1. Bishop Walsh Catholic School
Dr Kirsty Hill
Senior Lecturer in Dentistry
Head of Welfare & Deputy Head of Education
Year 1 lead
University of Birmingham

2. Support for Parents –over the next year
What can you as parents do to help
Basic life Skills
Cooking
Managing money
Time management - Time management is critical for university students. University can and should be a busy time. You don't want to miss out on all the exciting happenings. By managing your time effectively you should be able to get your work done in the necessary time to allow you to get involved in the other things you want to do.  Work on this now!
Communication is key to many things. This is also true at university.
UCAS forms – school will help – but they need to be organised – the personal statement does make a difference
Disclose disabilities on your UCAS – helps with the admission process
Get your Men ACWY vaccine (meningitis)

3. Preparing for University
Essential things to do before arriving at the university
Accommodation
Student loan
Registration
getting settled
Register with a GP
Attend welcome week – without you!

4. How you can help
Reassure your son or daughter that it may take a while before they feel completely settled, but if they are open to trying new things and exploring opportunities to meet new people, they are likely to find their niche.
Remind them that other students are likely to be feeling just as anxious to make friends, so being as open and friendly as they would like others to be to them will help everyone settle quickly. They will most likely find others are going through very similar things and may even bond over their common experiences. 
Having a rounded university experience and developing skills is important in finding a good job after graduation. Encourage your son or daughter to get involved in clubs and societies to gain these skills. 
There is a lot of support available at the University. Often when students are in the midst of a problem they don't remember this, so parents can often provide a useful prompt for them. Remind them that dealing with small issues could avoid bigger problems later.

5. What to expect at university
"University is all about being independent."
"The lecturers set you in the right direction and show you where to go, but it’s up to you to go and do the research."
"You’re given a broad outline of what’s required and it’s up to you to bring to it your own personal perspective and make the question your own and the research your own."
"You have to have the dedication to do it yourself."

6. Differences
Teaching
The teaching style at university might be quite different to what you have experienced at school or college. There are many areas where there will be no 'correct' answer and you will be encouraged to form your own thoughts and opinions on the topic and debate your ideas and possible solutions with your peers. University study is often made up of a number of different teaching styles.
Methods of teaching
University courses are taught in different ways and different elements will be delivered in the most appropriate way. How your course is delivered will depend on its content, the number of students involved and how it is assessed. 

7. University have a lot of support
Personal tutors
Welfare tutors
University Senior Tutor
University support services
Serious concerns – contact Security in the first instance. Please note that
University staff will not usually be able to inform you of the outcome of their investigation, but they may be able to encourage your son or daughter to contact you. 

8. The University of Birmingham
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