Helping Your Teenager Prepare for University

This is a collaborative post

University can feel like a daunting prospect for a lot of students, especially those at reaching the final stages of Year 13, where they will be preparing for results, getting into the university they wanted, and any backup plans. The best A Level college in the UK recommends that you help your child with as many options as they can have to ensure they are comfortable and ready for whatever life throws at them. Here are some tips for preparing your child.

Visit the university before the big move

If your child already has a good idea of where they will be going to study, then a visit to the university won’t hurt. It helps you know what the campus looks like, where your child could be studying and what facilities will be available to them. This is a good time to make your child aware of the offerings a university does have – like clubs and societies and counselling and essay support. These are huge pluses that a child should try and take advantage of as much as possible.

Help your child learn how to cook the basics

It will of course vary from child to child, and how much they were involved in the kitchen from a young age, but feeding themselves will be crucial of course. Get them into the groove of knowing what to buy to make some simple meals so that they have something to make for themselves in the first few weeks.

Help them with their budgeting

Being able to budget as a student is a fine art, especially when they have to juggle accommodation costs and student loans. The small amount of money they have to work with can pose a lot of challenges for your child. It is therefore worth your time to look at how your child should budget each week and how it will make their lives a little easier. This may well be the first time your child is away from home for a long period of time and will need to learn how to manage themselves as best they can.

Try not to take over their world too much

Your child is now an adult and is able to make their own decisions, so let them have control of their lives as well. They will be bound to make lots of mistakes when they are at university where you won’t be able to help them that much – trust that they are managing things as best they can and check in from time to time to make sure they are okay. So long as you don’t coddle them too much they will manage just fine and know how to handle themselves over time.

Above all else, university should feel very exciting to your teenager and will be a time for them to enjoy life away from home and build memories with new people. It might be a bumpy ride for them at first, but trust the process, and be available for them when they need you.