Are you in the process of preparing your student for year one of college? This is an exacting time but it’s also important to ensure that you do take the right steps here. That way, you can guarantee that your student thrives and is able to maximize their potential during this critical first year. 

The Right Pillow 

Sleep is important and without it your child won’t be able to function as they should. Ideally, they should be getting between six to ten hours of sleep each night. Admittedly this may be a bit impossible if they are attending parties and events regularly. However, you can help them with the sleep they will be getting and invest in a good-quality pillow to sleep on. The very best pillow is one that supports your child while they are sleeping. This could be anything that they are comfortable using, however, pillows containing memory foam are the best ones to use. 

If you really do want your child to have the best for their first year at college, why not send them off with the world’s smartest pillow? Yes, you did read that right, there is now a smart pillow. With this one you don’t have to worry about buying different pillows for different sleeping positions. This is the only one your child will ever need, it automatically adjusts to any position. It also comes with an app to help your child monitor their levels of sleep. 

A Smart Watch 

There is nothing worse than being late to class, this can happen a lot in college. However, how about you try and help your child to avoid that by investing in a smart watch for them. This not only tells the time but can remind them about important events and essays that may be due. With so many out there to choose from, it is a bit of a minefield. You can check out reviews online and ask your family and friends for recommendations. If they have a smartphone then the best option is to get one that matches that. For instance the new apple watch is amazing and provides a wide range of benefits including the ability to track heartbeat and pulse rates while also keeping track of a daily schedule. 

Comfortable Clothing 

It’s important to ensure that your child has comfortable clothing when they are at college. You don’t want their feet to hurt walking around all day. That’s why you should make sure that you are choosing the best pair of shoes for your kid. Brands like Dr Martens are well known for effortlessly combining comfort and style in a shoe that will be ideal for those long walks to different college lectures. 

You might even want to think about taking your child on a shopping trip before the first term to ensure that they have all the clothing they need. 

A Guide For Managing Stress

Stress is always going to be a major concern for college kids. A startlingly high percentage of students will drop out of college before completing their first year because the stress is simply more than they can handle. That’s why it’s important to think about getting them a stress guide. There are books like this that provide coping strategies which could be useful for students. This is going to be particularly worth it around times like “hell week.” This week describes a time during every term of college where deadlines and preparations for exams all occur around the same time. It breaks some people but with the right stress management guide it won’t break your child. 

Help With Meal Planning 

It’s important to ensure that your child eats well when they are at college. If they’re not getting everything that they need from their diet, then they’re going to struggle to concentrate in lessons and lectures. That’s the last thing you want and that’s why you should focus on ensuring that your kid is getting a wholesome meal each day at college. One of the ways that you can do this is by making sure that they have some recipes up their sleeve before you leave. You can also provide them with the right kitchen equipment. For instance, you might want to get them a slow cooker. This means that they can leave their meal cooking while they are at college and enjoy it once they arrive home. Contrary to news reports, these are perfectly safe. 

Budget Support 

It’s definitely worth ensuring that you help your child plan a budget for their years at college. It’s important to manage stress levels as much as you can and one of the biggest problems that causes stress is definitely finances. The good news is that there are some easy steps that you can take to help your kid handle the costs with ease. 

For instance, you can get them setup with an online banking solution. This will allow you to keep track of their spending in real time. You might also want to provide them with an emergency credit card. That way, they’ll never be stuck not being able to afford something that they really need when they are at college. 

A Good Laptop 

Finally, your child is always going to need a good laptop or computer to complete their work whether it’s research or writing a report. A poor laptop will lead to issues with delays and problems with completing projects to the right deadline.

There are countless laptops to choose from whether it’s a Mac or the latest Microsoft device. You can also choose from two-in-one tablets which can be useful as they will be perfect for lectures and lessons. 

We recommend that if you are buying your child a laptop, you do look at the reviews. This will provide you with a solid idea of what to expect and any red flags for laptops that you need to avoid. Laptops are expensive but you can get them second hand if you’re on a limited budget. Amazon also sells refurbished laptops at a discounted price which are almost as good as new.