Studying abroad is an incredibly rewarding experience. However, there’s a lot your son or daughter has to think about and organise when they first leave home to go to university so they might be a little stressed.
Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to help prepare your son or daughter during this busy time. So, if you're sending your child to study abroad, here's how you can help.
- Useful things to pack
- Useful things your son or daughter can buy upon arrival
- Plan to stay in touch
- Help to plan their finances
- Do your research
Useful things to pack
Clothes, stationery, laptop, phone and toiletries. These are the main things that a student will be expected to pack when coming to university, but they’re pretty obvious.
There are a number of other items you can remind your child of so they can add it to their packing list. Here are the most useful items that people usually forget about:
- USB memory stick - to store whatever your son or daughter might need to, from assignments and research to movies and music
- dry shampoo - if you’re travelling and need to freshen up your hair, dry shampoo is a great way of feeling cleaner without a shower
- tissues -these can be used for so many different reasons - staying clean, wiping down surfaces or used if your son or daughter gets a cold
- slippers - to keep your son or daughter's feet warm
- a yearly diary - your son or daughter can use this to plan their weeks and months
- earplugs - great for light sleepers as they block out sounds and stop your son or daughter from woken up by any nighttime noises
- eye mask - to protect against any light if your son or daughter is trying to sleep
- lip balm or moisturiser - to protect the skin against any cold weather or bright sun
These are only a few of the things that might need to be packed. If you’re looking for a more detailed list of everything your son or daughter should take to university, read through the Save the Student list.
Useful things your son or daughter can buy upon arrival
Your son or daughter will only have a limited amount of space in their luggage, so won’t have everything they need when they first get to university. Here’s a list of things you can tell them to buy when they arrive:
- mattress protector, bed sheets and duvet cover
- blanket
- extension cable
- hair dryer
- clothes hangers
- storage boxes
- cutlery, mugs and glasses
- sharp knife and chopping board
- plates and bowls
- pot
- good quality frying pan
- tea towel
- baking tray
- tupperware boxes
- tin opener and potato peeler
Don’t worry about your son or daughter having to bring these home with them when the year finishes - they can either be sold or put in storage.
Plan to stay in touch
It can be tempting at first to try and contact your son or daughter multiple times during the week, but remember, this is their time to be independent.
However, staying in contact is still needed for both of you. Before your son or daughter leaves for university, it’s a good idea to come up with a schedule for contacting each other. It shouldn’t be something you stick to rigidly as you each have personal responsibilities that can take priority.
All you have to do is make sure you talk at least once every week. You might speak more often than this when your child first begins university but over time, you’ll both become more confident. You can also use these talks to keep your child motivated if they ever feel unsure of their work or surroundings.
To save money on overseas calls, you can download video calling apps such as Skype or Whatsapp to have free video chats at any time of the day. Make sure you’ve agreed which app you will use, downloaded it to your device and both know how to use it before your son or daughter leaves.
Help to plan their finances
Planning finances is an important task to complete. Your son or daughter will have a limited amount of money to use each month and you can help to teach them how to use it wisely.
You can help them prepare financially by assisting them in setting up a student bank account. You can make shopping lists together for when they first arrive and their weekly groceries and toiletries so they can see what they will need to purchase in advance. Reassure them that the best way to remain financially stable at university is to plan ahead.
You can also research what kind of student discounts your son or daughter is eligible for while studying in the UK.
For more information on finances, read our blog on budgeting for international students.
Do your research
Before your child leaves for university, research what their city is like, useful information about the country they’ll be living in and any tips or advice you can find on living abroad.
You could research the history, culture and customs of their destination. If they’re coming to a university in the UK, there is an incredible amount of information on UK culture you can find just by doing a web search.
By doing your research, you’re in a better position to help your son or daughter if they have any problems.
If you’d like to learn more about British culture to help prepare your son or daughter for life in the UK, download our guide.
Explore British culture in our helpful guide
Our guide to British culture is a great introduction to what life is like living in the UK. It covers weather, yearly events and traditions, what British people are like and the kind of traditional foods we eat over here.
By reading it together, you and your child will be in a stronger position for a successful move to the UK. Click the link below to download.
