Top coping tips for college bound teens

While many teens are playing baseball, swimming and roasting marshmallows this summer, one “camp” is teaching New York kids to be more confident.

Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants, a group of mental-health professionals in Manhattan, offers a 10-week intensive session to prepare students for university.

“We’ve noticed that there are more and more young people who are having trouble . . . being able to function independently on a college campus,” says Alec Miller, the group’s co-founder. Here, he shares four tips for teens preparing to leave the nest.

Start calendaring immediately

Once at college, students will have a lot more on their plates — and nobody to help them organize it all. Teens should practice using a paper or Web-based calendar to keep track of all of their assignments, social activities, medications and the like.

“I would start doing that now, while we still have some summer left, and not have mom and dad micromanaging till the last day,” Miller says.

Force yourself to be uncomfortable

It’s totally normal to feel nervous when arriving in a new place, but that doesn’t mean you should be a hermit who never leaves your dorm room or looks up from your iPhone.

Instead, get out of your comfort zone, Miller says. “Don’t just go to the party; sit in the corner and face the wall. Introduce yourself, smile and, as warmly as you can, engage [with others], even in the face of anxiety.”

Get some sleep

Although college is known for allnighters, Miller insists young people are better off getting regular shuteye and avoiding the cliché of erratic slumber.

“That can be really problematic,” he says. “[It] can make them very susceptible to mood changes and [have] trouble focusing in class.”

Only call mom and dad once a week

Doting parents and their teens might want to keep the overdependency going, but Miller recommends limiting phone conversations to a standing, once-a-week appointment.

“There are some parents who can sometimes be overinvolved and swoop in, in an unhelpful way,” he says. “I think [that] reinforces the kid’s anxiety that [he] can’t function independently.” —Johnny Oleksinski