A special event for parents and carers of young people planning to go to university next year saw over 200 people gather on campus in Old Aberdeen last night to find out more.
As the prospect of university draws near for secondary pupils, parents are often left wondering how best to support their children through the transition to higher education.
To help bridge this gap, the University of Aberdeen hosted a special event for parents who may have limited experience with university life, offering valuable insights and guidance on how to support their children as they prepare for their next steps.
Whether parents have never attended university themselves or simply wanted to better understand how they can assist their children during this critical time, the event sought to equip them with practical advice and signpost relevant resources.
Hosted by Vice-Principal – Education at the University of Aberdeen, Professor Jo-Anne Murray, it consisted of presentations with advice from university staff as well as a Q&A panel featuring experts from across the institution.
Professor Murray said: “Parents and carers are often left out of the picture when it comes to the journey to university, despite being an integral part of their child’s learning and development up to that point.
“Many may feel uncertain about how the university system works or how to offer the right support to prepare young people for their next step. We wanted to empower parents by demystifying the process but also equipping them with the knowledge about how to support their children and best encourage them to develop the skills, positive habits and readiness that will take them from the first days of S1 right through to S6, university and beyond.”
Dr Sally Middleton, event organiser and one of the speakers, added: “As parents of university students ourselves we thought we had identified an information gap and, from the numbers that registered to attend, we received a clear indication that parents value more information of this kind and want to play an active role as their children prepare for this major transition. We are delighted that the initial feedback from those who attended has been extremely positive.”
The expectation is the information-sharing session will become an annual event.
For anyone looking for information about studying at the University of Aberdeen, an Open Day is taking place on Saturday 5 October with staff available to answer any questions parents may have.
More information and booking details available here.