What Having a Kid Away at College is Truly Like

It’s getting real, isn’t it? The final rounds of exams, concerts, games, and banquets, followed by the biggie: high school graduation. As the reality of sending your child off to college sets in, you might be wondering what it’s going to be like, considering that for weeks you’ve already been crying at the drop of a hat (and not just graduation caps—any hat will do).

Take it from a couple of moms who’ve been there: That first college year is hard to describe and changes from day-to-day, but...