A Summer Planning Checklist

It's almost that time. The end of the term is right around the corner and there are decisions to be made and plans to be prepared. This checklist offers some food for thought so that you and your student are ready to dig into the summer season!

Figure Out Storage. Is your student moving off campus next year? Is his stuff too voluminous to fit in the family car? If so, you'll need to figure out storage options. Those might include checking with next year's landlord, seeing if there's storage offered on campus or renting a storage facility in town. That stuff needs to go somewhere!

Determine Classes for Next Term. Is your student all set with classes for next term? Those might include summer classes, internship credits or fall term choices. Or maybe she's transferring. Just make sure those academic ducks are in a row.

Have Graduation Specs in Place. If your student is graduating, has he ordered his cap and gown and filled out all the necessary paperwork? Have plans been made for out-of-town visitors? What's the plan for after the graduation ceremonies when it comes to dinner reservations? These kinds of details can sneak up on you.

Know What the Summer Will Bring. It's difficult for students to plunge into their summers without having a plan. Does she have a job lined up? An internship? Or will she study abroad or take classes somewhere else? By getting these details hammered out now, your student will be able to take full advantage of her full summer.

Other Summer Considerations
Some additional things to think about before the summer comes include:

• Scholarship deadlines
• Having housing lined up for the fall
• Transportation home after the spring term is over
• Budgeting for summer costs
• Living arrangements for the summer