under his belt. Here’s what you need to know about the courses your teen should be taking to ensure he’s ready for college admissions.

What High School Graduates Should Know about the College Experience

by Lea Leave a Comment

Sure, seniors in high school have an idea about what they’ll experience in college based on conversations with people who’ve been there, or based on what they’ve experienced during college visits. But there are some things that just aren’t apparent until you get there.

I, for one, was pretty intimidated when I started. I didn’t realize that I’d have so much time that I’d need to structure for myself. Or that there would be a gazillion people in many of my classes. And exams? Those looked really different, too.

Forward this infographic on to your high schooler to give a better idea of what to expect in college. It might help a little with the initial overwhelm!

15 Unique Graduation Gift Ideas

by Lea 1 Comment

Everyone knows that cash money is an easy winner when it comes to graduation gifts- it’s universal and appreciated by every graduate, no doubt.

But…is it really all that memorable?

Most people will get the graduate cash this year, so be a little different (especially if it’s your kid who’s graduating).

Check out some other cool and practical gifts they’ll really appreciate: