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The Parent's Guide to University Study: Part Two - What students do in the twenty first century
If you went to university, the chances are that things have changed a little since you were a student! Where students live and what they do throughout their three or four year university program has radically altered.
If you went to university, the chances are that things have changed a little since you were a student! Where students live and what they do throughout their three or four year university program has radically altered. Facilities of all kinds have been expanded, housing has been upgraded, social lives are multidimensional and the opportunity to travel as part of a degree is available at almost every turn.
University housing can be one of the key concerns for many parents, particularly if their child is hoping to study in another country. Even if this is not the case, the type, location and quality of university housing can be a crucial factor in deciding where to study. It is true to say that universities share this concern and have, over the last decade or so, invested significant resources in their accommodation provision so that most students needs are met. Depending on the university and the country, it is very common for all new students to have some form of housing guaranteed for their first year. Where this is not the case, the minimum you can expect for your child is support from a university housing service to give advice on the local housing market, recognised landlords, acceptable housing costs and perhaps even a legal service to ensure that student housing contracts are acceptable.
Most universities will offer a variety of housing types, from traditional halls of residence, where meals are provided for a termly or annual payment, to self-contained apartments, where students share the facilities with other students and are responsible for their own cooking and cleaning. Some students will be offered the opportunity to share with another student, others will be free to choose an ensuite, hotel-standard room. As a parent, you will know what your child has been used to growing up and its certainly worth reminding them of the variety of university housing choices their prospective institution might be able to offer them. And of course, all of the different university housing options have different price tags!
One thing that hasnt changed about university life is the role students play on campus. Whether through a Students Union organised society, or just a group of like minded individuals getting together, student power is still a force to be reckoned with. Political, social, sporting, cultural or academic interests are still at the heart of university of life and you can be sure that your son or daughters particular interests will be catered for. Involvement is the name of the game and many universities encourage as much participation from their student body as possible. And in an increasingly competitive labour market, involvement on campus can make the difference between an average resume and an outstanding one.
If your son or daughter has a particular passion, make sure you know that the university they are considering caters for it. The development of a social or cultural life is, in many ways, as important as their academic program and it is important that a university caters for such needs. A quick glance at a university website or printed prospectus will confirm the variety of opportunities on offer and whether an institution has all the relevant facilities.
The opportunities that your son or daughter might have on campus may not confine him or her to spending their entire degree in one country. More and more universities around the world have recognised the importance of educating their students in a much more international way, exposing them to different cultures and ways of thinking. Schemes, such as the European Unions ERASMUS student mobility program has existed for 25 years and seen more than two million students travel under its organisation to partner universities and colleges throughout the EU. Additionally, most of the worlds top 200 universities participate in student exchange or mobility schemes of their own that encourage students to study abroad for an agreed period of time, such as a semester of a full academic year, allowing them to earn academic credit throughout the process. Destinations for such opportunities are varied but in recent years Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the US and most of the European countries have become extremely popular for students seeking variety in their academic and cultural experience.
Study Abroad