Parent’s advice on how to support your teen with university

Parent’s advice on how to support your teen with university

You might find yourself wondering what the role of parents in a student's education is. From understanding pathways to knowing how to engage with your teen’s studies, discover the advice of parents who have been in your shoes.

You might find yourself wondering what the role of parents in a student's education is. From understanding pathways to knowing how to engage with your teen’s studies, discover the advice of parents who have been in your shoes.

You might find yourself wondering what the role of parents in a student's education is. From understanding pathways to knowing how to engage with your teen’s studies, discover the advice of parents who have been in your shoes.

As a parent, guardian or carer of a teen whose learning journey is about to take them from high school to university, your parental sixth sense might be telling you to give them guidance. This instinct is right – it can be a tumultuous time for a high schooler as they traverse exams and try to understand what’s next.  

But who is there to help you through this process?  

To help you support your teen through this next step in their journey we’ve collected advice from parents of uni students whose words can act as your guide to university. 

1. Be a support figure

Simply being there for your teen as they unravel the mysteries of university can be an enormous help, but there is more you can do to help them feel at ease. As with everyday life, lending your teen your time to discuss what they’re going through is an important part of how you as a parent can support their university studies. 

Michael Burgun, whose daughter moved from New South Wales to attend RMIT in Melbourne, knows this all too well. Michael said that one of the most important parts of supporting his daughter was being prepared to listen when she had concerns or worries.  

"Don’t preconceive anything [just] support them and their excitement.” While it's important to listen to your teen’s worries and provide assistance where you can, it’s also critical to remember that these study-shaping decisions are ultimately theirs to make.  

“Remember it is not your journey, it is theirs,” said Michael. 

2. Don’t control their study options

Once your teen has begun considering what’s next, it’s important not to control what they choose. While a guiding hand is important, career adviser and parent of two university students, Julie Pilioglou, advises that parents can support students by remembering that sometimes their teen knows what’s best for their study journey.  

“There are always going to be a lot of jobs in the future that we don’t even know [about],” described Julie.  

“If we look at just 15 years ago, there are many jobs that have become obsolete. If they are studying something that doesn’t align with you as a parent – that is okay – it’s really up to the student.” 

 

If you find yourself in the situation where your teen is planning on studying a subject that you haven’t heard of or don’t know much about, it can be beneficial for you both to find out more.

“It is really important that you are part of that process, and you begin to understand the subjects your child is going to be undertaking,” said Julie. 

3. Chat with them about pathways

VCE exams can be a stressful time for both you and your teen, where it can feel like numerical results control their future. However, it's important to keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily the case.  

Julie noted that it’s important to remind your teen that there are other ways into tertiary study. Exploring university pathways can be an excellent way for you and your teen to take some of the pressure off upcoming exams.  

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A university pathway is an alternative way into a course. RMIT's flexible pathways can help you move through different levels of study to reach the qualification you're aiming for. Some courses provide guaranteed entry and credit, which can help you reduce the time it takes to complete your studies.

If you’re feeling the pressure of your teen’s VCE exams and want to further support their student journey, there are tools like RMIT’s Pathways Finder that can help you get familiar with the university pathways that are available.  

4. Engage with their journey

Engaging with your teen’s study journey isn’t just about talking with them before they start university – it’s also about continuing to be supportive as they begin to encounter the challenges of study. 

Julie describes the importance of helping your teen once they have achieved their newfound independence at university.  

“It is really important to check in and let your child know that you are there to support them. There is no teacher [at university] chasing them for work, so if they don’t submit the work they are actually going to fail.” 

Michael reiterates the importance of listening to your teen after they have begun encountering the challenges of university, saying that “the important thing is to be there and be able to listen, and not try to suggest too much, supporting [them] to find [their] own way.” 

Story: Jacob Johnston

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