7 Important Life Skills Your Teen Should Know Before College

Soon, your teenager will spread their wings and be adulting. How can this be? It feels like you just dropped them off for their first day of kindergarten! For nearly two decades, you've been their guide, equipping them with the essential life skills that will keep you tranquil as they spread their wings and venture into the world of adulthood. You've played a crucial role in preparing them for this moment, and you should feel proud of that.

Why Life Skills Matter for Your College-Bound Teen

While you cannot prepare them for every life situation or circumstance, not knowing these essential life skills can lead to unnecessary stress, financial difficulties, and even safety hazards. But you can teach them these skills to set them up for success and prevent some embarrassment.

Essential Life Skills for College Students

We've highlighted the top life skills for teens, including financial management, cooking, cleaning, and advocacy. These are the skills that are often overlooked but are crucial for becoming independent adults.

Managing Time Effectively

Most high school students begin to learn the ropes when balancing academic and social life. But it's important to consider that they likely have a group of peers, coaches, teachers, mentors, and parents helping them stay on track. High school seniors should know how to create their schedules. Documenting events on a calendar and sharing their schedule is a good habit. Encourage your child to find a calendar platform that they enjoy using. Google Calendar is a popular tool for creating schedules. Adding essential events to their calendars and sharing them with their friends and parents gives them a clearer picture of their involvement. They can then use this to prioritize their plans and keep track of important dates, like scholarship deadlines or exams.

Handling Basic Finances

A high school senior should know how to create a budget and learn how to manage their expenses on a college budget. Parents need to set financial expectations before their first year of college. For example, let your child know if you expect them to have a part-time job and how they should use that money. Should they use their cash to pay for activities like going to the movies or college games? Will you be helping to pay for some of their classes, or is this responsibility up to them? Who will be paying their bills? Create a budget example with them and encourage them to save it as a template to use independently. Discuss the pros and cons of credit cards and let them know they will pay this back on their own, just like they will need to if they use student loans to help pay for college. Be sure they understand the concept of compounding interest and the benefits of paying off all credit card balances so they can avoid overwhelming debt.

Cooking Simple Meals

Even if your student is eating in the dorm mess hall, they should have a solid understanding of basic cooking skills. Many dorms allow microwaves and toasters or have a communal cooking space for students. Knowing how to cook a simple microwave meal or snack will be helpful for any late-night study sessions. Microwave mac and cheese is a college student favorite! Below is a list of common kitchen mishaps or safety measures everyone should know: • Do not use metal of any kind, including eating utensils, in a microwave. • Never leave a stove unattended, even if you'll be right back. • Every kitchen space should have a fire extinguisher. • Store knives and sharp cooking tools properly to avoid accidental injuries. • Keep loose clothing and hair away from any flame or hot source. • Don't use a metal utensil to fish something out of the toaster. Have baking soda on hand for any grease fires. Putting a fire out with water is not always the best solution. You can also give smart cooking pointers or cooking tricks like: How to boil pasta - Don't dump noodles in until the water has started to boil. Be sure your child knows how to create a meal plan and grocery list. If you do online grocery shopping, show them how easy it is to order their groceries online to pick up. Explain how the tool helps save money when on a tight budget.

Basic Housekeeping

It's shocking when you realize dusting, toilet scrubbing, and laundry duty are solely your responsibility. To help your student be successful in college, be sure they have a basic understanding of cleaning and organization. Studies have shown a messy room can lead to anxiety and even depression! Begin incorporating them into your home laundry routine before they head to college. Demonstrate how having a schedule can help them keep a tidy dorm room. For instance, pick a day of the week for each chore. Sunday is laundry day. Monday is the dusting day, and Wednesday is the bathroom clean-up. Some students don't understand what tasks are required to clean a bathroom properly. Explain how to clean the toilet from the bowl to the base. Be sure they know to remove toothbrushes before spraying cleaner on a sink. They also need to know how to organize cleaning efforts with fellow dormmates. Cleaning a dorm bathroom shouldn't be one person's responsibility; creating a collective organization checklist is essential to keep the dorm room tidy.

How to Advocate for Yourself

College students should know how to ask for help, request more details, and say no. Being an advocate means learning when to ask more questions. Advocacy involves homework and assignments. For instance, the professor may not have been clear about assignment details. Your child would want to advocate for themselves by asking questions and possibly stopping by during the professor's office hours. Financial aid award packages are another area of advocacy for students. If a financial situation has changed, students must speak up and ask for an award letter review. Speaking up is difficult, but not doing so can make things much harder. If something doesn't feel right, it's time to advocate for yourself. Advocacy doesn't always have to be vocal. Students can leave a party or situation if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable with people and environments. In some cases, a roommate may not pitch in with housekeeping. Rather than letting it slide and grow into a bigger problem, they should know how to address conflict civilly.

Practicing Self-Care and Managing Stress

Teach your young adult to consider mental health and schoolwork as priorities. If saying "no" seems to be an area they struggle with, encourage them to ask these questions: • Who does the ask benefit? • Is the ask urgent? • Will this limit the success of my week/day/semester? • Does this add to my experiences? Asking these questions is a form of self-care that can help reduce stress, especially during busy times like finals week. Many colleges offer services to help students cope with stress. Before your child goes to college, check together to find out what those services are and where they can get them; in some cases, students can receive free services.

Understanding Health Care

Be sure your adult child knows the in-network doctor's office they are to use while away at college. Knowing how to call the office and schedule appointments is also a life skill they should have confidently mastered before their first year of college. Let them know if the receptionist wants a copay and how much it will cost for medical appointments. It's also important to understand that the clinic will charge a fee if patients miss or, in some cases, are late for their medical appointments. They should visit an urgent care clinic if they cannot get into their in-network doctor. Your student could easily choose to go to an out-of-network clinic and not understand the extreme cost differences. If your child's college has an on-campus health center, be sure you both know if they take your child's insurance. Additionally, they should be encouraged to ask if there are any free campus health resources. Many on-campus healthcare offices offer free condoms, health and wellness education, and more. Managing medications is often overlooked as a necessary life skill. Every college student should know what type of medicine they're taking and how and where to get a refill.

Preparing Your Teen for a Confident Start to College

It can be hard trekking the college journey as a young adult; it takes courage and confidence. Your child has significant responsibilities beginning their freshman year of school. Reassure them that their feelings and nervousness are valid. It's okay to ask questions, access resources, and contact friends, parents, and professors if needed.