Summer is coming. Whether we have just finished our freshman year or our senior year of college, we still have the same excitement, concerns, and feels that our parents have. Coming home from college for summer is an adjustment for us too. We’ve been on our own, making decisions for ourselves, managing our lives, staying out late if we wanted to, just being independent so the idea of having to have “rules” is scary. Not that we don’t get it.

They have been away for a year, maybe two or three, but this summer they are planning to come home. Many of you may be thinking how nice it will be to have them home; perhaps it will be even better than before they left for college because now they are more mature having lived on their own for so long. Do you sense the cynicism coming? Relax; I too got excited when each of mine came home for those ten weeks.

As students head into summer internship/job fair season, it is important that they keep in mind the importance of what employers refer to as “soft skills.” This includes (but is not limited to): working with others, ethical judgment and decision making, analytical thinking, organizing and evaluating information, innovation and creativity, complex problem-solving, diversity awareness, and written and oral communication.

To get a scholarship you have to apply for scholarships! There are so many to choose from and some pitfalls. We have the info for you! If you have Florida Prepaid and your student was fortunate to qualify for Bright Futures, that will help pay for a lot of college expenses. Our daughters had both (Bright Futures changed its payout from 2010-2014 so we did not get as much as our second daughter did). There were many more college expenses that were not covered by them having both.

For some, the process of moving in is easier than moving out.  When your student moves in, they neatly pack their items in a suitcase. Their towels, sheets, comforters, and décor are new, clean and many times still in its original packaging.  Moving out? Not the case. Items are shoved in garbage bags, clothing is piled into a suitcase and the suitcase is sat on so that it can be zippered. Towels and sheets haven’t been washed all semester and can practically walk home!  Needless to say, it can be just as stressful as moving in.

Moving back in with your parents after college is not new. I moved back home after graduating from UF for many reasons, the main being financial. My parents even charged me rent (scroll down to see how much that was and how they handled it) So, when our daughter graduated from college without a job, she moved back home with us. We were nervous and she was nervous. Our concerns mainly centered around how her new independent self would take to living back home with rules. Should we have rules? Should we charge her? Will she go back to helping around the house?

HaveUHeard that when a student moves into an off-campus apartment they generally sign a lease for twelve months? Most leases run early August (usually a few days up to a week after August 1st) through July 31st. Unlike most dorms, students are responsible for the entire year, even if they do not intend to stay for the summer. However, most apartment complexes will allow students to sublet their apartments. You will, nevertheless, have to jump through a few hoops to make a sublease happen.

April 15th, tax time, is always right around the corner. As you are preparing your return or having a CPA prepare your return, do not forget to take advantage of the Education Tax Credits available which can help offset the cost of your student’s education. Taxes, we have to admit, are not fun but necessary. As you are preparing your return or having a CPA prepare your return, do not forget to take advantage of the Education Tax Credits available which can help offset the cost of your student’s education.

Assignments on Breaks are Breaking Me! Why do their professors do this the one time I get to see them all year? By Priscilla Beth Baker Here’s a common [...]

Almost as soon as the first acceptance to college came in, so did the idea of actually having to pay for their tuition and room and board. When they were small it was something we always envisioned we would do and planned accordingly. With so many scholarships available today, the trick is finding the ones that suit your student’s needs and that they will qualify for. Some scholarships are quite competitive, some last for four years, and some are downright silly, but pay for something. All make those bills for the next four (or more) years more bearable.

With Thanksgiving and the holidays approaching, many of us will be celebrating the holidays over a festive meal with our college kids and family. But not everyone is so fortunate. This season, HaveUHeard is sharing the story of Destination Dorm, a scholarship program for graduating high school seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence in the midst of financial hardship.

Combined, our mom bloggers have put, and are still putting, well over ten kids through college. They’ve lived in dorms, apartments, and houses. We’ve gone through the “There’s a waiting list to get in so we have to sign today” to “It’s the only place my friends want to live.” And we indulged them because we wanted them to live in an apartment that was safe and felt like home (that was probably more for us than them).

I tend to see certain patterns throughout any given semester in my office. Leading into the first round of exams is always total chaos. And finals. Total chaos, particularly in the spring. Students get very worked up about their performance and how to juggle so many things at once since most exams seem to fall during the same weeks for all their classes (week 3, week 6, etc).

What an Academic Advisor Wants You to Know About the Unknown by Priscilla Beth Baker Many people have asked me recently what we as parents can do to bet [...]

To apply to graduate school, students must fill out the online application for the university and submit an application fee. Once accepted, there is an orientation For many programs, this is required and you will hear from faculty, staff, and former students about graduate life.  There will be specific orientations for different colleges as well. As for the exams required for admittance to graduate school, the Graduate Studies office can also provide information on test prep, tutoring, and any programs offered to help obtain required scores.  Most universities offer graduate exam test-prep services.

Remember how when our kids were little we couldn’t envision them leaving us and going off to college? Now, if you are like me, you can’t believe how quickly the time went. It continues to rush by and before you know it, college graduation will be here. The very first tip is for students to check that they meet all of the requirements for graduation. Each school has a checklist and students have deadlines to apply for graduation. They know that so this should not be left until the last minute.

I remember my daughter’s freshman year. I drove up to get her and when we finished packing the car with barely enough room for our bodies and the car feeling as though it was skimming the pavement, I wondered if her belongings seemed to multiply over the past 10 months. Then when we began unloading everything into the garage, sorting out what could stay in our hot garage for the summer and what needed to find space in the house, I became a bit flustered. Well, not panicky, but I did begin to dream of those people that come to your home and teach you to purge.

I am a big believer in this adage. Apparently many students agree as Study Abroad programs have become increasingly popular. When researching this topic I was amused to read not only a plethora of information about the various things to look for in a program but also some amusing blogs written by students about how to convince one’s parents to allow them to study abroad. Well, this parent is sold.

College Ave - Loans Made Easy! Whether you’re a parent or a student looking for a loan, College Avenue and HaveUHeard are here for you. We know getting [...]

Advice to Parents from an Academic Advisor by Priscilla Beth Baker Having had no less than 12 students (male and female) sob in my office in the past 3 [...]

A Very Dangerous Place for a Child Is College by Dr. Louis M. Profeta  “Colleges should do this and colleges should do that, everyone says?” I walked ac [...]

Generally, our kids get to come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but for those who celebrate the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, it may be your first one without your students at your holiday table. While it may feel strange having that empty seat, it can feel better to know that they are celebrating the high holidays with a new community of their peers. You may want to let them know they exist and then hope that they will choose to participate.

The quote, “it’s all in the preparations” is true when it comes to Florida storms. It is so easy to become complacent when you’ve been through so many storms, preparing for the worst, and then having a storm turn the other way at the last minute. You’ll hear, “it won’t hit here” a lot. 24-hour broadcasts and weather forecasters getting excited can create a sense of panic and second-guessing. And if your student is from another state, panic can become elevated, especially for the parents at home.

The moment you say Goodbye… One by one the Freshmen arrive at college ready to take the next step in their journey.  Goodbye is something we'll have to [...]

The IRS has advised college students and families that, when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, they can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to obtain tax information necessary to fill out the form. Other options are also available to obtain tax information (IRS Tax Tip 2019-82). The federal government offers various forms of financial aid for college students, including loans and scholarships. To be eligible for such aid, students must fill out a FAFSA form each year, which contains financial and other relevant information on the student and the student's family.

Congratulations! Your baby is becoming an adult. Did that sentence make you a little queasy? Sending your student off to college is bittersweet. For tha [...]

Here's why... Over the course of the four years, our kids were at college, we had so many “I wish I would have known,” or as we commonly refer to as “hu [...]

Did they get an out-of-state internship? Both of my daughters had internships during the summer between their junior and senior years. And both ended up interning in New York City. Since they did not get their internship until early Spring, some of their housing options were quite limited. And, not being familiar with interning out of state, we grabbed what was available.

One of the many decisions you and your student will make is about the meal plan. With college right around the corner, I see you fearfully envisioning your student’s diet as one of just burgers, pizza, and fries, oh my! Yes, we have been making meals for our kids for as long as we can remember. (So, quite frankly, we might welcome a break.)  And yes, some of our kids have learned how to cook and even to enjoy doing so. But most have come to rely on their meals being ready the minute you yell “Dinnertime!”  NOW what will happen?

Safety for Collegiate Women, What's the Risk? There is a lot of talk about safety on college campuses right now, and rightfully so. The risk seems right [...]

What Every Student Should Know Recently, I told my daughter to go pay something with a check. She responded by asking me if she had those somewhere. She [...]

Ok, I am a little partial. I am a born and bred New Yorker, living in S. Florida for 25 plus years, and I still love it. And so do many of our students, which is why New York is so popular for summer internships. They will need a place to live. Where to look for housing? There are many options. Most interning students live in dorms in various colleges throughout the city. Space is limited, and demand is high.

Many of us who have lived in Florida, planned for our students’ education by taking advantage of the Florida Prepaid program. The program allows families to prepay for their child's education at a guaranteed fixed rate. Many of us, also, were practically in shock when our last payment came due, possibly because that meant that college was right around the bend.

I remember when I first heard about the rideshare company, Uber and thought it was a brilliant concept for so many reasons; one of which was that it should cut down on people driving after drinking and provide a way that my college kids didn’t walk home late at night or alone. I still think the idea is great and encourage my kids to continue to use Uber, Lyft, Wahi Ride or whatever their choice may be; however, before more scary stories show up in the news, we have had to create some new rules to be sure that they remain safe. Of course, the first rules are that whenever possible ride with a friend, and when you feel the slightest bit uneasy, do not hesitate to call for a campus police escort.

We completed the drop. We unloaded the car in the treacherous Florida heat and we set up their rooms. The bed was made, everything had been put away and [...]

I remember when I started graduate school and on the first day of class, we were assigned to read over 300 pages and write a paper before the next class. My jaw dropped and I wondered if the professor was serious. Not every class is like this, but after four years in college, some students may choose to take a break before jumping into graduate school; whether it’s medical school, law school, an MBA, or just about any other advanced degree. Graduate school can be a grind.

Three times the charm. Well, I suppose that isn’t fair; all three of my kids are charming and adorable. The difference is that not all three are very good with money and frankly I blame myself a little for that. I am not one to preach, but since you asked, the best advice I would give to a parent of a new college student is to give them a budget and make them stick to it.

The Department of Education loans money for school and it is imperative for your student to understand that student loans should not be used for frivolous spending. Trust me, I learned the hard way. The loans and interest (depending on the type of loan you have) add up very quickly. Repayment of said loans can be a huge monthly cost; therefore, understanding all the terms of student loans is, in my opinion, essential.

It was close to 10 p.m. when I received the call from my daughter, now a junior in college, that she had fallen during an intramural soccer game and was pretty sure she broke her elbow. Her friend was driving her to the emergency room. Here I was, over 350 miles away, it was late at night and I would not be able to do much of anything but worry. I told her to put me on speakerphone when she saw a doctor so I could hear what was going on. I had not given any thought to the fact that my daughter was over 18 years of age, so legally, I was not entitled to the same level of information, or access, that I had been for her first 18 years.