by Heather Russell

Created on: May 07, 2007   Last Updated: May 21, 2007

Ah college! A time for late-night wing-eating contests, early-morning coffee runs, and all-day parent phone calls?

While college is a time for many students to celebrate their newfound freedom, some will unfortunately encounter the reality of hovering parents. Because, let's face it; as happy as they were to SEE you go, they're still not ready to LET you go.

Luckily, there are a few tried-and-true (and a few not-so-tried-and-true) methods for managing your over-involved parents.

The deceptive approach:
While I'm never one to advocate openly lying to your parents, a little truth-stretching can make both of your lives easier. The key to this one is to always be on your way somewhere respectable. What self-respecting parent will grill you for details on your dating life when you're on your way to a "scheduling meeting" with your favorite professor?
Extra credit: Have a roommate agree to play the part of your professor in the background, asking you to hurry it up or to make a decision on which math you want to take.

The "I'm still here" approach:
For a few dollars, you can get a picture of yourself made into a life-sized cardboard cutout. While you're at it, make a couple of them, in different outfits. Place the cutouts strategically throughout the house; standing by the fridge, sneaking out the back door, huddled under the covers on a Saturday afternoon.
Extra credit: For the tech-savvy among you, record yourself repeating certain key phrases to a CD; try "when's dinner?" "can I borrow the car?" and "you are SO annoying!". Invest in a CD alarm clock and set it to go off at random times throughout the day. It'll be like you never left!

Fight fire with fire!
Next time mom calls "just to see how you're doing," begin with "I woke up around 9:32, hit the snooze button and rolled back over. Approximately nine minutes later I got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, but all of the showers were taken so I walked back to my room" By the time you get to "and there I was, deciding between veggie cream cheese and strawberry cream cheese," mom will be begging to get back to work.
Extra credit: Try the reverse approach; call dad every seventeen minutes, just to say "hi." After three or four hours, he should get the hint.

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