Top Tips For Preparing Your Students For University

As a teacher, hearing that your students have been accepted into their dream university will often leave you feeling like a proud parent. After all, the offer is a culmination of all of the hardwork and perseverance, alongside a testament to your ability as a teacher. 

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However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are ready to take the leap, especially as the shift from college to university is so stark. With that in mind, here are some top tips for preparing your students for university. 

Help them figure out what they are passionate about. 

This step technically comes before the offers roll in, but it is important enough to be featured within this list either way. Helping your students figure out what they are passionate about is key to ensuring they thrive at university and are even given the chance to secure their dream job further down the line. One way in which you can achieve this goal is by nurturing their talents and interests and letting them know when they are particularly good at something. 

Encourage them to visit campus in person. 

Whether they’re attending mock lectures and seminars, meeting their tutors, or viewing student lettings, visiting campus and the surrounding area in person can help make the transition from college and sixth form to university a lot smoother. This is because they’ll already have some kind of familiarity with the area, and will have found accomodation that works for them. 

Prepare them for rigorous study. 

While they may have been willing to put the work in while studying for their A-levels, university requires even more tenacity and focus. As such, this is something that you should try to prepare them for through your teachings. For example, you may want to teach them about referencing or help them identify which study methods work well for them. Embedding this into your pre-existing curriculum will also help improve test results across the board. 

Teach them to take good care of their mental health. 

As a teacher, the knowledge we share with our students doesn’t always come from textbooks. We’re also responsible for helping them grow into confident, well-balanced individuals who are able to properly care for themselves. This, in turn, means that you should encourage them to take their mental health seriously, especially if they are set to be living independently for the first time. For the most part, this is taught through advocacy and encouraging them to speak up should they need help.  With 1 in 3 university students admitting to dealing with mental health issues, early intervention, or showing them how to take action and care for themselves, can be a real game-changer. 

Final thoughts. 

In short, there are many steps that you can take as a higher education specialist to prepare every student you teach for university. This includes helping them identify their passions and encouraging them to familiarise themselves with ampus before their first day. You may also want to discuss your own studies with them, and how this lead to you to teaching.