LenCabrera.com

A new study in England shows incoming college students are woefully unprepared, both for the “reality of life” and for school. Two news articles (Daily Mail and BBC) are based on a Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) study of 2,000 incoming university students (incorrectly labeled as millennials by Daily Mail). The study found 61% of respondents are anxious about heading to college, and 27% have panic attacks.

Parents really need to prepare their kids for the realities of college academics. The study says almost half (46%) expect more one-on-one support in college than in high school. A large majority (78%) expect career-planning support. These kids are in for a rude awakening. While students are the stated reason for a university’s existence, many schools receive far more money from research grants, athletic events, and alumni donations than they do from tuition. That means students and their education are rarely the primary focus of a university. The study also says 60% of students expect to spend more time in class in college than in high school. They do not grasp how little time they’ll actually be in class and that they are responsible for their own learning. Professors will not handhold them and “teach the tests” (unlike high schools that have standardized tests linked to teacher pay, for better or worse). The standard rule of thumb is that students should expect to spend at least three hours studying for each one hour in class. I can tell you, from experience, that most students do not follow that advice. Maybe if they’re told to expect to do that work beforehand, they will… call me an optimist.

Since this is a finance blog, I’d like to focus on the fact that more than half the respondents admitted they don’t know how to pay a bill. Over half said they don’t understand student finances, and many underestimate essential expenses. Less than half recognize that rent is likely to be their biggest expense after tuition. Some thought “nights out” or “student societies” would be their biggest expense. Ironically, 78% expect to get more financial advice from their university than they did in high school.

What can you do? If you have or know someone about to start college, take the time to give them some advice on what to expect, both in terms of academics and student life. On the financial side, make sure they know what things cost and how much they have available to them (i.e., make a budget). I’m biased, but I think they should read Basic Personal Finance and realize that a student loan should be treated as an investment (i.e., don’t get one if your degree won’t increase your lifetime earnings).