Leaving the nest: five tips for successful fledging

With each new school year, some students enter their final stretch of pre-university education, while others are already packing their bags to head off in pursuit of their undergraduate degree.

Leaving home for university can be an important stage in a young adult’s development and growth. It’s a time for meeting new people, gaining financial independence, and establishing one’s identity.

What can parents do to guide their children through this process? Here are five keys to a smooth transition both for your children and yourselves.

 1. Choosing the right university

Once a decision has been made about what field of study to pursue, many other factors need to be considered, such as the quality and reputation of the institution, the on-site resources it offers, internship and work-study opportunities in the chosen area of study, the job placement rate of graduating students, and tuition fees and other costs. Canadian young people who are ready to make the big leap can turn to SchoolMatch.ca. This fee-based website founded by two Torontonians in 2011 offers personalized testing to help students make the right decisions.

According to this site, many students end up switching universities because they made a bad first choice. Good research beforehand can help avoid such potentially costly disruptions.

 2. Choosing where to live

Should your fledgling opt for an apartment or a student residence? The answer depends both on the university’s location and your child’s personality. Many residences offer the convenience of an “all-inclusive” package, but limited space and privacy come with the territory.

If an apartment seems like a better bet, here are some hints to help you and your child make a sound decision.

Read up on:

  • Average rents in the city
  • The character of different neighbourhoods and how far they are from campus (bearing in mind that the more time students have to devote to their studies, the likelier they are to succeed at school).
  • What the rent includes (heating, electricity, washer-dryer, Internet)
  • The term of the lease (since the school year spans nine months, while the term of a lease is often a full calendar year, it is worth finding out whether you’re allowed to sublet the apartment at the end of the school year).
  • Begin your search as early as possible.
  • Call upon any contacts you have in the city where you’ll be renting. If you’re unable to travel to the city yourself, people you know may be able to lend a hand by visiting prospective apartments for you.
  • Ask the landlord to send photos and/or videos.
  • Do some background checking on the landlord or the company that manages the building.
  • If you need to co-sign a lease, make sure you’re co-signing only for your child and not for his or her roommates.

3. Make sure they’re covered

To be covered by their parents’ home insurance, children have to be dependent on their parents while pursuing their studies. The best way to make sure that your child is covered is by calling your insurance agent. They’ll be able to advise you, and give you information about tenant insurance, if needed!

4. Money matters

Whether you are footing the bill in full or in part for your children’s education, they will be the ones managing most of their expenses. A number of tools are now available to help your child with budget management, and mobile apps have proven very useful. Among the most popular are Mint, which connects directly to a bank account enabling it to log and classify your expenditures in real time, and You need a budget , which allows you to assign a function to every dollar you spend.

To keep the cost of school supplies down, ask the university or more senior students in the program where you can buy used items. To furnish a room or apartment at minimal cost, check out neighbourhood groups on Facebook or “free stuff” sections on websites like Kijiji.

5. Stay in touch and take care of yourself!

This is a big change in your child’s life, but also in yours! Some parents feel a deep sense of loss known as empty nest syndrome, while others take advantage of this time to rediscover themselves. Keep in regular contact with your child and make sure you have phone numbers of their friends and colleagues on hand should the need arise. And a word to the wise: don’t get too accustomed to your new-found freedom! Statistics Canada shows that the percentage of adults who return to the nest after they’ve left it is growing with each generation.