How To Make Sure Your Child Is Ready For University

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Getting ready for university isn’t just about grades and applications… Those things are important, of course, but the fact is that once everything’s submitted and accepted, there’s a whole other side to it that can catch people off guard. When you think about it, it’s a huge change, and it affects more than just where your child studies - it changes how they manage their time, their money, and their life, and the reality is that it can take a bit of doing and planning to feel ready (even a little bit). With that in mind, here are some ways you can help your child get to that stage.

Start With The Practical Things 

Before anything else, it’s always going to help to focus on the basics, like whether they can cook a few simple meals themselves, and if they know how to do laundry properly, as well as whether or not they can keep track of appointments and deadlines without always needing to be reminded. 

You’ll probably take these things for granted as an adult because you have to do them every day, but it could be that your child isn’t so sure (either because you’ve always done it for them or because they’ve never asked to learn), and when they’re living independently, not knowing could cause some issues. 

The best thing to do is to start giving them a bit more responsibility while they’re still at home - have them cook dinner a few times a week (and perhaps budget for the ingredients as well), and ensure they clean their own clothes. If they’ve got an appointment, don’t remind them (although it’s a good idea to show them how to keep track in some way, whether that’s through an app, on a calendar, or sticky notes, etc). They’ll learn how to do things and gain confidence before they’re actually on their own. 

Talk About Money Early 

Money is one of the biggest adjustments for students, and they’ll need to think about a lot of payments, from rent to travel to books and supplies, and socializing too. It’s all going to add up quickly, and they’ll have a limited amount of money they can spend, and the issue is that it’s very easy to underestimate how quickly things can get out of control, especially if you’ve never really had to think about it before. 

Having open conversations about budgeting, spending, and saving (which is often forgotten but is actually essential) helps to set some expectations. Just show your child what you do each month, and how you allocate funds, and that will usually be a good start, and once they understand how quickly money disappears and where it needs to be spent, they’ll have a new skill that will really benefit them. 

This is also the point where you can look into financial support options together, and things like a student loan from Ascent Funding can be part of that because it can help to cover the costs but also give your child a clearer idea of what their finances are going to look like when they move away. 

Encourage Independence Gradually 

It can be tempting to step in and solve problems, especially when things are a bit uncertain, but remember that university is probably the first time your child will be handling things on their own, and it’s actually important to let them as far as possible - they’ve got to learn sometime. 

It’s good to encourage them to make decisions, manage their time, and deal with small challenges now, before they go, because they’ll feel a lot more capable when they come across things they need to think about and make choices about later on. This can (and should) be a gradual process and not something that has to happen overnight, and they’ll slowly learn what to do and how to weigh up the pros and cons of everything. Perhaps you can start by letting them organize their own schedule, and move on from there. 

Help Them Think About Routine 

University life can feel like it’s not got much structure to it compared to school - there might not be lectures every day, deadlines can be more spread out, and there’s a lot more freedom; if you don’t turn up to a class, you don’t turn up and that’s it. And although that can definitely sound appealing after years of following the rules at school, it can also be quite difficult to manage because it’s so different. 

You’ll need to talk to your child about making their own routines if there isn’t one there already, and setting things like study times, keeping track of deadlines, and balancing their social life with work because it all plays a part in staying on track and doing well, while also making the most of their time away from home. 

Discuss Wellbeing

Moving away from home, meeting new people, and adjusting to a new environment can be exciting, but it can also be completely overwhelming at times, and it’s very important to talk about this side of things as well. 

Letting your child know it’s totally normal to feel unsettled and homesick at first and that support is there if they need it can make the move a lot less daunting. Whether the options are staying in touch with home, or accessing university support services, or anything in between, just knowing those things are there can be enough. 

Prepare For The Unexpected 

Things don’t always go exactly to plan, and there might be changes, challenges, or moments where things feel more difficult than expected, and being prepared for that possibility rather than assuming everything’s going to go smoothly can help your child respond better when it happens. 

That’s not to say you should tell them you’re expecting problems and make them worried, but it’s wise to ensure they understand that problems can come up, because they do in everyday life, and that there are always ways to deal with them if they take a moment to think about it. 

Let Them Take The Lead 

One of the most important parts of preparing your child for university is to step back a little, which can be hard because this is a big change for you as well as them, but it’ll help everyone in the end. 

The fact is, giving your child the space to take the lead, even if that means they make a few mistakes along the way, means you’ll be helping them build confidence in their own decisions, and that’s going to take them very far in life.