Your Freshman Is Off To College: A Month-by-Month Guide to the First Year

Your Freshman is Off to College (2016 version) offers a handy month-by month guide for parents as the first year of college naturally unfolds. This book, dealing with serious topics, reflects a fun, informative look at the first year for parents of new college students, making “tongue-in-cheek” connections between a child’s first months of life to this newest important stage of development - freshman year. NEW IN 2025: UPDATED VERSION OF YOUR FRESHMAN IS OFF TO COLLEGE!

Early Praise for Your Freshman is Off to College“As the parent of a brand-new college freshman, I am thrilled to have received Your Freshman Is Off to College. The fears and anxiety of dropping off my child are gone after reading this book, which provides realistic scenarios, advice and problem solving solutions. It is organized, informative and on target, addressing many facets of college life. The month-by-month timeline and 'real-time' advice is essential insight into where my child is at in each stage, and how/when/if to help. This book has helped me to help my child help himself.” -Shannon McAloon Merkler of Belmar, NJ, parent of a college freshman“This book is a must read for every parent and family member of a college-bound student. It is helpful, witty and engaging. Hazard and Carter provide excellent insight on how families can assist their student successfully navigate the transition into college and throughout the first year.”-Krystal L. Ristaino, expert in university parent and family relations “Hazard and Carter have taken an adolescent development approach to help parents understand what's happening to their sons and daughters when they begin their college careers. With humor and compassion, the writers describe a variety of scenarios and offer important insights to parents. A highly instructive manual, it offers guidance to parents to help them transition from a hovering role to one that truly supports their young adult in the best and most productive ways possible. The authors' collective wisdom provides parents with the tools they need to facilitate their sons’ and daughters’ successful transition from high school to college.”-Toby Simon, Former Vice President of Student Affairs, Marymount Manhattan College and Associate Dean of Student Life, Brown University

LAURIE L. HAZARD, psychology professor at Bryant University, is an award-winning expert on how students can make successful transitions from high school to college. She writes about student personality types and classroom success. As Bryant University's Assistant Dean for Student Success, Laurie has been designing curricula for first-year experience and study skills courses for over 25 years. She studies academic performance enhancement and those skills, habits, and dispositions that contribute to success and achievement. Laurie is co-author of the book Foundations for Learning, 3rd Edition (2012, Prentice Hall), which is designed to help students make a successful transition to college by encouraging them to take responsibility for and claim their own education. Hazard's textbook has been adopted by colleges and universities around the country. Richard J. Light, the Walter H. Gale Professor of Education at Harvard University, calls Hazard's book "a winner for any college student" that is a "beautifully written joy to read." Laurie's expert advice has been included in Seventeen Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Times Picayune, The San Diego Tribune, and Student Affairs Leader. Laurie has also been a guest columnist for the Washington Post's Answer Sheet: A School Survival Guide for Parents (And Everyone Else). Her articles offer concrete advice for parents of new college students. STEPHANIE CARTER is the Director of the Academic Center for Excellence at Bryant University. She is a respected leader in the field of student success and learning assistance. As an award-winning educator with over 25 years of experience helping college students mediate the challenges of the higher education environment, she has gained expertise working with first-years and their parents to insure a healthy transition from high school to college. Stephanie has extensive experience, as both a scholar and practitioner, supporting freshmen. Stephanie helps first-year students reach their academic goals at Bryant University, where she has developed curriculum for writing courses and teaches composition. She is a nationally recognized expert in the areas of plagiarism and academic integrity, as well as information literacy in the writing classroom. For more information, visit collegereadyparent.org