The time has come for your child to go to college. The prospect of him/her leaving home and moving to a new city is scary. You feel sad and worried but you want to give your child the support they need to succeed in this important chapter in their life. So what should you do? Should you let your feelings show? Or is there something you can do to make their journey more enjoyable? Let’s find out, as the following are some tips to support a college student.
Financial Support
The rising cost of education is a worrying thing for parents and students. Millions of parents don’t have the upfront cash to cover fees and accommodation costs, let alone living costs. To give your child the best start financially, find student apartments early on in the year before the big surge happens. Doing so will give you the best bang for your buck and you won’t be left having to choose a low standard of accommodation just because everything else is booked. In terms of paying fees, there is financial aid available in the form of government grants and loans so do your research to see what’s a good option based on your circumstances.
Advice
Your child is now becoming an adult so it’s a scary time for them too. If you have some advice that you’d like to share, now is the time to do so. Sit down before he/she leaves for their first semester and share some parting words on how you feel. If you don’t feel comfortable talking in person, why not put a pen to paper and write a note? This will be a lovely keepsake and something that he/she can look back on when times get tough.
Leave Their Room Alone
If you’re like most moms, you’ll be eager to get into their bedroom to do a big spring clean and a total revamp. God knows, you probably haven’t seen the bedroom floor in months so that urge is totally normal! Instead of rushing in and moving your son’s/daughter’s personal things around, why not just do a clean-up and leave it at that? The reason being is you want to give your child a place to come home to. A place where they feel comfortable. If you start to paint, put down a new floor and get new furniture, suddenly their urge to come home at weekends might dwindle. And you don’t want that to happen, do you?
Be Realistic
College is a whole different ballgame compared to high school. The workload is heavier, the marking is stricter and there’s so much more to learn. Be realistic when it comes to the grades they achieve as very few people can maintain a perfect 4.0 in college.
And there you have it – some sure-fire ways to give your child the support and space they need to succeed in college. This period of change won’t be easy for either of you but, with the right approach and attitude, it will be a smooth transition with little stress.
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