The jump from college/sixth form to university can feel very daunting – you are seemingly left to your own devices when it comes to studying, and it can feel strange to not have a teacher ensuring you’ve completed all your homework.
Whilst some welcome this change, you won’t be alone if you feel some looming stress of needing to adjust to holding yourself accountable for completing your work on time.
If you want to maximise your academic achievements this year, here are some quick tips and tricks to help you achieve your full potential!
Read effectively
When you are completing the work required before your seminars or tutorials, it’s often easy to feel defeated by the amount of reading you might have to do before the session.
As a final year student, I can confidently say I have never done all of the reading that has been asked of me – and most the time, reading all of it isn’t the most effective way to use your time anyways! Go through your individual modules and have a quick look at the coursework and exams, then plan your reading from there – it is better to read the relevant and useful parts than feel intimated by taking on all the chapters at once and not being able to get through it!
You can also speak to your ASTs about effective reading practices, such as skimming and searching for the relevant information.
Plan and organise your time
As you have to independently study at university, you may feel like you are slipping behind more than in college / sixth form where you had timetabled lessons all day.
Investing in a diary, whether that is a physical one or an online calendar, will not only help you hold yourself accountable for completing your work on time, but you will be able to give yourself days off and time to spend with friends and family (without stressing about your uncompleted seminar tasks).
Whilst on my placement year last year, my manager expressed the importance of treating my degree like a 9-5 once I returned to university. This has undoubtedly helped me to be on top of all my tasks, and I’ve also had time to take on other commitments as well.
Study with people
Just because you have to read 5 chapters for your classes next week, doesn’t mean you have to do it in your halls alone!
The university library has loads of spaces for collaborative work, including booths and group study rooms that you are able to book in advance (although be warned – it can get awkward when you have to kick people out).
Studying with a group of friends is great for motivating each other, and if you study the same course, you can even divide up the upcoming lectures and share the notes at the end to minimise the individual workload.
Attend your classes (well… most of them)
Whilst university does seem more flexible than college / sixth form, it is still important to attend your timetabled classes and sessions. It can be easy after the first few weeks to think “I’ll read the lecture slides at home and go to the library afterwards instead” (and I have fallen into that trap many times before…).
However, the additional insight and information that you will learn within the timetabled sessions will put you a step ahead of others and you will learn so much more than just the information on the slides.
Whilst you should attend as many of your classes as you can to maximise your learning, my personal tutor in first year gave me a helpful tip that I have utilised during my time at university so far – even if you can’t attend all of your seminars, make sure to attend the important ones.
In short, if you have a look at your coursework and exams at the beginning of term, ensure that you attend the sessions that directly relate to the assessments. This way, even if you can’t attend all of them, you are attending the ones that will have the biggest impact on your final grade.
Utilise the University resources
University is expensive – you pay a tuition fee to attend, and it sometimes feels like you aren’t getting your money’s worth. There are so many academic and other support services in place that you can use to help ease the work you are doing independently, and you should make use of them whilst you can.
Within your course, you will have Academic Support Tutors (ASTs) and librarians on-hand to support you with study skills and using the library – they can help with anything from proof-reading to referencing (another scary addition at university!). Your personal tutor is also there for you to contact with any questions relating to your course, your modules, and university life.
Don’t cram!
Leaving all of your work until the last minute is undoubtedly going to happen to 99% of university students at some point in their academic careers – I have done it more times than I can count (and I do not recommend!).
If you utilise some of the previous tips, such as planning and using the university resources, you will be able to ensure that you don’t habitually fall into this trap. Doing little and often is sometimes more effective than leaving it all until the night before, where you then have to write, edit, and draft a reference list for a 1500-word essay in 8 hours.
However, it is important to remember that sometimes things happen that are out of our control, and you may panic that you won’t be able to submit your work on time – make sure to speak to your personal tutor and submit an extension with plenty of time to spare to ensure it is granted.
Depending on your year of study, you may be required to study more than previous years. Whilst making the most of your classes and achieving good grades is important, it’s also equally as important to have fun at university.
If you adopt better study practices, you will be able to find a good balance between the two and make the most out of your time here at the University of Portsmouth – it goes by so quickly!
Make sure to share any study hacks you have picked up recently and let us know your preferred study location on campus!
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