College prep not only entails the typical kinds of prep: college applications, scholarship searches, test prep, essay prep and financial aid; but it should also include safety preparation. When you talk about safety, parents cringe. Their biggest fear in sending their student off to college is the concern that they will be safe away from their constant supervision. But keeping your student safe personally is just part of the equation.

Wendy David-Gaines, the Long Island College Prep Examiner and POCSMom, has this advice:

Concern about safety comes with the parenting territory. For parents of the college-bound, the word safety encompasses both the physical and the financial varieties. Fortunately, the following safety tips for the former also apply to the latter, making it easier to teach.

It makes perfect sense to prepare your students for the ramifications of financial irresponsibility and physical threats. Before they leave for college, have discussions about the topics listed below and set your mind at ease about their safety.

Physical and financial college prep safety pointers

For more information on safety concerns, read these posts: Top 5 Posts about Parent Safety, 6 Safety Apps for Students, and Preparing for College: Safety First.