As the 2024/25 academic year begins, the Student Loans Company (SLC) warns students to beware of smishing scams. With £2 billion set to be paid out, scammers target students through fake texts requesting personal or financial details. SLC advises students to remain vigilant and report suspicious messages immediately.
Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children through this transition, offering emotional guidance and reassurance. From being a listening ear to helping them navigate challenges, parental support remains vital as students adjust to their new academic and social environments. This balance of independence and support ensures their children thrive in this new chapter.
Offer a listening ear and unconditional support
Alagarsamy Rajamannar, trustee for Croydon Tamil Sangam told us, “Sending my son to the University of York, where he's taken on a challenging course in AI, has been a whirlwind of emotions—pride, excitement, and a bit of worry. It’s a huge milestone, and while I trust his abilities, there’s always that concern about how he’ll handle the workload and adjust to university life. If he doesn’t find it to be the right fit or struggles, I believe the best thing I can do as a parent is offer a listening ear and unconditional support. I encourage him to share his feelings openly, and together, we’ll discuss solutions, whether it's adapting to the new environment or exploring different paths. I remind him that it’s okay to reassess choices—that not loving the university or course isn’t a setback, but part of finding his way. My role is to empower him, ensuring he feels confident in making decisions for his future.”
Loads of emotional support available
Dr Santanu Acharya’s son Aritra Acharya has joined medical school at Aberdeen University this year. Speaking to Asian Voice, he said, “We just left him at his University residence yesterday evening. It's a 3-hour drive from Glasgow where we live and where he went to secondary school at Hutchesons Grammar School. It was surreal to take him back to a place where I started my UK medical career a quarter of a century ago. We got married and my wife flew from Kolkata to meet me in Aberdeen on Xmas Eve. Time has flown since then as 18-year-old Aritra is now set to join the same hospital as the second doc in the family. It was mixed feelings for us. On the one hand, we were happy that he is venturing out in the new world that will make the man out of the boy but on the other hand there is always a bit of trepidation about how he will cope given this is the first time he is on his own. As Indian parents, especially his mom have always been a bit protective but I compensated by being brave enough to allow him to do the things teenagers are expected to do. When we drove back to Glasgow we went straight to his room that has his smell all around with the clutter everywhere. We stayed in his room the night since I was flying out to Kolkata in a few hours. I am sure my wife will keep texting him as she has started just now given we knew he went to a pub with a friend yesterday night and he has to attend uni this morning.”
Dr Acharya added, “However, we expect at least to message once a day to give us comfort and for his emotional well-being too. There are loads of emotional support available to students in the university these days but not all will feel the need to seek help which they should do. However, I always felt peers are usually the best support a kid can get and therefore selection of friends goes a long way in this respect.”
Doesn't feel like far from home
Nupur and Rahul Chakravarty told us, “We have sent our daughter Ritwika to the University of Warwick in Coventry, and our experience has been very pleasant. Initially, we were a bit worried, but the university representatives were extremely cooperative and helpful, which made the process much smoother. Ritwika has found the people in Coventry to be very kind and supportive, which has boosted her confidence, especially since she's all alone. Although she is currently staying off-campus, she will soon move into her campus accommodation, and we are hopeful that everything will go well there too. The city itself is beautiful. She doesn't feel like she is far from home, which brings us a lot of comfort.”
Like any parent, Anindita Bonnerjee initially found herself navigating the complexities of her daughter's higher education path. Bonnerjee told Asian Voice, “Higher education in the UK is undeniably competitive. Students need to work diligently to excel in their GCSEs and A-Levels to secure a place at the country's top universities. Upon achieving excellent results my daughter began her undergraduate journey at the University of Manchester, studying Aerospace Engineering. The financial and other commitments are significant. As a parent, however, there’s always a parallel thought process: What if she doesn’t like the course or the university? While that possibility is small—especially since we did extensive research before making our decision—it still lingers in the back of my mind. We spent over a year carefully considering her options, speaking with friends, colleagues, and alumni who are either studying or have studied at Manchester, and gathering as much information as we could. Despite this, I remain optimistic. If she decides the course isn’t for her, UK universities are flexible and supportive when students choose to switch paths.”
