A child’s university life brings not only joy but also panic. How can I support my newly graduated student and help them avoid inconveniences?
Parents of graduates share their experiences.
- Show them some tips.
A new year is challenging for new students, so you better be friendly with them and not expect them to be academic superheroes. If there’s a chance you can ease their struggles – do it. Tell them about time management tools, like Pomodoro, or writing services like EssayAssistant, which can help them when the first deadlines are close.
- Less control.
The student years are a transitional phase between school and adult life. This is when self-determination and responsibility are formed. Of course, it is necessary to be interested in your child’s life and help. But control of every moment will only make them feel uncomfortable. Allow the child to make decisions and be responsible for them independently.
From time to time, ask about training relationships with classmates. Try not to criticize, but to support. Share your own experience, tell not only about your students’ achievements but also about the mistakes. Then the child more you trust and ask for more guidance.
The first few months of study are very stressful for students. They need to become accustomed to a different evaluation system, new types of knowledge control, and many other changes.
- Teach your child to dispense with finances.
Assist the student in planning their budget. There are many apps, such as Homemoney, Spendee, Easycost. However, first, you need to practice what you can do. Explain to your child how important it is to pay for your accounts on time and help them prioritize their expenses. Talk about things that are not worth saving.
- Let your children choose their future independently.
Parents often allow themselves to make choices instead of their children. After all, they already have some experience and know how to succeed.
However, high school graduates do not always have a clear picture of their future. They do not know exactly their place in society and what occupation will satisfy them throughout life. This information will come from the university. Later the student will understand which direction they want to go. So try not to influence the choice of professional specialization by your child.
- Help to connect education and life.
When a student looks at an academic discipline not as a tryout to be passed but as a valuable experience in future work, the attitude changes. Try to find an internship or volunteering related to their specialty. Or advice to independently develop a project. This will help your children understand what knowledge they need in practice.
- Let them live in the dormitory.
If your child is going to another city and you need to solve the problem with housing, you should choose a dorm. There may not be overly good conditions: a few people in a room, shared bathroom, and kitchen, but the experience is unimaginable. The dormitory is a small community where students learn to take full responsibility for their decisions.
A great advantage is also the opportunity to learn how to interact with others. In one room can live very different people, they need to be flexible show empathy and understanding. Let your son or daughter divide their household duties with their roommates: establish a cleaning schedule and cook food together. Such an organization makes life easier.
Try to encourage your child that it is not necessary to become friends with their neighbors. It is essential to be tolerant and find a common language.
- Don’t get to know everybody.
Interfering in the educational process may not have the best consequences. Some parents come to the professor asking about the learning process, demanding feedback, and even causing a scandal. This negatively affects the attitude toward the student in the university. The professors do not perceive them as self-sufficient people who can make important decisions and choices. That is why it is better to fully trust the educational process to your son or daughter but still keep your hand on the pulse.
The child may be just afraid to tell about their problems. If you notice mood changes: isolation, or even involuntary expression of emotions, ask the problem. Perhaps your son or daughter experiences pressure from classmates or has severe issues with a particular subject. You can contact the supervisor and ask them to clarify the situation. Just do not do it in public.
- Help with the daily routine.
The student needs time to adapt. At first, it is not easy to deal with all the new items. If the child will study in another city, help sort out the route from the university to home, please buy a passport. These details are often very time-consuming, which is more important for your student to adapt to the educational process.
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