Preparing your child for university abroad
Print Edition
THE university research and application process can be stressful. Having worked with hundreds of students, in several countries, there are strategies and guidance available that make the journey less traumatic. Here are my top five tips for preparing your children, and yourselves, for university abroad.
1. Prioritize academics. This may seem obvious, but every year I am asked what students can do to be admitted to the universities of their choice. Regardless of the country you are considering, the first admission criteria will be the child’s academic record (their marks and the rigour of their courses). No perfect admission test score, or extra-curricular achievement will make up for that. The final two years of secondary school are especially crucial, as are grade trends.
2. Talk to your teens. Adolescents are notorious for being withdrawn or failing to share information or feelings with adults. That said, far too many parents have unrealistic expectations of their children and do not communicate clearly. In my meetings with students and their parents, realizations and assumptions often come to light where those hidden beliefs are exposed. Cook a meal with your child, go for a walk, or unplug the headphones on that next flight — you will be surprised and will learn about your child’s fears, apprehension, and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.
3. Choose activities with discernment. Students typically think that they have to “do it all” and be successful in sports, the arts and community service. Contrary to popular belief, universities do not expect perfection from teenagers. Instead, students should engage in a couple of key activities that truly interest them, and demonstrate commitment to those. It is not about being well-rounded; it is about choosing wisely and participating in those activities that matter most to each individual student and which build his or her skill set for their future goals. Emphasize quality over quantity.
4. Learning languages is imperative. People who live abroad as expats tend to take it for granted that many of us speak multiple languages. But in many countries, especially in the US and the UK, most people still can only speak English. Encourage your children to maintain their native tongue fluency and to build on their other language skills. Simultaneously, do not forget that English communication skills are still paramount as it is the world’s “lingua franca.”
5. Get uncomfortable. This last piece of advice is not the one most people want to hear. As parents, we want to shield our children from failure, and push them to the front of the line.
That ambition is natural, but it is not always helpful. Our children must be allowed to make mistakes. They have to learn from their errors and re-adjust their behavior and decisions independently. Life is hard, and getting an occasional bad grade, or not being picked for a team, or missing out on another tutoring session or expensive test prep class may actually make their university applications stronger in the long run. Trust me — “helicoptering” over them does not make it easier and overly-coached students are easy to spot in the application process.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
