Preparing for life at university or college

After all the planning and organising involved in preparing your son or daughter for higher education, the end is almost in sight.

Once they are finally at university or college with everything they need, from pots and pans to somewhere to live, you will see how important this preparation actually was.

Being prepared protects your son or daughter from unexpected problems at a time in their lives when they should be focusing their attention on studying hard and enjoying themselves. It is amazing how much is involved, but helping to plan their life at university or college, step by step, makes the whole process a lot easier to manage.

Financesstudents using laptop

Student finances include, for example, student loans and awards, parental contributions and student bank accounts. More information can be found in the money section.

Make sure your son's or daughter's finances are sorted before they leave for university or college. It may be helpful to discuss ways in which they could plan their budget. This should enable them to avoid serious difficulties in paying for essentials such as accommodation (if not taken care of already), food, bills and course equipment.

Insurance & TV licence

It may not seem like a big deal, but having adequate insurance and a TV licence are crucial and often forgotten aspects of higher education.

Being burgled and having no insurance, or being fined £1,000 for being caught without a TV licence, can have a serious effect on a student's finances, security and confidence.

Accommodation

Your support in checking the suitability of your son's or daughter's accommodation can be very helpful. Finding out whether or not it has been paid for and, if appropriate, the method of payment is also useful.

Ensure that your son or daughter knows whether or not the cost of their accommodation includes electricity, gas, insurance, food, etc. It's a good idea to check if the room is en suite or has a communal bathroom.

Transport

Knowing how to get to and from university or college is important, because being late will not make a good impression on the lecturers. Your son or daughter can check bus and train timetables or use a map to find a good route if walking.

Although walking may save money, please be aware of the safety issues surrounding this. Until they find a safe route and/or someone to walk with, driving or using public transport may be better options.

Communication

If financial problems or homesickness look bound to strike, contacting you may be of the utmost importance to your son or daughter.

Most teenagers will already have a mobile phone or plan to take one to university or college, but if not, accommodation with a landline is recommended for safety reasons, as well as for communicating with one another.

If you do not already have them, it may be wise to set up email accounts (making sure that each of you knows the other's address) so you can keep in contact in more ways than one.

Preliminary reading

Information on preliminary reading, or any other required preparation, should have been sent to your son or daughter by their chosen institution.

To save them the embarrassment of turning up for a course unprepared, it's a good idea to check with your son or daughter if there is anything they need to do before attending the first lecture or practice.

Cooking skills

Developing a few cooking skills and, if possible, some knowledge of nutrition before leaving home will put your son or daughter at a huge advantage.

It is also worth checking, if they are in self-catering accommodation, that this includes basic cooking equipment.

With role models such as Jamie Oliver inspiring young people, it may be that your son or daughter is already a dab hand in the kitchen. If not, it is never too late to pass on your knowledge - or at least a cookbook.

Things to take

Items that your son or daughter needs at university or college may include, for example, course books/equipment, TV, stereo, bed linen, cooking equipment and toiletries.

The best way to avoid forgetting something they need is to plan, so encourage them to start writing a list of things to take well in advance.

Safety

For your peace of mind, as well as that of your son or daughter, check that their accommodation has fire/smoke alarms and that doors and windows have secure locks on them.

It is surprising how many students are burgled, but cannot claim on insurance because the locks are not of the required standard.

Electoral register

It may be the first year that your son or daughter is eligible to vote or they may have voted before. Either way, they now have to choose whether to register in their home area or at their term-time address. Postal or proxy votes may need to be arranged depending on the timing of elections.