It's the time of year most kids dread and many parents rejoice in - back to school. The season often brings about changes in your household as you add computers, set up a home network system, set aside an office or study area, and think about insurance for your college-bound kids.

So what may you expect in the few weeks ahead?

As your young student matures and is bogged down with more homework, you'll need to devote a special place to study, whether it's a corner of his or her bedroom, a home office, or a special nook of the house that is transformed into a desk and study area.

Regardless of the space or room assigned to study, there are a number of things you'll need to do to make the spot more conducive to studying. First, you'll want a desk or clear table space wide for your child to spread out books and materials. You'll also want to have school supplies organized and close at hand in the desk or storage tubs.

Another important element is providing sufficient light. Placing the desk area close to a window is the ideal situation. Overhead lights or a lamp on the desk is recommended, too.

One of the most important factors is setting up the study area in an area in which your child won't be distracted by siblings, television, telephones, toys, and the like.

Meanwhile, as your children grow older and compete among themselves - and you and your spouse - for computer time, you may find it's time to consider adding more PCs to your household and installing a home network system. This means you can share Internet access, printers, and files.

And sharing broadband among PCs in households is expected to increase, according to Jupiter Media Matrix, a company that analyzes the Internet and new technology.

While 58 percent of U.S. households that have broadband have more than one PC in active use, nearly one-third already have some type of home network. And, one in four broadband households has three or more PCs in use, according to a December 2001 Jupiter Consumer Survey. Given these findings, Jupiter analysts believe there is a robust potential base of homes that could be interested in home networking. Dial-up households, on the other hand, will not be strong home network candidates, as a mere five percent had some type of network at the end of 2001.

Jupiter analysts believe there are four key impediments that stand between consumers and the desire to install a PC-based home network: high cost, complexity of network set-up and maintenance, complexity of technology choices (wired, wireless) and uncertainty about sources of information and distribution channels. Jupiter expects manufacturers to concentrate on alleviating these concerns and lure more into the home network realm.

Finally, if your child is leaving for college, you'll also need to think about how much insurance coverage they'll have under your homeowners policy.

If your child is taking a PC or laptop to school, you'll want to add to your homeowners coverage, or purchase a separate property policy. The Independent Insurance Agents of America says that more than 100,000 property crimes take place on college campuses each year with the average loss of $1,250.

Your home insurance policy generally provides coverage for your children's belongings only up to 10 percent of your contents' coverage limit.

Bill Wilson, director of the IIAA's Virtual University, told www.insure.com that the standard home insurance policy covers students enrolled full-time in school and who resided in your household before moving to attend school if they're under 24 and are related to you. Generally your child would be covered whether they live in a dorm or in an off-campus apartment. However, it's important to review your policy language; it could say something different.

A safe - and affordable - option is for your child to purchase a renters policy. A standard renters policy with $15,000 in personal property coverage and $100,000 to $300,000 in personal liability coverage can cost just $100 to $150 annually. That doesn't include loss due to floods or earthquakes - you'd have to get a separate policy or rider to cover that.

With that, let the school year begin.