To expand on the great tip from @bjscheel about teaching travel skills: There are no non-stop flights to our DS’s school (although American Airlines is starting one just in time for his senior year…). He is a space cadet (said affectionately), so we were a bit worried about the many things that could go wrong: missing planes, losing or forgetting ID, misreading itineraries. To the extent possible we have insisted from the beginning that he think ahead and make all his own travel arrangements–getting to and from airports, searching for and making reservations, remembering what he needs. I have been pleasantly surprised with how well he has handled it. I won’t say that there haven’t been a blip here and there that required parental attention, but we have been pleasantly surprised by how well he learned to navigate on his own, including when things have gone wrong (redirected or cancelled flights, for example). I think that making him responsible for his own travel to and from college has actually taught him some life–and problem-solving–skills that I hope will translate to other parts of his life…