Heading off to university can be a huge, life changing experience. For many, this will be the first time that they have really been away from home for longer periods of time, fending for themselves without parents of guardians around to help them. Whether your child is an independent soul at heart or someone who loves the creature comforts of home there are ways in which you can prepare your child for university before they set off on this new and exciting adventure.
ANXIETY
It is understandable that your child, no matter how much they pretend, will be anxious about going to university; this is a big step. Not only will they be in a strange town, living away from home, there is a good chance they won’t know anyone else. They may also have worries about taking on those day-to-day tasks that have mostly been done for them in the home. Have a chat with them before they go, remind them that you are still here to answer questions and give help, but from a distance.
Remember that it is okay to feel anxious yourself. Your child will no longer be under your roof, and it is okay to feel emotional; empty nest syndrome is real. Make sure you have a way of keeping in touch with your child but remember they may not want you checking in on them all the time. Agree to a catch up time once or twice a week and remind them this doesn’t mean they can’t call in the meantime. If you will now be on your own at home perhaps look for a hobby outside the home that will allow you to socialise with others, as this will really help.
ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE
A timetable of lectures will give your child a routine to their days, but it can be a good idea to talk to them about establishing a wider routine. This means getting up with plenty of time to get ready and then get to lectures without rushing, shopping for food, scheduling time for laundry, cleaning and any other jobs that they might need to do in addition to their studying. It can be all too easy when you are not used to doing these things for yourself to forget about them until they all need doing at the same time.
BUDGETING
One of the best ways in which you can prepare your child for university is to talk to them about budgeting. Sit down and help them to work out how much money they will have and the things that they will need to spend it on. They may need a student loan, and this is okay, but it is important that all this money doesn’t go on socialising. Many young people don’t realise just how much food costs so get them involved in the shopping at home for a couple of weeks.
COOKING FOR THEMSELVES
Hopefully, your child will remember at least some of the basics of preparing and cooking food that they learnt at school. Cooking for yourself for the first time can be daunting and missing those home cooked meals can be difficult. Write down some of those family favourites for them, remember to reduce the potion sizes, as these familiar meals can help them to feel less homesick. A good student cookbook can also be really helpful if they want to branch out. You could also give them some advice on batch cooking and storing meals in the fridge so they have an accessible stash of home cooked one-pan ready meals for the week if they are short of time.
KEEPING HEALTHY
Discuss the importance with your child of looking after their general health whilst at university. It can be tempting to stay up late every night and be social, however when there are early morning lectures involved this can mean cutting sleep short in order to get up. Fresh air, healthy foods and a good night’s sleep are still important. It is also important that your child considers their mental health whilst at university, remind them that you are only ever a phone call away. There are also people they can talk to at university, particularly their tutors, if they are struggling.
LAUNDRY
Laundry is a necessary evil whilst at university and one that some students have never done before. Show them how to use a washing machine so that washing and drying clothes is not something they will struggle with., and whilst there might not be many occasions when they would need to do any ironing it can be a good idea to run over the basics with them, and maybe help them choose a good iron, so they don’t damage any garments. Mending ripped clothes is also a basic skill that you may want to give your child some pointers on as this will help them to stretch their student budget further if they can mend things rather than replace them.
BEING SAFE
One of the biggest worries that parents have when their child goes to university is safety. Prepare your child for university by having a frank and open conversation with them. Discuss safety late at night and look at any measures the university may have in place; some run late night transport to aid with safety. You may also want to include the topics of alcohol, drugs and sex in your conversation. It is naïve to believe that there is a potential for these things to occur at university but having a conversation about them is the best way approach the topic.
RETURNING STUDENTS
Just because your child is no longer in their first year of university doesn’t mean that you, and them, might not have some anxieties. By now they will at least have learnt to cook for themselves and sort out things like laundry and shopping. Prepare your child for university, even if they are returning, by packing them a care kit to get them started. Basic food items such as coffee, tea, rice, pasta and a good stash of tins as well as a good pan can really help them with their first forays into preparing every meal for themselves.
One final tip that any parent can give is for their child to enjoy their time at university and embrace the opportunities that it will provide them with. With the right balance between study and socialising, university can provide them with so many skills for the world after university.
Students on campus photo by Keira Burton from Pexels
Schedule Photo by Bich Tran from Pexels
Laundry Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels