Your parents have probably been joking around the past few weeks that they're excited to get you out of the house and that's probably true (imagine the money they'll save on groceries). I'd love to let you in on a little secret though-- they're ALSO going to miss the crap out of you. My parents, who actually hate each other (yay divorce!), both confessed to me that they sat in the car and cried moments after they dropped me off at my dorm Freshman year. They CRIED TOGETHER. Empty-nester syndrome, as it would appear, apparently has some real Parent Trap potential (not enough, in my case).

That being said, it's important to establish some boundaries with your parents early on so you're not stuck in some rotten habits (seriously, Mom, stop calling me obsessively). There are a few things you'll have to figure out, however, in order to let your parents know that you can totally take care of yourself. Address the following items with them now in order to make your goodbye as painless as possible for all of you.

Figure out who to call in case of an emergency

If you're far from home, you can't always rely on your parents to be there at the drop of a hat like when you're home. You know how usually when someone says "look up my cousin/friend/nephew etc" and you say "I TOTALLY WILL!" and inside you're like "I literally would rather die than call up that stranger" well, take them up on their offer. If something happens, you'll want your parents to feel safe knowing you are in good hands.

Realize you'll get homesick

You're probably too excited for your soon-to be-independence right now to realize it, but homesickness is so real. No one prepared me for how much I would miss home/my parents/my bed. If you're overwhelmed by the feeling, please seek your school's counselor center. They can help you adjust to college in a healthy and effective way. Your parents are always a car/train/plane ride away, but make sure to tell your Mom not to encourage you too hard when you're thinking about coming home. She'll be tempted, but she should in fact encourage you to stick it out if she wants what's best for you.

Learn to budget

The goal here is financial independence. Theres no one right or wrong way to budget your money. My Dad would probably laugh if he knew I was giving advice on this topic (lolz hi Dad!) but it'll ease their minds to know that you are paying attention to your spending. When you get to school, start documenting your spending. It'll help you realize what you can cut out and where you'll need some extra support. Maybe your parents will bankroll you, maybe you'll need to get a job, either way, don't make your parents worry that you're broke and rummaging through garbage to feed yourself. This will prove to them that you're

Be an adult

It's really important to show your parents that you're ready to take control of your life. Everything they've done for you before this moment has been in preparation for this moment. Instead of calling your parents every time you have a question, prove to them that you're a capable adult human who can boil their own water, get an oil change and fill out their own paperwork at the doctor. It's totally okay to turn to the staff at your college for help. Advisors, RA's, doctors, and professors are readily available to help you successfully transition from high school to college.

Don't leave your room at home a mess

Just... don't.