How To Prepare Your Child For Higher Education

Is your child preparing to go to university? Do you feel your child isn’t ready enough to face life as an undergraduate? If you do, then you need to read till the end. In this article, I’ll be sharing some tips on preparing your child for higher education. Let’s dive in.

Preparing your child for higher education

Preparing your children to leave home can be a stressful experience, primarily if they have always relied on you for fundamental life skills. Here are some things you can do to assist your child in preparing for college or university life.

Teach them how to take care of themselves

It is common for students to feel overwhelmed or fall short of others’ expectations. Exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep are the best ways to combat these feelings.

Tell them that if they need to unburden themselves, they can go to their university’s free counseling center. Tell them that even if they fail a test or miss a deadline, they will be fine and have lots of chances to make amends during their studies.

You can start by teaching them basic cooking skills, encouraging them to do their laundry often, or having a safety talk with them. Personal hygiene is also very crucial.

Brush up their cooking skills

Ability levels vary greatly depending on how much cooking your child has already done or can do. Nobody wants to walk into a hall and be taken aback by the strange contraptions in the kitchen, so having that duty before moving makes all the difference. Simple recipes are simple to learn and may also be a fun bonding experience.

Encourage them to do their laundry often

If they didn’t attend a boarding school, there’s a huge possibility that they don’t do their laundry often, or they have someone else do it for them, or they make use of a washing machine (if available). As a mother, you’ll need to teach them how to do their laundry often, even as they start a new life in the university.

Have a safety talk together

Nights out, drinking, relationships, and mental health are all covered. They won’t be living under your roof any longer, so they won’t have someone checking on them after a night out.

Simple actions like not getting in a car with a drunk driver, taking licensed taxis, guarding your drinks, and not suffering in silence are all critical. Just lay it out there, and have an honest conversation together. Universities offer support systems and counseling services, so just lay it out there.

Teach them to be organised

In Nigeria, getting into a university is no easy task. Your child must be prepared for everything that university life will throw at them to survive. As a result, they will need to become much more structured than usual.

This is because they are no longer under your supervision or the cautious instruction of lecturers at university. There could not be any exam updates, and there might be no reminders for tasks or deadlines.

There are additional social events and educational activities that kids may desire to participate in continually thrust at you. As a result, they should learn how to be more organised.

Open a student bank account for them

There are several banks to select from, and your child will most likely be responsible for managing their finances and paying bills immediately. A student account is necessary since student funds and housing costs come in and out.

All major high-street banks will offer student accounts, so check them with your child to identify the best deals and bonuses.

Teach them the art of budgeting

Students have a reputation for being lousy budgeters, but this does not have to be the case. This may be your child’s first time dealing with money, so go over the essentials with them before they leave. This includes expenses such as lodging, food shopping, day-to-day expenses, and having fun.

Go over all of your expenses ahead of time and figure out how you’ll pay for them: textbooks, school supplies, tuition, spending money, housing and board (if you’re living on campus), or rent and food (if living off-campus). It’s a good idea to set aside money for an emergency fund in your budget.

Prepare them relationally

During the first few weeks of college, many freshers want to make new acquaintances. Please encourage your child to keep their door open to friends and ask other people to hang out with them during this crucial period of relationship development. If you have a shy child, you can teach them how to be better people in society. Click here to find out how to help a shy child.

As children devote time and energy to building these ties, give them space and support. Respect their need for independence by asking how often they’d want to hear from you.

Conclusion

Studying at a Nigerian university is no easy task. To come out strong and successful, it takes a lot of concentration and drive. Regardless, preparing your children for university life in Nigeria will go a long way toward ensuring that they have a smooth transition to their chosen academic institution.

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