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In just a few weeks, 20 million students will go to college, more than 3 million of them for the first time. Here are our top 10 tips for parents of off-to-college students:

1. Web-surf the college. Go to the website of the school your child will be attending and, together, explore the academic side of things. The more your child knows about college requirements, available majors and minors, and individual course offerings, the easier it’ll be for him or her to navigate the college once there.

2. Invest in some hardware. Every college student needs a portable computer for essential tasks such as note taking, online research, writing papers, and e-mailing. Pick a notebook, netbook, or tablet that weighs no more than 3.5 pounds, has a battery life of at least six hours, and offers wireless capability and a webcam. And don’t forget word processing software: Microsoft offers Office Professional Academic 2010 for $79.95 to college students (you need your .edu address), and OpenOffice (a product of Oracle) is free.

via 10 Things Every Parent Should Do to Help Their College-Bound Kid – Professors’ Guide (usnews.com).