How To Help Your Child Prepare For University

As a parent, watching your child grow is both incredibly rewarding and incredibly frightening – especially when they reach adulthood, and it’s time for them to spread their wings. However,  whether that means they are going to university or seeking full-time employment, there are still certain things that you can do as a parent to help make the process easier for them. 

With that in mind, here are just some of the ways you can help your child prepare for university (and impending adulthood).

Encourage them to chase their dreams. Too often, we hear stories of how children make academic decisions based on their parent’s wishes instead of their own – which can often lead to a lot of frustration or even resentment. Therefore, it is important that you encourage your children to follow their passions in life. Remember, a degree is far more than an academic qualification, and they will pick up a lot of transferable skills that can open doors for them later down the line, even if it is a subject you yourself would not have selected.

Put plans in place. From time to time, we can all afford to be a little more organised – and teenagers, in particular, seem keen to leave everything to the last minute. However, when you are starting a new school and moving town, specific plans need to be put in place ahead of time to make the transition as smooth as possible. For example, you should ensure that you help them find the right student-friendly accommodation. After all, they will be spending the vast majority of their time there – whether that means they are completing assignments or socialising with friends.  Thankfully, there are plenty of options available at each and every university, meaning that a little bit of research can quickly point you in the right direction. For example, if they will be attending Coventry university, you can easily find student accommodation at the university of coventry.

Start packing….now. When you’re making a big move, it’s important that you start packing sooner rather than later. This can save you a great deal of stress, but also reduces the chances of you leaving something important behind too. Do a little research ahead of time so that you both know what to pack for university – as you can’t really throw a few jumpers and a set of cutlery into the car and hope for the best. 

Find new ways to keep in touch. The past year has provided us with plenty of unique ways to keep in touch with faraway family – whether that means you hop on a Zoom call or even write a letter. However, while it’s important to understand that they might be too busy to do this every day – you can always put plans in place for when and how you will speak to each other. For example, you could ask them to get in touch on a particular evening each week so that you catch up and find out about (most of) what they are up to. 

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