Reality bites: what actually makes a difference when sending your kids to university
Life and style | The Guardian
Electrical retailer AO is helping both parents and students feel ready for the new academic year. Here, a mum of two shares her experience of kitting out her kids with essential tech and navigating the whirlwind of university life
Looking back, there were a few mistakes made in the build-up to getting my sons settled at university. I was in my mid-50s, a mum of two, and while I was proud to be packing my first son off to the Midlands and then, three years later, his younger brother up north, the many unknowns of student life in unfamiliar cities made me anxious.
I remember that nagging ache in the pit of my stomach as the dates for their departures approached. Would they thrive or struggle, and how could we, as parents, support them at a distance? Would all that freedom and independence derail any actual academic goals? You want them to make lifelong friends, have an enriching cultural experience, discover there’s a great big world out there and hopefully even get a degree. But, as we found, a few reality checks are needed.
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