“I believe that it is higher education’s purpose and calling to keep open the door to the American dream.” — Gordon Gee
It is a simple fact that all parents want the absolute best that life has to offer for their children. One key component of a successful life is ensuring that your kids receive a first-class education and, ideally, a higher education at college or university. As a general rule, graduates earn more than non-graduates. While money is not everything in life, it is certainly of immense help when it comes to getting on the property ladder or upgrading the car. A higher education also gives your child a more rounded and informed view of the world, allowing them to make better choices in their adult lives. Here are just three of the ways in which you can prepare your children for the world of higher education.
Start saving now!
Higher education is a costly business. In America, the average annual cost of higher education in 2018-19 was $32,782 and has been rising year on year. It is also worth considering that private colleges charge more. It therefore makes perfect sense for parents to start saving as early as possible so that the costs are spread over a greater number of years. Setting up a dedicated savings account for this purpose makes sound financial sense. Working out how many years the child has before they will go on to higher education is a first step in calculating how much you can put away each month. A bachelor’s degree will take anything from three to five years to complete depending on the program and country it takes place in. Specialist subjects such as studying to be a doctor or dentist can take longer. Setting up an automated direct debit account to save money every month is a straightforward way to ensure you are paying in regularly to this fund.
Make sure they have a good laptop
One of the most important pieces of tech your child can have when they are ready for higher education is a modern and reliable laptop. The years of taking notes on paper have all but gone, and for research, revision, and assignments, a laptop is an absolute must. Many laptop producers include machines specifically designed for higher education in their ranges, such as Lenovo laptops for college. Such ranges of laptops offer students all the features they need and are lightweight and portable. Bear in mind that if the course requires heavy processing power, such as computer science degrees, or the use of CAD software, then high processor spec, RAM, and memory specifications should be priorities in your choice.
Encourage independence earlier
When your child leaves for university or college, they will be expected to be a lot more independent than in their earlier years. Parents can encourage self-reliance in a variety of ways. Encourage children to help in cooking once they are old enough as it is a valuable life skill. Once they are old enough, it is also a clever idea to encourage them to get a part-time job. This will illustrate the value of money and working. With their school work, encourage them to read around a subject and research more about topics online. These are all valuable skills that they will carry with them into the world of higher education.
