Being a parent isn’t an easy thing to do. It is extremely rewarding, granted. But it can be a tough slog that literally sucks up every last bit of energy and indeed money you have. Getting your kid into university can either be easy or hard, the trick is completed by planning things out in advance as much as you can. If you plan in advance, you can get it all done. You need to be an active part in the process to ensure they have the best chance of acceptance. You can’t totally guarantee it. Only your children can do that in their exams and such. But you can help stack the deck in their favour to ensure they have the best chance of getting there. Here are some hints and tips that can see you make the difference to their application. Some, you may already do. But consider the others as you best can. You may not have the time to help as much as you like, but some of these are reasonably easy.
Save The Cash
This is something you need to do from an early age. The college fund, started by many parents is a way of saving up money so that a youngster can go to college. The best way for this is saving as you go. Putting money away as it becomes available. However, you need to ensure money is available. So you can either put excess money in the bank, or force a situation where there is excess money to use. Make the most out of everything around you. If you fly often then you can swap points for gift cards. Use these gift cards instead of paying with cash and put the saved cash into savings. It is just an idea, but these are the kind of things you need to be thinking about. You’ll be surprised by how much you can save over the years before they will be going to college. Just try to put the money in a high interest saving account so that you can make the most of it while it is there. You may just want to merge it with your everyday savings account but doing this can make it hard to track exactly what you have saved towards the fund. It isn’t an easy road, but it is one your kids will thank you for in the future.
Do Your Research
So whatever your child decides they want to study you need to find the right university for it. Sure, they may already know but it pays to check. Then research the next best thing so that you can apply for those too. Only then will you have the best opportunity for getting into university. You need to know which ones are the better ones to apply for. Then make a short list and go for the top three or four. Don’t just go for a university because it is good. Go for a university that is good for the specific subject you child wants to study. You should also research the towns they are in and whether you child likes them. Take a visit there and look around. Most universities do open days so consider using one of these to inspect it and see what is best for your child. Distance from your home could be a deciding factor if they are going to come home at weekends or maybe they don’t want to leave home yet meaning their only option is the university in your home town. Research means you can nail down which universities to apply for.
Help Them Prep For The Interview
This will be a daunting interview for your child and maybe their first proper interview of their lives. Help them as much as you can. First, impart general interview advice. Guide them to helpful websites where they can learn all about interviewing and pick up some top tips to see them through, just like the one found here. After that, you need to start focusing on the actual specifics of the university interview. They will be assessing their passion for the chosen subject but also them as an individual. So your child will need a decent knowledge of their passion as well as presenting themselves well. Sometimes these interviews don’t even happen, but if you are applying for some of the more prestigious ones then they likely will. Look out for certain interview tactics of various universities. Some will ask different questions to others whereas some will ask stranger questions. All you can do it prepare. Find out what questions are asked by raiding the search engines for forums about said interviews. You can then give your child a heads up about the content. You can never be sure about what will come up so don’t be certain. Finally, your child needs to be comfortable in the interview, so get them a new outfit in which they feel completely comfortable in. It should be professional, which will give just the right first impression.
Get The Grade
You can’t sit the exam for them. But what you can do is help them pass it. Study with them, impart knowledge that you know and give them what they need to succeed. This could be a quiet room to study in, or it could be a firmer hand by making them study when they really don’t want to. Buy the right materials like past papers and practice exams, giving them a feel for what their final exams will be like. If needed you may want to consider hiring out some tutors. They are usually teachers or have teaching experience and can help them in subjects they are struggling with. There should be a priority on the subject they are going to study in university too as this will really show a proficiency. Try to identify their weak areas or better still ask them yourself. They may not feel totally comfortable about it. Some kids are different than others. Some will revise well, others will need to be pushed into it. Whatever you do, they’ll certainly thank you if they get into the university they want to go to.