The day has finally come. You’re moving into your new dorm. You’ve got your acceptance letter (for your wall), new extra-long sheets, your laptop and — your parents?

A study by the National Survey of Student Engagement revealed that parents are much more involved in the lives of their college-age kids than in the past — even going so far as to write papers and do laundry for their 20-somethings.

However, “helicopter parents” are impinging on a long-standing notion that college can and should be a time of separation and independence.

According to a Seattle Times article, nearly 40 percent of first-year college students have had parents intervene on their behalf, and 13 percent said interventions were frequent.

Allowing parents to hover isn’t beneficial to either party.

By the time a student reaches college, they should be making their own decisions and facing the consequences. While it might be nice for Mom to deal with your smelly laundry or change your dirty sheets, everyone needs to grow up sometime.

Besides, one day Mom will be gone and that mountain of dirty clothes will make you wish you had learned the difference between “delicate” and “heavy soil.”

My advice? Cut the ties.

Who’s going to want to hire you when they realize you can’t put together one English sentence because Dad’s been doing it this whole time? And even worse: What will your date think when they come over and Mom’s there to wash the dishes?

Start small. Put your own ideas into that economics essay (heck, you might even learn something). Have the cute girl in the laundry room teach you how to start the washing machine. Tell Mom and Dad that you’re ready to take on the world alone.

Believe it or not, getting an “F” on a term paper or shrinking your favorite sweater can actually liberate you.