what do college freshmen need to know

14 Surprising Must-Know Health Tips for College-Bound Teens

July 11, 2023

*This post was originally published as a guest blog on one of my favorite teen parenting sites, RaisingTeensToday Be sure to check out this awesome resource!

When kids venture off to college, they often have a steep learning curve, especially when they start to take charge of their own health. While mom and dad are only a text away, having an ounce of preventative knowledge may be worth way more than a pound of cure! As both a college physician and as a mom of young adults, I’d like to offer fourteen practical and possibly surprising health tips to share … Read more

Packing for College? Don’t Forget These 8 Items!

August 3, 2022

Excitement and anxiety are in the air as students across the country prepare to fly the nest and head off to college. Universities provide useful shopping lists for dorm necessities, while Pinterest and TikTok will add more mini-lights, tapestries and pillows to your list than you can count! So why am I adding to your list? Because as both a college mom & a college physician, I know the most common items that students forget or simply don’t think to pack…till they actually need them.

1. Prescription Glasses: if your student wears contacts, PLEASE be sure they take a pair … Read more

College Health Checklist: 12 Things To Do Before Your Child Leaves Home

May 12, 2022

*This post was originally published as a guest blog on one of my favorite teen parenting sites, RaisingTeensToday Be sure to check out their site!

As parents, when we’re preparing to send our “kidults” off to college, we often spend the last few months before they leave cramming every possible nugget of wisdom into their brain – and rightly so.

And, even though our loving advice, (passed along with all good intentions, of course) might be met with an eye roll and an “Okay! I knoooowwww!” we have to press on because part of the separation process isn’t … Read more

5 Summer “Must-Do’s” Before Starting College

June 24, 2021

CONGRATS to the Class of 2021! While my Pandemic-Powered Seniors post shares why this class may turn out to be the best prepared college freshmen yet, there’s still some “summer homework” I’d recommend before they fly the nest. NOW is the time for students to begin actively preparing for and engaging with their new school and community. Here are 5 ways grads can get ahead:

HOMESICKNESS is real, and ironically, often worse in students who stay close to home. Kids who are close enough to go home for meals and laundry often miss out on the spontaneous hang-outs, meals and