Will they be happy? Will they be safe? A parent's perspective

Watching your child leave for university is a milestone that brings a mixture of emotions.

There is excitement about the opportunities ahead, pride in how far they've come, and often a lingering worry about what comes next.

Will they settle in and make friends? Will they be looked after? And will university help them become the person they want to be?

For Virginia Hudson, those questions were answered over the three years her son Christian spent studying Illustration at the University of Worcester.

“I was really worried about how he’d settle in,” said Virginia. “I was worried about whether he’d make friends, and I was really worried about how safe he would be as it was his first real experience being away from home.”

“I knew he would work hard, and that he’d be fine with the work he’d be doing, but I was more concerned about how well he’d settle in to university life.”

Virginia remembers feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety when she dropped Christian off at university.

“I remember dropping him off, feeling exhilarated and excited, but frightened at the same time. I remember driving home and being so worried about him,” she said.

Those fears soon began to fade as Christian settled into university life.

“But I could see that he was spending time with his course-mates, his flatmates, and he was making wonderful friends in the societies and clubs he had joined.”

Virginia added: “The University does a great job of helping students settle in as well with all sorts of events to help them feel welcome.”

Christian has now graduated and is working as a graphic designer.

“He really wanted to work in the arts, and he has worked really hard to make that happen,” said Virginia. “He did work as a Student Ambassador at the University, and then he did an internship, and now he’s a full-time graphic designer.”

Looking back, Virginia said the experience helped her son grow both personally and professionally.

“Being at Worcester meant he was able to meet so many people from so many different walks of life, and that has really brought him out of his shell. He got a bit more confidence, and then a bit more, and then a bit more; his time at the University of Worcester has been so much more than a degree for him, it has made him the man he is today.”

She added: “We couldn’t be more proud of him.”