Going to university is, by its very definition, going to be a learning experience and with a steep learning curve. Cutting the apron strings from mum and dad is a big deal for many teenagers, and even twenty-, thirty- and forty-somethings as mature students.

Learning to cook to give yourself a healthy diet, making sure the laundry is done regularly and simply getting enough sleep with a whirlwind of a social life are all things you have to take care of without parental support.

Where things are very different now compared to when parents went off to Uni is the student car. It was relatively rare to taker a car to Uni in my day. Yes, there were a few rich daddy’s girls who brought them, but they tended to stay parked most of the time, as petrol isn’t particularly high on the list of preferred expenses for students.

Now though, it’s a very different matter, and that’s evident to the full time residents of big university cities. It’s going to be a fairly oblivious driver that fails to spot the increase in traffic during term time, as thousands more vehicles pile into the city. A big part of the change compared to a few decades ago is the death of student halls, in favour of huge blacks of flats. Private companies are building all over the place, and it’s tempting for Universities to swap hefty maintenance bills with selling off the land and passing the reins over to these sprawling corporates.

For many students, they come from much smaller villages and towns, so driving in a massive metropolis can be very daunting to say the least, not to mention hair raising for both the driver and others in and around the car. It’s a good idea, then, for parents to take a day trip or two to the new home of their child, and accompany them driving around while you both get your bearings. It won’t be long, after all, before you’re trying to find your way to visit them! A little time learning the basics of driving around a city and safely maintaining their car can work wonders for your child’s confidence, and help you feel calmer about them being away from home.