Succeeding at university is tough for kids. The step up from previous education is a big one, both commitment and difficulty wise. Not only do they have to focus on their studies, they have to adapt to living away from home and managing their money in a way they have probably never had to before. As a parent, you want to support them, but you also want them to embrace the challenge and all the personal growth that comes with it.
There are some really simple ways you can help your kids out during their university journey without giving them physical cash. You can help them out by researching tools that they can use to make their work easier, such as the useful plagiarism checker scribbr, or you can order a food delivery for them.
If your child hasn’t started university yet, here are some other things you can do before they begin to give them a good start.
- Talk about it before they go, they may be worried or anxious and hiding it.
- Research what mental health support the university they are attending provides. This may come in handy if they run into some anxiety problems or stress during their time there.
- Make sure they realize that the stiff regiment of education before university is going to change. The freedom given to students when they start at university can be hard to handle, especially since they are used to having their lives controlled at school.
If your child is already at university, here are some things you should do.
- Keep in regular touch, but do not smother them. Finding the right balance is crucial if you want to be kept in the loop without annoying them.
- Look for signs they may be unhappy or struggling. Parents have the uncanny ability of knowing when their children are upset or unhappy before they have really come to terms with it themselves.
- Encourage everything! If they are nervous about socializing, tell them that everyone else will be too. If they are unsure whether they want to join a society, tell them they should! Friends are crucial to a good university experience, so try your hardest to keep their confidence high!
- Remember that universities will not keep you in the loop; they are aiming to create students with independence.
- Reinforce the fact that they should not compare themselves to other students. Just because their friends are scoring higher on tests and coping better with the transition does not mean that they are not doing well. They will need to hear this! Encourage them to take pride in their own accomplishments. Life is about your own journey, not what everyone else is doing.
It is a fine line to tread. On the one hand, you want your children to grow and become independent, but you are still parents at the end of the day. If you want them to succeed, you are going to have to really work hard at realizing the difference between support and mollycoddling.
If your child is at uni or is about to start, we wish you and them the best of luck!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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