Studying at college is a bit different to being at secondary school. When your young person joins NHC they’ll make new friends, be studying in a new place, and start developing new skills and knowledge about an industry they’re passionate about – exciting times! With all that in mind, you might find that they need a bit of extra support as they take on these new changes and adjust to being part of the College community.
At North Hertfordshire College, our teams work hard to support your young person through the transition into college and beyond. Whilst our Student Services and teaching teams are on-hand and accessible at each of our campuses, sometimes learners need further help and support from those around them in their personal life, too.
To help your young person adjust, we’ve put together some of our top tips on how you can support them as they start this exciting new chapter in their journey:
Listen to their thoughts and worries 👂
Facing new experiences and responsibilities can be overwhelming. Your young person will be handling things like travelling to a new campus, adjusting to a new timetable with more self-study periods and free time, and taking on more responsibilities, which can often be overwhelming. We recommend making time to chat with them to find out how things are going and to work out any next steps needed towards resolving them.
If your young person feels like they’ve made the wrong choice in their NHC course, then please encourage them to arrange time to chat with Student Services and/or their tutor before they make any final decisions. Our teams will help them work through how they’re feeling and find an option that works – whether that’s another course, an apprenticeship, or something completely different.
Encourage them to use college resources 📚
There are lots of resources available to North Hertfordshire College students to support them in their college journey. Our Student Services team are available during term-time at each of our campuses, and they can help learners with accessing additional learning support, applying for financial aid, or by just being a friendly face to chat to.
The NHC website and Student Sharepoint pages (my.nhc) are also a great port of call for support outside of term time! From downloadable activities and careers maps to information about keeping safe and healthy, these digital spaces can be a great first stepping stone in making plans of action.
Share your own experiences and life lessons 🗣
Whether your experiences of education and working are positive or not, sharing your stories and what you’ve learnt through your own journey will help your young person feel heard. They’ll also feel more confident to face their worries through the knowledge that they’re not alone.
Some of the new experiences your young person may be facing that you could support them through include:
- Working towards deadlines,
- Knowing when to ask for help,
- Working with people who don’t share all the same views as you,
- The importance of taking responsibility and working independently.
Plan for the future 🔮
Okay, we know this might feel like a bit of an odd one. They’ve only just started studying at college! But helping your young person to shape a rough idea of what they want to do in the future – such as their dream career or whether they want to go to university, for example – will help them to understand how college fits into their wider plans. This will also provide some motivation to keep your young person going if they face a tricky unit or assignment, too.
By working together, we can help support your young person through this exciting next stage of their education journey to reach their goals. For more information about the support that’s available within college for your young person, please visit our Student Life pages!