Parents hope that when young people leave home to take up places at university they will thrive in the new environment. Often, it is teenagers’ first experience of living independently. Nearly all will face some challenges. But in recent years, there have been a number of high-profile instances in which the strain has proved too much. Last week, the father of Jos Winfield, who took his own life in June, became the latest parent to issue a warning. Mark Winfield advised other parents of students to “keep a close eye on your kids” studying away from home, and added his voice to a campaign to persuade universities to offer more support.
Moving away to study for a degree is a rite of passage more common in the UK than many other countries. There is evidence that longstanding British convention is shifting, with one survey finding a sharp rise in the number of first-year students opting to remain in the family home, due to financial pressures. But of around 600,000 UK-domiciled young people due to start an undergraduate course this autumn, around two-thirds are expected to relocate.
