Editor's note: As the new academic year starts, many parents across the country are choosing to send their freshman children to college. To encourage independence, Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, has introduced a policy to offer a "Freshman Independence Award" to those who come alone without being accompanied by parents, which has sparked a heated debate. Should parents send their children off at college? Readers share their opinions.

Lilian

My parents dropped me off and helped me move in on the first day of my freshman year. It helped to have them there, and everything turned out OK. There would be a lot to have to figure out all on my own if my parents were not present. I felt excited about my college life, moving into a new city, socializing and meeting new people. But my mum was crying as they were leaving, I could see she was worried about me because I was sort of alone in an unfamiliar place where she was not a part.