With a son that’s entering high school next year, I’m already looking ahead to preparing him for university.
So many of the people I graduated with were ill-prepared for university life, and I don’t want my son to be in the same situation!
That’s why I’m trying to ensure that he has the skills he’ll need to be successful as an independent student by teaching him how to cook basic, nutritious food, how to wash his own clothes, how to write a proper essay, and how to make sure his work is neat and easy to read.
Some of those basic tasks are all it takes to give a child an extra advantage over children that had never had to learn skills needed for independence.
Kids that have been more sheltered often flounder when left on their own, so I’m trying my best to ensure my son has the proper responsibility for university life.
It goes without saying that the road to (and then through) university is a long one. And the earlier you start planning for it, the better!
Choosing Classes
Trying to help your child put together a solid university class schedule is no easy task. Ensuring they don’t overload themselves, but still take the classes they need for their chosen degree can be overwhelming!
While being ready to offer advice is a must, make sure to let your child take the lead when applying to colleges, deciding on a major and planning that class schedule.
It’s one of the first tests of their responsibility and independence, so let them learn from any mistakes early on so they can move forward more confidently in the future!
Planning a Budget
Hopefully your new student will head off to school with some strong budgeting skills already. But even the most responsible child can fall victim to temptation when left on their own with a large sum of money!
If your child is able to manage their money successfully, that’s great! But if they’re often running short at the end of the month, talk to them about splitting their monthly student loan or scholarship payments into weekly amounts that you send to them.
This “allowance trick” often helps to ensure your child spends their money more evenly throughout the month and budgets better for necessary expenses…an essential skill for the future as well!
Sharing Life Tips
From the importance of a good night’s sleep to the versatility of a slow cooker, there’s a lot of basic life tips you may want to share with your child.
Start by teaching them how to make a few of their favourite meals, and then give them a cost breakdown so they can see for themselves how much cheaper making their own food is.
Then, run them through the basics of a good house cleaning. A busy student won’t be likely to spend hours scouring their living space, so show them those shortcuts, like using cleaning wipes to give surfaces a quick disinfecting and polish.
Those basic adult skills won’t just make their lives more comfortable, it will encourage them to continue learning new skills on their own!
At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that is is their journey. As much as you want to help, they need to do this on their own…even when that means making mistakes sometimes.
So, pack them up a university care package, and make sure your kids know that you’re there if they need you. They’re sure to learn how to shine.
This are fantastic tips to get ready for University Its a big change
Also mental health… Making sure that they are prepared for the changes which will come their way. The fast pace, the expectations, the changing friends group, the sense of freedom and being set free. Its a hard time in many kids’ lives.
reading this made me sad. my youngest son is going to high school next year too. my oldest will be going to university next new. very good points about all, food, cleaning, and essays.