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Studying at university

How much bigger of a step up is university from A levels? I enjoyed doing A level politics but have no idea how difficult it will be at university.

Reply 1

UniOfLincolnStudent

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Original post by Anonymous

How much bigger of a step up is university from A levels? I enjoyed doing A level politics but have no idea how difficult it will be at university.

Hi @Anonymous,
Firstly that is an excellent question, which demonstrates already that if you were to go to university you'd have a great attitude to getting on with the workload. I would say that university is certainly a step up from A Levels but at the same time if you've done A Levels then you can face university. This is because university essentially expands further and develops skills that you learnt during your A Levels, so it really tries to stretch your potential. Something, to note, that makes it feel like a step up is the fact that you're expected to do more independent study than during your A Levels, so perhaps it's worth considering if you'd be up for that. Lastly, I'd definitely advise doing something at university that you enjoy because, regardless of the subject, it will be a step up where there will be challenges to face at times.
All the best of luck.
Megan (University of Lincoln Graduate)

Reply 2

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

How much bigger of a step up is university from A levels? I enjoyed doing A level politics but have no idea how difficult it will be at university.

Anon,

I don't think you have to worry about the step up from A' level to first year at uni.

In first year, you are eased into the subject at university level. This is to help students adjust to university life and for those who may be new to the subject e.g. they did not study it at A' level.

Your course will probably be quite broad in first year to make sure and to provide students with the necessary skills for subsequent years. Your second and third year will likely be more focused with opportunities to look at areas in depth.

I think there is a bigger jump from first year to the second year of university when for example you are expected to know the university's reference system, how to use it correctly, and the standard for written assignments, so I don't think you need to worry now.

I think the main thing to focus on in first year is getting a good understanding of how things work at your university and finding out about what support is available. It's also keeping up with the different modules, asking questions and doing extra reading around areas that are unclear. All being well, if you are doing all of that you should be fine!

All the best,

Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield