5 Tips to Help Your Child Survive University
There are many things that go through the mind of a child when they leave home for university. Ideally, this is the first time for most children to take care of themselves and manage their money. It is an opportunity to become more responsible. But, despite how amazing this feels, university life has ups and downs. There will be acceptance, rejection, and financial issues. Money is particularly a challenge for most university learners because student loan is never enough. That’s why students should know avenues like writers department that enable them to earn money using their writing skills.
Learning to fend for self is very important just like the academic side of a university student. Life skills come in handy because university students should know how to cope with everything that is thrown at them by the student’s life. Thus, to help your child survive university, let them know that they should be ready for anything unexpected. Parents should prepare their children for university life psychologically before they leave home. Here are 5 tips that will enable your child to survive university.
- Be Prepared to Face Financial Challenges
A National Survey conducted in 2015 indicated that personal finances are a cause of stress for 70% of students in college. That means 7 in every 10 students are stressed by personal finances. This can be attributed to the fact that university life is more expensive than most students expect. What’s more, this is usually the first time students manage their budgets and cater for themselves. It’s also the first time many students decide how to spend their time and take responsibility for their health and other things. It’s therefore important that you make your child realize that there will be financial challenges and know how to cope with them. Student loans can be one of these challenges. If they find it difficult to pay with their current rates and terms, consider telling them about debt consolidation or student loan refinancing.
- University is Different from Home
For most people, there is no place that can be like home. Students should bear this fact in mind when joining the university. That means they should be prepared to endure homesickness for some months after joining the university. In some instances, students may be worried about being miles away from their homes. Thus, parents or relatives may not visit every weekend and the only time they may have to meet is during university holidays. What’s more, parents may not always be there to help their children with assignments. It is therefore important that learners find ways of getting help with assignments such as engaging services of essay writers online.
- Don’t Compare Yourself
Once a child enters university, they meet all kinds of people. Some have everything they need while some have little to keep them going through the semester. It is important to encourage your child to avoid comparing themselves to other students. People have different ways of making this transition. If a child spends more time on the social media, they may feel like their colleagues have more fun and money to spend than them. Remind your child to be themselves and focus on their studies more.
- Take a Campus Tour
Once you have known the university that your child will be joining, take a campus tour together before admission. Make sure that your child envisions themselves studying and living there. Find out whether the child feels happy about the idea of joining the university. If there are students in the campus during your tour, ask questions. This will enable your child to have firsthand information as well as the experience of the university. Thus, they will have the information they need to survive university from the first day.
- Stock Up on Essentials
Lacking essential commodities makes you feel terrible especially if you are shy to borrow. It is therefore important that parents and children stock up on essentials once they receive university acceptance letters. Invest in laundry baskets, dryer sheets, shower shoes, toiletries, soap, and shampoo among others. Ensuring that your child has all the essentials enables them to have money for other things once they join campus. They also feel confident and independent. Therefore, think about all practical things and add them to your collection before you join the university.
Some parents dread that day they will have to leave their children at the university. There are also parents and children that shed tears when saying goodbye to each other. That’s because they are not sure whether they have what it takes to survive university life. If you are such a parent, follow these tips to help your child survive university.
