Making a list and checking it twice – things parents can do now to prepare for sendin

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>OOPS…the title is too long.</p>

<p>This is sort of a spin off from the “Webinar” thread.</p>

<p>If any of you are remotely like me, you may be looking for ways to use these gloomy weather days productively, and to get organized during what can be a whirlwind time as your student completes his/her senior year and prepares to leave for the UA. If this describes you, here are some easy things you can do now or soon. You just might find checking some of these items off the list soon makes your life easier later. :relaxed:</p>

<p>Once your child is within six months of turning 18, they can register to vote. While you’re there, find out how and when to request absentee ballots for upcoming elections.</p>

<p>Make hotel reservations now for times you are likely to visit. You’ll have a better selection and receive a cheaper rate. Hotels fill quickly in Tuscaloosa during times when many parents are expected to be in town.</p>

<p>Print out the required immunization form and plan ahead to make an appointment for your student’s physical (or at least to have the TB test and immunization form completed and signed). This is something you don’t want to do at the last minute. :relaxed:</p>

<p>Plan for dental, orthodontic, dermatologist, and other appointments since those appointments will need to work around graduation, orientation, vacation, and possibly be scheduled for follow-ups during breaks when your child will be home next year.</p>

<p>Order insurance cards for your child if they don’t already have them. (Health, dental, auto, etc.)</p>

<p>Make sure your child has renewed or plans to renew his/her driver’s license if your state has restrictions that change at age 18.</p>

<p>If your student will be bringing a car, does he/she need and have a spare key?</p>

<p>Consider whether your child will need a credit card from your account or a bank account and find out about the process. Your student must be 19 to open an account at most banks in Alabama. </p>

<p>Take advantage of small moments to listen to your child’s thoughts and share your expectations during brief chats. As graduation nears, the stress level is likely to rise and time is in short supply. It’s also a good idea to casually mention how senior pranks can and often do get out of hand. No one wants to deal with legal issues that could follow an out of hand prank.</p>

<p>Plan for prescriptions your child needs regularly, such as inhalers, and make yourself a reminder to have them filled or transferred. Research pharmacy locations around campus and their hours of operation. Note: Students must be 19 in Alabama to purchase some OTC items, so you may want to send a few sample sizes of those if they use them often.</p>

<p>Start a list of things you know your child will need. You’re likely to find you can pick up some items along and save time, money, and frustration. But remember, you’ll have to get everything to campus, in the dorm, and back home. It isn’t necessary to recreate everything they have at home. :)</p>

<p>Begin to think about whether you’ll bring everything home or rent a storage unit for the summer. I promise, it will be here before you know it. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with locations the next time you visit so you don’t have to scramble at the end of the first year. :)</p>

<p>If your state requires an emissions test for tag renewal, check to see if there is a waiver available for students whose cars will be with them OOS. You’ll find there is often a waiver.</p>

<p>Everything on this list won’t apply to everyone. This is simply a starting place. I’m sure there are items I’ve left off. Feel free to add to this list if you’d like.</p>

<p>Good luck and Roll Tide! :)</p>

2

<p>Bama girls,
Great list. The medical insurance cards are a must. Do we register them at the Student health center or does DS just hold them for emergency? Does the Student Health center have a pharmacy or do we have to find a local pharmacy? Your so right we tend to wait until the last minute.</p>

3

<p>You are SO right, NYBama. You never know when or where they’ll need them. Your student just keeps the card. Yes, the SHC has a pharmacy, but you’ll want to check to see what works best for you and with what prescriptions since they don’t carry all prescriptions (some inhalers, etc.) </p>

<p>The CVS at the corner of 15th and McFarland has now reopened and is a 24 hour pharmacy.:slight_smile: The SHC isn’t always open, but there is a great walk in clinic in front of Lowes.</p>

<p>Another poster mentioned another idea I thought was great. She scanned important documents into her students computer. Thanks for the tip, although I cannot remember whose it was! :)</p>

4

<p>Excellent advice Bamagirls! For what it’s worth, after dealing with a major medical issue in our family, I had everyone use their cell phones take a picture of the card, front and back, med ins., prescription and dental. They always have their phones with them, works like a charm.</p>

5

<p>Great idea, txdoula!</p>

<p>There are also some great apps you can often find free. We have a free medical one to keep track of meds and medical history. It comes in handy for all of us since it’s hard to remember these things when you need them.:)</p>

<p>Look for the weather app, too. It’s often free around April or you can often find a free code. It works well as a weather radio for students on campus.</p>

6

<p>You guys beat me to the punch. I was just gonna say that I scanned everything, passports, birth certificates, credit cards, drivers licenses, medical cards and have them stored not on the phone itself but in a cloud based app called Dropbox which is a password protected website and stored in the cloud accessible by any computer or smartphone.</p>

7

<p>Excellent, NYBama! :)</p>

8

<p>Bamagirls, you read my mind. I was just thinking a topic like this would be awesome!
You are the bestest!!!</p>

<p>We are also going to invest in a small safe for D to have in her dorm. All important papers as well as any valuables can be kept in it. Thought about building one of those shelves that was demonstrated awhile back and having the safe builtin so that it does not grow legs as well and get carried off. I know I found a service that rents them for the year but they are not that expensive to buy if you are going to need to rent for 4 years and they are always a good thing to have.</p>

9

<p>Here Here on Dropbox! I scanned all of our important docs and ID cards and put them in a Dropbox for our S using his crimson email (students get more space on Dropbox if they do that).</p>

10

<p>A parent wishing for their student to get the Gardisil vaccine should start them now, as the last shot is given 6 months after the first.</p>

<p>Also wisdom teeth extraction is usually done around this age. Best to get this out of the way before your student goes away if needed/possible.</p>

11

<p>aha - brilliant on the dropbox idea - woo-hoo!!!</p>

12

<p>Any College Board or similar qualifications for assessments that were granted during middle or high school are likely to require re-certification which can take time and/or require retesting (and money.)</p>

<p>Cellular service may require a change in carrier due to coverage differences between home and Tuscaloosa.</p>

<p>Wills, trusts, life insurance, powers of attorney and medical powers of attorney may need updating.</p>

<p>Intention to donate should be established.</p>

<p>Vehicles should carry tools, flashlight, blanket, full spare, fresh wiper blades, etc. and driver should be fully able to change a tire. Any upcoming maintenance should be understood and scheduled.</p>

<p>An understanding of the family-agreed budget should be documented and practiced.</p>

<p>A parent in locus should be sought in Tuscaloosa.</p>

13

<p>For those students who may not know how to run a washer, dryer, vacuum or scrub a shower or toilet, now’s the time to start learning.</p>

14

<p>We are also joining Triple A as D will be taking her car and us driving to T-Town more often. It has several advantages and one is a discount on some hotel reservations. While D’s car will have a few years left on the extended extended warranty it is not going to help in some areas when the nearest dealership for her make of vehicle is in Dallas, Shreveport or Birmingham and she is in the middle of nowhere and broke down. Triple A will even bring gas and take care of being locked out. </p>

<p>We also had D jump off one of our cars last year when the battery died. Made her do the whole thing. I printed off a set of instructions that I found online and gave them to her to keep in her glovebox. </p>

<p>An extra set of car keys would also be worth investing in. One at home that has stayed with parents and another at school that is kept in a safe place. Probably not in the safe but a drawer so you can call the roommate to dig them out for you.</p>

15

<p>Get a retainer check- up and emphasize that you WILL NOT pay for new orthodontia necessitated from lack of use. Trust me…my now 31 yr old step-daughter…lol. $79/month for three years and it all went back to original mess when she didn’t wear her retainer freshman year.</p>

16

<p>We have AAA premium, entitles us to a free 200 mile tow and many other perks. Well worth the additional cost. The discounts alone are worth the extra money.</p>

17

<p>If you plan to mail/ship items to your student, see if you can get a shipping discount. I receive a 15-30+% on FedEx shipments by having an eBay account. I don’t have to weigh or measure boxes; I just print a shipping label online and FedEx bills my credit card for the actual weight and measurements a couple weeks later.</p>

<p>AAA is a good choice, especially if driving long distances.</p>

<p>If your student has good spending habits, cosign a credit card where they are the primary cardholder so they can build a good credit rating. Emphasize that the card is only for emergencies and must always be paid in full before the bill is due. This helps build credit, which will help them later on. I use credit cards for the rewards on everyday purchases and pay my bill before interest charges hit, but I’m great about managing my spending.</p>

<p>If flying, consider choosing Southwest for the lower/no change fees and free checked bags. If that isn’t practical, see if earning elite status on an airline or having the airline’s branded credit card would help make your travel easier and/or less expensive. I take a personal trip each year to keep my elite status and appreciate the free checked bag(s), shorter lines, better service, and extra miles in addition to being able to select priority seats. I get to sit in either the exit row or first class for free on almost all of my flights.</p>

<p>Check to see if your pharmacy has locations in Tuscaloosa. I have found that I can call any Target Pharmacy in the US and have my prescription filled and ready for pickup, usually within two hours, but sometimes the next afternoon if they have to order the medicine.</p>

18

<p>On the spare keys thing, I realize not every vehicle has this luxury, but if yours has an available trailer hitch, I strongly advise looking into a “hitch safe” (look on amazon) it creates a secure little container protected by a combination lock. It has saved my bacon more than once when I locked myself out and needed immediate access to a key on the vehicle!</p>

19

<p>Re: the being locked out of the car scenario, if your student’s car has onstar, they (or you) can remotely lock and unlock doors, check fuel & oil life remaining.</p>

20

<p>Just be careful on what kind of keys you put in one of those hitch safes. In some of the newer vehicles if the key is in the vicinity of the car it will automatically unlock the car. If you have the old fashioned real key and not a fob then that works great!!! </p>

<p>We used to make spares of all of the car keys of the cars we own. Leave one spare at home, one at the office and each spouse has one for all of the vehicles as well. No matter where you are, a key is close by :)</p>