Entering higher education

This section talks about how a parent can provide a solid support system for their child throughout their career development process.

How to help your child to prepare and be ready to enter Higher Education [h2]

High school is important and mandatory; its main purpose has become preparing students for Higher Education. The classes and activities you do in high school play a role in modelling you as an individual to realise your potential. The journey of a High School learner enables a learner to successfully meet basic requirements in order to progress to a level of education that can help you achieve your career goals. Through this process a learner can gain admission to highly selective Institutions and even get an opportunity of being awarded bursaries or scholarships if they work hard.

Documentation Checklist

Advice and encourage your child to know how important it is to have a check list of the things they need when preparing for Higher Education. Each institution has a check list for different things such as application and registration just to mention a few. You can work together with your child to have a look at them on the institutions websites; however, you also need to make your child aware that they will need to create a documentation checklist for themselves. This will assist them to keep track of the things that they need to take along when they leave home for higher learning.

The above checklist is to give your child an idea on how they can create a checklist. You can assist your child create one according to their needs. While they are packing, they will be using the checklist that they have created to tick of the things that they have packed away already and it will give them an overview of what they still need to take along with them.

Does your child have a place to stay?

Moving from home to go and study may not be easy for your child due to other logistics that needs to take place, however, with thorough preparations beforehand it eases off the run around of looking for accommodation.

If your child applied to further their studies at a residential institution, it is very important to advise them to also apply for accommodation at the student residence. Student residential accommodation can be applied at the same time when your child applies for their proposed qualification that they would like to enrol for.

Alternatively should they not get space for student residence, you as a parent can help them look at the surrounding areas of the institution where they will be studying. Whether they applied at a residential institution, open distance learning or any other institution, it is key to also look at you as a parent can afford and the costs thereof, and in the process making your child of your financial status.

How to look for accommodation

• Work together with your child and ask people close to you to assist in looking for accommodation; it could be that they know the place better than the both of you or they know someone who stays in the same area of where you are looking for accommodation.
• Google search for accommodation by using key words for example: available student accommodation in Pretoria CBD
• Compare the prices
• View the place that your child will like if you are closer or ask someone to assist in viewing
• Make sure that your child is assisted by a property agent or a landlord and that there is a contract in place

Does your child know where things are?

Being a first year student is not easy because one might not be too familiar with their way around campus and off campus.
It is vital to encourage your attend orientation on their first day of school. This will assist them in knowing the following just to least a few:

• Information about the Institution
• The services that the Institution offers
• Learning opportunities
• Learning resources
• Local induction check list

If some of the things are still unclear to your child and they seem not to find their way around, encourage and advise them to not hesitate to ask people around them such as the lecturers, advisors, cleaners, security guards or the campus marshals. They are people who are most likely to have the information, should they not know they will refer your child to the right place.

Your child’s Life as a Student

Being a student is fun; however, it comes with a number of responsibilities. Leaving home to be in a land that one is unfamiliar/ familiar to can be somewhat disconcerting. Being a student enables them to explore opportunities offered by their institution of choice to their best abilities.

Being a student your child can find his/her own niche on campus; connect with students within or beyond their career field. Get involved in student organizations, leadership opportunities and campus jobs; and choose what is most suitable for them.

As a student they cannot do things in isolation, they need support and they also need to take full responsibility for their own learning. Every Institution has a support infrastructure to help them to get the best from their student life. It is important to advice and encourage your child to familiarise themselves with these structures.