Applying for university is a stressful time. It's time-consuming just when your teens are working full-out on their A level or BTec courses. These ten top tips appear in Chapter one of Applying to University The Essential Guide published by Need-2-Know:
- Keep involved even if your teen tries to fob you off.
- Make sure you know the important dates and check that your son or daughter is on track.
- If you haven't heard of any meetings at the school about university applications phone them to find out the dates and check the school or college website.
- Offer guidance but be wary of trying to live your life through them.
- Making too strong a case for a particular subject or university can be counterproductive.
- If you went to university yourself, remember that times and institutions have changed.
- Don't feel side-lined if you didn't go to university – you still have a wealth of experience to offer.
- Help with things like organisation and planning – some teenagers are great at this but others need some firm guidance.
- Be positive – don't belittle a teenager's aspirations. If you think that they are making a mistake, suggest this carefully or offer alternatives for them to think about.
- If things go wrong be prepared to visit the school or college to see if matters can be improved.
