If your child is going off to university after their A Levels, other further education or training where they will be living away from home, try some of these practical tips to get them prepared to move out. Preparing for university can help the transition go more smoothly and stops them feeling so anxious about the impending change.

Money

Before they go, your child should have a bank account. This is important as their student loan can be paid into it. 

Most banks have apps that let account holders check their balance, transfer money and get updates on outgoings. Therefore your child can monitor their finances and learn how to manage their own money. A lot of student accounts also come with other perks. Usually you will find free overdrafts or discounted rail travel. 

The Basics

Students tend to live in student accommodation run by the university during their first year. If they’re in a shared house, you still might be able to add them onto your home contents insurance for an extra. Let them know if they are any terms they need to abide by for the insurance to count. For example keeping the bedroom door locked if they’re not in the room. If they don’t comply, they might not be able to claim. 

Even if your child doesn’t own a TV and just streams everything, they still need a TV licence if they are going to watch live TV or BBC iPlayer. This applies even if they live in student halls. Make sure they sort this out as part of preparing for university.

Students who share a house will only need to have one licence to share between them to cover all the TVs and devices in the house, so they can split the cost between everyone living there. 

Health

Encourage them to learn to cook for themselves. There are lots of recipe sites online aimed at students, and there are also some brilliant apps that can help new cooks learn to cook healthy meals. There are even apps that can come up with recipes using what you already have in the fridge and in the cupboards, so your child can use everything up instead of wasting food or always buying more. 

Fresher’s flu is common in the first weeks of university, so remind your child to register with a local GP in their university town or with the surgery on campus if there is one as soon as they can. Local surgeries will often have a stand at the fresher’s fayre, so it should be easy to register very quickly. 

Keeping In Touch

It’s very easy to stay in touch now with apps from WhatsApp to Skype. You can send quick messages throughout the day, or get a full video tour of their new place. 

Agree on how often they would like to be contacted or agree on a schedule for calls so they don’t feel smothered while they get used to having more freedom with their new friends.

Remember that when they’re at university, your child is an adult who has a right to their privacy. If you have any concerns, talk to your child and encourage them to contact student services if they don’t want to talk to you about their worries.