With one son already at uni and another due to go this year, Nell’s got all the tips you need to make results day and prepping for uni feel that little bit easier for your child...and for you!
What’ll happen on results day?
Your child might encounter one of the following scenarios on results day, but it'll depend entirely on their results:
Scenario A – your child gets the grades that they needed for their first choice, in which case they just need to check that their accommodation is sorted and then off they go!
Scenario B – they don’t secure their first choice but they’re confirmed at their insurance choice uni. If they’re happy with that option, then all they need to do is accept on UCAS track and, again, check that there’s accommodation available.
Scenario C – they haven’t met the entry requirements for their firm or insurance option – or they’ve changed their mind about where and what they want to study. This is when they can use Clearing to explore their other options.
What’s your best piece of advice for results day?
Prepare! Even if your child is confident that they’ll get the grades they need, it’s best to have a hit list of three to five other Clearing courses that they’re interested in. Just having their hotline numbers to hand or the websites pinned to their browser will put them in good stead. Most universities publish their available courses by early or mid-July and many have Priority Clearing where your child can sign up for somebody to contact them to talk through their options.
Did you have any worries before your son started uni?
Having an empty nest! And then I guess it was just the usual worry of having one of my children leave home for the first time. In preparation, I taught my son how to cook five go-to dishes because I knew that he’d live off pasta sauce and pizza or choose the expensive, fast food option.
To prepare her son for living on his own and to teach him that bathrooms don’t clean themselves, a friend of mine recently asked her son if he wanted to clean their house on a regular basis for some extra cash for uni! I thought it was a good idea, especially if your child is going to be in a shared house; being messy quickly results in unpopularity!’
Have back up options, even if your child is confident that they'll get the grades they need. A hit list of three to five alternative universities will put them in good stead.
And what about managing their finances while they’re studying?
To stay on track, they must have a monthly budget based on X amount of food, uni materials, travel etc. My other son is about to go to uni and I’m encouraging him to look for a part-time job, just so that he has a little extra every week to add to his budget. And I know from my son who’s currently studying that there are lots of flexible work opportunities, such as ambassador work, that allow students to sign up for shifts whenever’s best for them and their study commitments.
Any advice about what’s essential to pack?
You can always buy bedding packs from supermarkets or the university itself. I wouldn’t go overboard with kitchen items as everyone brings the same things and there’s usually limited cupboard space! Instead, I went shopping with my son to pick out some things that would make him feel at home in his new space. It might be a nice picture for the wall, new duvet covers, photo frames or a throw for their bed – anything that'll help them to settle in.
