College/University..The Final Frontier

[Darth Penguin]

So Penguinette 1 is heading out into collegedom...

Hints, tips and advice required from both parents and escapee children required..

[heartgirl99]

exciting time, darth!

is she going to be living in residence? will she be able to come home on weekends?

[walkonby]

exactly^^ my first question was is she traveling away to attend College? If so, be prepared for unexpected $$ headaches that may come with that option. For some reason this next step for offspring in their future can have them behaving a tad stand off-ish wanting very little advice, instructions, or input from their parents, although I hope your Penguinette is a bird of a different feather.
Try not to pine about " is she getting enough proper food to eat " , they always manage to get by despite the horrible diets they indulge in. Does she have another good friend going to that same College? Would be nice for her not to feel isolated on day one. ( btw, I mean one that is NOT a bad influence, ha ha )

bets of luck to her!!

[Darth Penguin]

She'll be in residences in Montreal..Sharing with a friend.

Probably not back every week-end but when either friend's mum, Mr P or I can pick them up. I'm gussing round once month. It's about an hour trip depending on weather, traffic and day of travel..we are close to cottage country so week-end travel can be difficult if you don't know the back routes..

[Darth Penguin]

I'm teaching her to cook and budget ATM..She's more into baking sweet stuff simply cos mummy is providing all the choccie..

[heartgirl99]

i'm guessing that she'll be on a meal plan then since she's in rez?
will she be able to have a small fridge in her room? how about a microwave?

[walkonby]

Meal plans can be frustrating ( expensive ) and mandatory with residence. I hope the one your DD might be on is a more reasonable cost. Cooking lessons sounds like a great bit of fun before she leaves. Glad she already has a room mate!

[Natalka]

Well, it's good she'll be so close! When I went away to uni, I was an hour and a half away - would go home by bus probably once a month, then it depended how long weekends fell with study, exams, etc. as the year went on.
However, that was in dinosaur times pre-technology - you, and other families, are SO very lucky to have texting, Skype, facetime, etc. - it's just great!

I was sharing in a room in rez, didn't know my roomie, but it worked out wonderfully.

So it's very good your daughter already knows with whom she'll be living, that's a def plus.

Just keep in touch as much as you can - remembering that she may not answer you instantly.
Depends upon how she was at home, how social she was - but she'll spread her wings, and should be let to.
I was really, really sheltered and learned SO much my first year out, and from my mistakes, too.

Be assured that you've had all these years to raise her and prep her just in general for life, and be confident in the wonderful young woman you have raised!

[Darth Penguin]

i'm guessing that she'll be on a meal plan then since she's in rez?
will she be able to have a small fridge in her room? how about a microwave?

Not sure about a meal plan but the suite has a kitchette with a stove top, fridge and place for microwave.

[Natalka]

If she has a kitchen, then she won't be on a meal plan.
In my rez on campus, we only had a bedroom, shared bathrooms down the hall, and went to a cafeteria for our meals.

However, I think others not living there could purchase meal plans, but they were bloody expensive.

[Darth Penguin]

private bathroom too...

[Natalka]

^ That's a BIG bonus! Must be a nice complex she'll be in.

[Ciel]

Attend orientation if you can. You probably have scoped all the online information on the website including any student discount card plus any retailers or service providers that provide discounts with valid student id! That student id is likely linked to an electronic bank account that pays for copies, food, college ancillary fees, etc. Might want to go over keeping a budget on copies and focus on drafts being stored on USBs and only printing the final copies.

If her study program will lead to a career in a regulated profession, find out what a student membership costs during her school years and what events/opportunities exist for her to mix/network/gain experience. All I can say is that in accounting programs, the instructors kept talking about how 70% marks in certain courses would allow students to apply for exemption exams at the professional association but they failed to say the exams cost $$$ per course. Plus any ongoing professional education course requirements and the annual fee to keep membership current. If she's in a business program, chances are the first semester is common for insurance/accounting/marketing programs then by getting a high enough mark, she can stream into her desired area for semester 2.

Books-avoid buying any courseware (college published books/guides) until Penguinette 1 can confirm if they are necessary. They usually are non-refundable and sometimes are not always actually used in the courses (I recall a career education class where maybe twice the courseware book was used). Also check book lists for her courses and see if the books from the last academic year are still in use this year-can buy used from other students or through bookstore/student union if they have their own used book sale (minus a per book fee). I've heard of students paying halfs on texts to save money and splitting use of them.

If Penguinette 1 is covered under one parent's dental plan (some companies might require you to fill a form to maintain coverage once she's over 18/19 but attending post-secondary school FT), she likely can opt out in the first month from the student union plan-must complete a form. Ditto opting out of any transit plan from the student union if she has access to a car. Again, this has to be done in the first month.

There's probably a designated move-in weekend or date in order not to upset nearby residents by the residence.

Student union probably has some welcoming events that involve a bus trip to a big box store or maybe a weekly bus run to an area grocery store for food buys. Worth looking for anything of the kind.

Just about all schools have an internal student portal for e-mail/college news/student marks/course add/drop and yes, income tax receipts for tuition/books that your student is responsible for printing out and giving to you.

Bed Bath and Beyond has some kind of contest about Back To School that ends this month!

Schools/student unions offer PT on-campus work experiences if getting work/money during school is part of the expectation. Student council positions-if Penguinette1 goes for an executive position, there is likely a PT course load but it could affect her ability to keep transit pass or other student benefits without some kind of forms being filled out. No course load adjustment for being a class rep though! She can expect to give up her common hour once per month for student rep meetings. Committees usually meet after classes...

[KDivers]

Montreal is a really fun city for students! If she has a roof over head and some friends she will be fine. Just remind her to study lol. It isn't worth purchasing a meal plan. If she is in residence, she will be most likely be living down town and will have access to stores, restaurants markets etc.

[Ciel]

^ That's a BIG bonus! Must be a nice complex she'll be in.

Many college campuses with residences tend to have another company manage the residences for the colleges. They are the same units that get rented out to the public during summer months aka spring semester on campus.

Basic setup of a two-student dorm room is what Darth Penguin described. I took a tour one time during an open house just to see what the place looked like at Mohawk College. That residence had a weekly cleaner come to tidy the kitchenette/bathroom-light cleaning. There was also a weekly grocery shuttle route to ferry students to a nearby plaza for food shopping.