College Visits: Three ways to have a meaningful trip

Carrie Fulton
10.21.21

When I brought my children home from the hospital, I was so excited and terrified and tired.

As they’ve grown, I have worked hard to cherish as many moments as I could…dreading that someday they’d need to move on from the haven I worked hard to create in our home.

But as time marched on, I found myself loving the teenager stage!  Before I knew it, it was time to go on college visits.  These trips were precious to me as we navigated life changes, life choices and relationship adaptations.  

To give you an idea of where my experience comes from, I have three children with one in his junior year of college and boy/girl twins who are freshmen in college.  One son chose to go to a school in the state we live in while the other son and our daughter are out of state.  I’ve been on a total of 16 different college campuses spanning California, Arizona, Illinois, DC, New York, Florida and Ohio. 

Here are my three key ways to make the these trips some of the most precious time I’ve ever spent with each of my children.

1. Let them take the lead - Yes, make them reserve the date and time of your campus tour!  But also when a school is in a new city or area, let them navigate how to get around.  Let them set up Waze, navigate mass transit, etc.  This helps them become familiar with the area and how to get around while you’re still there to help.  It will boost both your confidences as they figure things out and you see how independent your child can be.
2. Take the time to be a tourist - Whether it’s a city you’re in frequently or never been before, do your best to check out the local restaurants, parks, museums and events both in the nearby city as well as on and around campus.  Always be a tourist no matter where you live because there’s always something fun waiting to be discovered.
3. Stay in a hotel - Even if it’s relatively close to you, take the time to rent a hotel room and carve out time to really talk about what you saw during your tour of campus and the surrounding area.  Come with a list of questions that you’ll ask after every campus visit so you can be objective and help your student process what they’ve seen, how they’re feeling and what they’re thinking. This time will be very helpful to focus your conversations since you’ll both be away from the distractions of everyday life

While my kids grew up way too fast, I can say with complete confidence that their college decisions were each their own.  They all needed different things from their schools, and they recognized what they needed without my input during this process.

So as my children head out to college this fall, I am much like I was when I brought them home.  I’m tired and terrified; but more than those two combined, I am excited!

If you’d like help planning your college visits with your high schooler, message me at cfulton@wishesfamilytravel.com to get started.   I’ll even share my list of questions that I asked my kids while helping you find great places to stay and things to do along the way.