Study hard. Wash whites separate from color items. Those are some of the things you want to tell your child as he heads off to college in the fall. However, the college experience is more than classes and late-night pizza.

"Students are getting more access to new experiences, new people and maybe even new substances," says Lisa Curry, director of health education at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn.

Your child probably had a lot of structure during his high school years, so now having relative freedom may cause some anxiety.

"Students start to worry right away about what they'll be able to do after college; what types of educational and life decisions should they make that will help them determine their futures," says Jill Holm-Denoma, an assistant psychology professor at the University of Vermont in Burlington.

You can ease those anxieties with a conversation with a conversation about ambitions and careers.

"Kids 18 to 22 may not be sure what their passion is. That's normal and OK," says Holm-Denoma. High-risk behaviors may be your concern, not that of your child, so it's up to you to start the discussion.

"Talk about sex, drugs and acting in line with [the family's] values," says Holm-Denoma.

Offer techniques for avoiding risky situations. Describe a scenario and let your child tell you how she'd respond. For example, ask your daughter what she'd do if someone offered her a drink she didn't see being prepared. Talk with her about the possibility of drugs in drinks. Help your child avoid herd mentality. Students tend to misperceive what's going on around them, says Curry.

"They think everyone around them is engaging in high-risk behaviors. That misperception might lead students to make unhealthy choices," says Curry.