Aside from your son or daughter’s academic achievements, what else do they need in order to help prepare your child for college? If your child’s lived at home until the age of 18, they may well need your support in learning a life lesson or two- particularly if they’re moving away from home for the first time. So how can you help? Check out the tips below to find out how best to support your child as they venture into further education.

Look at living options

Deciding where to live in the first year of college can be a tricky decision to make, especially if there’s a choice of living on campus, in a student house, or alone. Take a look at the different living arrangements available and do some research online, as student accommodation websites such as Uniplaces and Urban Student Life offer a wealth of information. Encourage your child to contact anyone they know who studies at the college they’re attending, or college representatives, who are often more than happy to give advice about the different types of accommodation offered.

The money chat

Before your child begins life at college, it’s worth sitting down to have a chat about how they will manage their finances, as a student budget is likely to be stretched.Before the start of term, encourage your child to shop around for a student bank account with low interest rates and an adequate overdraft. Together you could draw up a list of items they can sell? Old electronics, cameras and school books can be sold to gain a little extra cash. Discuss whether it would make sense for your child to get a Saturday job to earn money while they study, to help ease any financial pressure.

Course reading material

Text books are a costly expense to take into account, but remember your child doesn’t necessarily need to buy brand new course material. Often text books can be bought second-hand, either via an online book store or at a college book fair. Many colleges also have a ‘buying and selling’ page on their website, so it’s worth checking this out to see if books can be purchased here.

Cooking skills

Does your child like cooking? And more importantly, can your child cook for themselves on a daily basis? It’s likely that your son or daughter has not had to cook for themselves and for extended periods of time, so to help avoid any kitchen disasters (or endless days of baked beans on toast), why not do some cooking together, so that your child can learn a few basic kitchen skills? If you have any cheap, easy recipes they really like, you could compile a small recipe book together. Cooking from scratch, rather than buying endless takeaways, will help your child to save money and stay healthy.