Trying to survive your first year of college? Here’s some advice on dealing with family from the book “How to Survive Your Freshman Year” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $12.95), straight from people who’ve done it:

“My mom calls me three times a day. It’s good to use the excuse that you’re studying if you don’t feel like talking. When I was a freshman, my roommate and I had this deal where we’d say, ‘Oh, my roommate didn’t tell me you called.’ You invent little lies to keep them at bay.”

—J., Barnard College, junior

“I’m close to my parents. We talk on the phone every other night and my mom IM’s me. I don’t think you should keep your parents at bay; my parents really helped me. They’re very supportive, and when you don’t have anyone else there for you, they help you through your hard times. In college it’s important to have your parents in your life, because we may think that we’re really mature and know everything, but a lot of times they give you really good advice. They’ve been there before. In college, your parents are finally honest with you. In high school, they’re like, ‘I never drank.’ Then in college, they’re like, ‘This one time, I did this. You never want to do that.’ They become more human and less authoritarian. They help you.”

—Alyssa, James Madison University, sophomore

“I’m hispanic and I have really close ties with my family. I get along well with my parents and my little brother is my best friend. It was hard to say goodbye. I talk with them a lot. I call them on my cell phone like every other day, and talk for 45 minutes to an hour. And I e-mail my little brother.

—Cesar, Yale University, freshman

“My dad is kind of old-fashioned. Before I went to school he didn’t even want me to have an ATM card. Then in the dorms, everyone had a mini-fridge. My dad said no to that, too. But I eventually won on both counts. College has changed so much that you should be patient with your parents, as they don’t always understand the needs of today’s freshmen. It might even be a good idea to give them a list of must-haves for freshmen: Cell phones, computers, Internet, beepers, etc.”

—A. Rosen, University of Florida, 1995 grad

“I never got homesick, but staying close to my parents and siblings definitely kept me sane over the course of freshman year.”

—Pete, Princeton University, sophomore

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share.