It can be essential to get the new student the right accommodation as this can make or break their resolve to stay on at the new university when the first bout of home sickness appears. I have known students rush home all upset vowing never to return because they cannot cope with the new environment especially if the living area is wrong.

ACCOMMODATION

Many universities offer first year students the chance of accommodation on or near the campus. This has advantages in giving the new student proximity to the university and the social life there, without having to know the local area or deal with longer journeys. There are often different styles of accommodation and price bands and it is worth looking carefully at what is included. If your son or daughter is hopeless or disinterested in the kitchen it might be worth a "half-board" style accommodation so you know they have eaten quite well at least for part of the week. However if your young person is a fussy eater this could be an expensive option whilst the student spends more cash on snacks and refuses to eat the meals provided!

Not all rooms would have private facilities but shared bathrooms and kitchens can provide opportunities to make friendships and work out who might be good people to share local flats/houses with in the following year.