Top Tips for Preparing your Kids for University

My daughter, E, is entering her second year of university. The first year has gone by in a blur, but I must admit I’ve learnt over the past year.

Having a child in university is both exciting and nerve wracking! I live in Cardiff, yet my daughter is in Southampton as that’s the university of her choice. It’s strange being this far away from her, yet I know that this is a new exciting chapter of her life and I’m both pleased for her and also very proud of her.

So, if you have a child who is thinking of going to university, I thought I’d share some tips with you to help prepare them.

Money Management

Going to university can be expensive. With rent to pay, as well as the cost of food, having a social life and the addition of having to be organised when it comes to form filling for things such as bursaries and student finance, can leave new students feeling a little flustered.

That’s why it’s so important to organise your money before setting off to university. Of course the majority of the financial burden that comes with a child going to university falls to the parents. Therefore it’s no wonder that a lot of parents will turn to equity release in order to help fund their child’s education.

Teaching them about how to budget for things to ensure that their money goes further is a pretty vital skill. Of course you’ll want your child to have a social life, but you’ll also want to make sure that they have enough money for food. Talk to your child about how they can budget and offer tips and advice.

The Essentials 

Like many students they’ll probably need a laptop, possibly also a printer. Do your research to find the best deals.

Now what you may class as essentials may be completely different to what your child would class as an essential. Things like bedding, kitchenware and utensils are going to be needed, but there’s no point buying the most expensive ones. Super market own brands will suffice.

Eat Properly

Teaching your child to eat properly can also be a good way to prepare them for life at university. You won’t want them to live off takeaways, although in truth they probably won’t be able to afford to do that! However, some basic cooking skills and knowledge about what types of meals they can cook can come in handy.

It may also be worth writing down a weekly shopping list for your child, along with a list of quick and easy recipes.

Don’t Worry

My final words on this is to you, mum and dad. Try not to worry! You will worry, of course you will, but they will learn to grow up. They will mature and develop their own sense of independence to start making the right decisions when it matters.