Absolutely!!!

They were bright, capable, responsible young men. They had worked hard, earned scholarships, navigated applications, accommodation, travel and all the big things that come with starting university.

I thought we were ready.

We weren’t.

At one point, I had one son studying in Bournemouth and another in Coventry while my husband, our youngest son and I were still living in Bermuda.

And suddenly, I felt as though I was running a tiny university support centre from my phone.

One message would be about food.

Another about money.

Then accommodation.

Transport.

Payments.

Forms.

And questions I genuinely never expected to be answering:

“How long do I cook this?”

“Can I freeze that?”

“Do I really need to buy this?”

And, of course, the question I seemed to ask constantly:

“Have you eaten?”

I realised there was a whole side of university preparation nobody really talks about.

We spend so much time helping our children get into university.

Applications. Grades. Scholarships. Accommodation. Laptops. Bedding. Travel.

But then they arrive — and suddenly they also have to know how to budget for a week, shop for food, cook, do laundry, manage a household, understand bills and contracts, travel independently, solve problems and cope with the emotional reality of being away from home.

These are often the little things we simply do as parents.

And because we do them, our children don’t always realise how much there is to learn until they’re suddenly responsible for everything themselves.

I certainly didn’t realise how much I had forgotten to teach.

And we were thousands of miles away.

Living in Bermuda meant I couldn’t simply jump in the car when something went wrong.

There were flights, time differences, money and planning involved.

At the same time, our youngest son was still at home with us, and my husband and I were thinking seriously about what the next few years should look like for our family and his education.

Eventually, we made a huge decision.

We packed up our lives in Bermuda and moved to the UK.

Today, we live in Leicester, closer to our older sons while they continue their university journeys and with new educational opportunities ahead for our youngest.

And now, as I find myself preparing for university life all over again, I’m doing it very differently.

I’m asking questions like:

Does he know how to manage a weekly budget?

Can he cook a handful of simple meals?

Does he know what he genuinely needs for university — and what he really doesn’t?

What happens if he feels lonely?

Who does he contact if something goes wrong?

Does he understand food shopping, laundry, travel, banking, accommodation and the everyday responsibilities that come with living independently?

And somewhere along the way, I realised there must be thousands of other parents asking exactly the same questions.

That’s why I created BeforeUni.

BeforeUni is the resource I wish I had when we started this journey.

It’s a place for practical, honest guidance about preparing for university life — not just getting into university.

You’ll find help with things like:

• Packing and what students actually need

• Budgeting and money

• Food, cooking and shopping

• Accommodation

• Travel

• Everyday independent living skills

• Useful products and resources

• And the emotional side of leaving home and starting university

I’ll also share the mistakes we’ve made, the things we bought unnecessarily, the things I wish we had done sooner and the lessons our family has learned along the way.

I’m not here because I have university parenting perfectly figured out.

I’m here because I’ve lived it.

I’ve experienced the phone calls, the worrying, the last-minute problems, the unexpected expenses, the funny moments, the proud moments and the enormous adjustment that happens when your child leaves home.

And if something our family has learned can make another parent’s journey a little easier, then BeforeUni is doing exactly what I hoped it would do.

Because getting your child into university is one thing.

Helping them — and yourself — prepare for everything that comes afterwards is another education entirely.

Apparently, the parents are students too.

Welcome to BeforeUni.

I’m so glad you’re here.

— Aisha xo

Making the university transition a little easier for everyone.

We believe in replacing panic with friendly, honest reassurance. For the student leaving home, and for the parent trying not to ask for the fifteenth time whether they've packed their passport. We're here to help them learn, and us too.

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Real-life adulting skills for students leaving home — and the parents helping them get ready.

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