Brooke Warne doesn't expect to have any major problems adapting to college life, although she admits that early mornings could be a challenge.

"I'll be OK with studying. I've always been pretty good with that. I'm pretty responsible," she said. "One thing I struggle with is getting up in the morning. … But I think I'll manage."

Warne joins thousands of incoming freshmen at universities across the country this fall, all making the transition between the cushy life of home and the newfound independence of college. With the transition comes a plethora of new adventures - laundry, cooking, making it to class, studying rather than playing and managing a budget.

Patricia Mahan, vice president of student affairs at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, said college orientation addresses all of those issues that freshmen face.

"We talk to them about financing their education," she said. "And how to develop good study skills right away."

The School of Mines orientation addresses such things as wellness and using good sense when it comes to high-risk behaviors such as drinking. The school also addresses student safety, Mahan said.

The topic of safety is one of the biggest issues on Patty Griffith's mind as she prepares to send her first child, 18-year-old Kelsey, off to South Dakota State University in Brookings.

"When I went to orientation at the school in late June … I was one of the only parents that stood up and asked a lot of questions on safety issues, which surprised me," she said.

Griffith started talking with her daughter about safety long ago, teaching her to park in lit areas and travel in groups. If her daughter left her job late at night, Griffith would often wait in the parking lot to ensure Kelsey got safely to her car.

"I've been working on this plan for three or four years," she said.

More than anything, Griffith has taught her daughter to trust her instincts. "If you ever have a tingling that says, 'That doesn't seem quite right,' get yourself out of there," she said. "You've got to follow your gut."

Kristol McKie also addressed safety when her twin daughters headed off to college last year, giving them each a can of mace to carry. But safety is just one of the things she addresses with her kids.

One of the most mundane but important lessons is laundry.

When it came time for her 21-year-old son Matt to leave for Boise State University, McKie admits he needed a crash course in laundry. A year before her twin daughters Kassie and Karris left, she taught them the laundry ropes. Over time, all of her kids have developed their own laundry routines.

"They still baffle me when they come home and do laundry," she said.

McKie has developed a trademark graduation gift - a basket with laundry products and a laminated card with laundry instructions. "I can't tell you how many times kids have said they used it," she said.

When it came to finances, McKie and her husband helped their children open a checking account and get a debit and credit card, "so they could understand money before they got to college," she said. "Each of them has always had a budget."

Each semester, McKie monitors her kids' spending and sends them a detailed list of where their money is going. That's a bit of advice she would give new college parents: Make sure you can monitor their spending. "Parents should hopefully set it up that way so they can help their kids," she said. "But that has to start happening in high school as far as the spending and making sure they understand how far a dollar goes."

Recently, McKie also created a recipe box for each child, filling it with favorite recipes from home. Because the McKie kids all live in off-campus apartments, she wanted them to be able to cook healthy meals for themselves. She also threw in a Better Homes and Garden cookbook.

"That, to me, is the easiest cookbook to use," she said.

Finally, McKie offered perhaps her most important bit of advice to all three kids before they left home. Study at the library.

"Know how to use the library to study. Dorms are noisy," she said.

Warne feels confident about her own study skills but is anxious about her time management. She will play volleyball and compete in track and field at Dakota Wesleyan University, so she'll need to find a balance between school, sports and the need for some downtime.

"I'm just a little nervous about how my schedule is going to be," she said. "I'm hoping that it will be a good balance of activities. … But I'm really excited. I'll definitely be OK."

Finances present potential pitfalls

Whether it's managing a credit card, getting to class on time or simply doing the laundry, incoming college freshmen will get a crash course in life during the coming weeks.

How they handle it will depend largely on how prepared they are.

Terry Mills of Consumer Credit Counseling in Rapid City said this is especially true when it comes to finances. Many parents wait too long to instill financial responsibility in their kids and it ends up causing problems in college.

"The sooner you can give them those skills, the better," he said. "When you're doing it at home, there's a safety net built in. It's important to give them as much responsibility as possible."

Mills says that as soon as a child begins working, whether it's baby-sitting or a summer job, he or she needs to create a budget and learn how to manage a checking account or debit card.

"If they're working a summer job, they need to go ahead and project those expenses," he said.

Consumer Credit Counseling offers several free classes, including one called Checkwise. The class teaches participants to manage a checkbook or debit card and helps them understand how financial institutions work. Mills discourages giving new college students credit cards, except maybe for dire emergencies.

"There's too much temptation with a credit card," he said. Mills said the average credit card debt for a college senior is $8,000. In South Dakota, the average debt on a credit card is $5,000.

What many people and a lot of students don't understand are the realities of credit card interest rates. If a person pays the minimum balance on a $5,000 credit card bill, it will take 30 years to pay off and in the end, the person will have paid $15,000, Mills said.

"You can get in trouble in a hurry. … It's dangerous for most of us," Mills said. "Use credit cards for emergencies and debit cards for everyday expenses."

One of the best ways to teach a child fiscal responsibility is to live it, Mills said. If a family has a budget and follows it, then a child will see that as a natural part of life, he said.

Knowing car maintenance basics keeps students safe

Before she left for college, Brooke Warne's father gave her a crash course in vehicle maintenance.

"He showed me how to check the air in my tires," she said. He also showed her how to check the oil and watch out for other car problems.

Those lessons are important ones for any kid heading off to college for the first time, said Denny Eslinger, owner of Al's D&I Repair in Rapid City.

"Sometimes kids don't even know the basics, how to check the oil, change a tire, how to jump-start a battery," he said.

If they are taking a vehicle to college, kids need to be taught to check fluid levels on a regular basis. They need to know how to jump-start their car correctly, because an incorrect jump can blow up the car's computer, which would be an expensive fix, Eslinger said.

Eslinger says parents should teach young drivers to listen to the sounds of their vehicle. That way, when new sounds arise, they will recognize them as a warning sign. "Be aware of noises or leaks so you can nip it before it becomes a bigger issue," he said.

If a vehicle sits for weeks at a time without being driven, batteries often drain, so Eslinger recommends that college students start or drive their car at least every three weeks.

In the month before college, Eslinger's shop sees a steady stream of college-bound students and their vehicles. The mechanics do an overall vehicle checkup. Such preventive maintenance is a good idea, Eslinger said.

Once students get to college, Eslinger suggests they ask around for the name of a good mechanic. It helps students and parents to have a reliable shop where car problems can be handled. That way, parents can have some peace of mind and their children can get to school and back home without any glitches.

"You want to make sure they get from point A to point B safely," he said.

What should your college freshman know?

Before their babies head off to college, parents do their best to prepare them. Below are seven tips from experienced parents about what any college freshman should know.

1. How to create a budget and balance a checkbook or debit card.

2. How to do their own laundry.

3. How to cook a decent meal.

4. How to do basic maintenance on their vehicle.

5. How to get around campus and to and from college safely.

6. How to create and follow a responsible study schedule.

7. How to get to class on time.

Contact Lynn Taylor Rick at lynn.taylorrick@rapidcityjournal.com or 394-8414.