You’ve probably seen the news about Austin billionaire, Robert F. Smith, offering to payoff the college debts of the Morehouse College class of 2019. I greatly admire the successful founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners for his gesture to wipe out up to $40 million in student loans with his own money.

As I read the story, a note about one of the recipients, a 22-year-old finance major, reminded me of a Mark Twain quote, “Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions.”

With school back in session in most of the country, many parents are likely thinking about how best to prepare for their children’s future college expenses. Now is a good time to sharpen your pencil for a few important lessons before heading back into the investing classroom to tackle the issue.