I had severe problems during A levels with regards to my mental health, which absolutely affected my motivation.
The first year of university, alas it'll really depend on which university you go to, will generally be a breeze. Take that with a pinch of salt though - first year at Cambridge will obviously be a lot more work than first year at London met.
Your second year will depend vastly on how much you matured after your first year, and your final year will absolutely rain hell on you if you haven't sorted yourself out.
The first year of university, alas it'll really depend on which university you go to, will generally be a breeze. Take that with a pinch of salt though - first year at Cambridge will obviously be a lot more work than first year at London met.
Your second year will depend vastly on how much you matured after your first year, and your final year will absolutely rain hell on you if you haven't sorted yourself out.
personally, from day to day it is not since i have fewer contact hours. for revision and coursework it is because it invariably involves research that you wouldn't do nearly so much of for an A level
for a more intense course with labs/practicals, the day to day aspect is probably going to feel more full on
additionally if you don't handle 'being an adult' (cooking, at some point having to find a house, freedom to do your own stuff etc) well then it'll feel heavier too
for a more intense course with labs/practicals, the day to day aspect is probably going to feel more full on
additionally if you don't handle 'being an adult' (cooking, at some point having to find a house, freedom to do your own stuff etc) well then it'll feel heavier too
Depends on what you’re studying... but by and large, yes it is.
In the same way that the content became more in-depth between GCSE and A Level, the content you learn at degree level will be more advanced than A Level.
You get out what you put in with uni, because you don’t get spoon-fed & a lot of the work is self-directed or independent study. So really it’s what you make of it.
But generally speaking, expect all-nighters, a lotta staring at textbooks thinking ‘words don’t look like words anymore... all I see are squiggles on a page’ & probably stress as you juggle multiple modules’ worth of assignments with deadlines coming up. But you’ll also meet some amazing people, probably spend a lotta time having fun (usually involving alcohol if that’s your sorta thing), and you’ll make amazing memories that make all the stress worth it. (But of course prioritise your own mental wellbeing & don’t pursue uni unless you think you can handle it. Your health is more important than a piece of paper with a degree classification on it.)
In the same way that the content became more in-depth between GCSE and A Level, the content you learn at degree level will be more advanced than A Level.
You get out what you put in with uni, because you don’t get spoon-fed & a lot of the work is self-directed or independent study. So really it’s what you make of it.
But generally speaking, expect all-nighters, a lotta staring at textbooks thinking ‘words don’t look like words anymore... all I see are squiggles on a page’ & probably stress as you juggle multiple modules’ worth of assignments with deadlines coming up. But you’ll also meet some amazing people, probably spend a lotta time having fun (usually involving alcohol if that’s your sorta thing), and you’ll make amazing memories that make all the stress worth it. (But of course prioritise your own mental wellbeing & don’t pursue uni unless you think you can handle it. Your health is more important than a piece of paper with a degree classification on it.)
Original post by sc077
Is university harder/more intense than highers/a-levels? I don’t think I can go through all those breakdowns again.
Hey @sc077!
It's really hard to answer this question, it varies person to person, and for me in some ways its more 'intense' but in other ways it isn't.
First-year is there to help you transition from further education as lecturers know its a big step and jump in our lives. I found the lack of routine hard as I used to work so well at sixth form with the nice little routine I had, but you get so much more freedom at university, for me, it balanced out. You will no doubt have more work to do and you'll have to be very self-disciplined as university is a lot more independent than further education which might take a while to get used to but like I say, that's what first year is for!
If you do struggle though, there should be plenty of support available to you through the university. I can't speak for all universities, but ours has a great wellbeing service and there are plenty of people to talk to regarding anything, from mental health to help with uni work, to careers etc.
If you realise university isn't the place for you though, you aren't bound there and you do have other options available to you
I hope that helps! If you have any more questions I'd love to help!
Courtney -- Official Student Rep
In my opinion, no.
It’s a way more relaxed environment.
Although not recommended if you don’t feel well or upto it you can just choose not to attend a lecture/s and catch up online later on. No ones gonna chase you about it like they did in school.
If you don’t understand something or want guidance, there’s always the years above you can ask for help if you make friends with them early on. They’ll be less competitive than people in your year.
I feel a more “community” type of way at uni. It’s funny when it’s exam season and you’re walking out of the library at 3am and see people in your year knowing they’re going through exactly what you’re going through.
From my experience, some lectures will genuinely want to help you and will offer the best advice. These are people who have spent their entire life studying and teaching this subject. They’re passionate about it and will help if you ask.
Also you won’t just jump into hardcore material. 1st year will basically be a re-cap of A-levels with a tiny fraction of new information. This is for ANY degree. It’ll help you adjust to uni and learn the ropes.
It’s a way more relaxed environment.
Although not recommended if you don’t feel well or upto it you can just choose not to attend a lecture/s and catch up online later on. No ones gonna chase you about it like they did in school.
If you don’t understand something or want guidance, there’s always the years above you can ask for help if you make friends with them early on. They’ll be less competitive than people in your year.
I feel a more “community” type of way at uni. It’s funny when it’s exam season and you’re walking out of the library at 3am and see people in your year knowing they’re going through exactly what you’re going through.
From my experience, some lectures will genuinely want to help you and will offer the best advice. These are people who have spent their entire life studying and teaching this subject. They’re passionate about it and will help if you ask.
Also you won’t just jump into hardcore material. 1st year will basically be a re-cap of A-levels with a tiny fraction of new information. This is for ANY degree. It’ll help you adjust to uni and learn the ropes.
(edited 3 years ago)
I personally found university to be very challenging. I did at times feel really tested on how to prioritise tasks, being organised and managing exams, especially when past papers aren't always reflective of the actual exams. Coursework deadlines set a couple of days before exam season doesn't help. At times it can also be stressful when you have days of back to back exams and sometimes a couple exams in day, continuously. Just note that this is based solely on my experience and everyone else will have a different experience based on their degree. Also, if you're doing a degree on something you're really passionate about, then it will make the journey a lot easier of course and will feel less like 'work'
I always found that there is plenty of support available at university. I struggled a lot with mental health during my time at university as I was also grieving the loss of my dad but speaking to people at the university really made such a difference. Support is there at all time, just ask. Speak to friends, speak to your personal tutor, speak to any lecturers, speak to any counsellors and they are there for you.
In terms of the actual degree, I felt like It's a balance between maintaining a social life and keeping on top of your work. It is very do-able though. The case where most people fall down is that they get into bad habits and not having a structured approach. Especially if you move out of your parents home and you have all this new found independence.
Looking back, I would advise to my past self to treat my degree like a job. Which means maybe spending 9 am - 5pm or so Monday to Friday towards studying, including in here attending lectures/seminars, maybe doing a tiny bit of work on the weekend if necessary. I think if you had that structure and organisation in your uni journey, then things will be a lot more smoother for sure. It's a skill in itself. If you can maintain a good routine for uni and build that habit early, then you'll definitely increase your chances of doing well.
I hope this gives you some context. Degrees totally depend on where you study and the type of degree you do. I studied at a Russel group uni and did Engineering, so it was quite exam focussed, where as other unis may be more coursework focussed, so it does depend.
None the less, keep a positive state of mind and I'm sure you'll ace your degree in whatever you choose to do it in if you do. Don't tell yourself you can't do something because I'm sure if you put your mind to it, I believe anyone can achieve what they set out to.
Hope this helps.
I always found that there is plenty of support available at university. I struggled a lot with mental health during my time at university as I was also grieving the loss of my dad but speaking to people at the university really made such a difference. Support is there at all time, just ask. Speak to friends, speak to your personal tutor, speak to any lecturers, speak to any counsellors and they are there for you.
In terms of the actual degree, I felt like It's a balance between maintaining a social life and keeping on top of your work. It is very do-able though. The case where most people fall down is that they get into bad habits and not having a structured approach. Especially if you move out of your parents home and you have all this new found independence.
Looking back, I would advise to my past self to treat my degree like a job. Which means maybe spending 9 am - 5pm or so Monday to Friday towards studying, including in here attending lectures/seminars, maybe doing a tiny bit of work on the weekend if necessary. I think if you had that structure and organisation in your uni journey, then things will be a lot more smoother for sure. It's a skill in itself. If you can maintain a good routine for uni and build that habit early, then you'll definitely increase your chances of doing well.
I hope this gives you some context. Degrees totally depend on where you study and the type of degree you do. I studied at a Russel group uni and did Engineering, so it was quite exam focussed, where as other unis may be more coursework focussed, so it does depend.
None the less, keep a positive state of mind and I'm sure you'll ace your degree in whatever you choose to do it in if you do. Don't tell yourself you can't do something because I'm sure if you put your mind to it, I believe anyone can achieve what they set out to.
Hope this helps.
Original post by sc077
Is university harder/more intense than highers/a-levels? I don’t think I can go through all those breakdowns again.
Hi @sc077,
I guess it can completely vary from person to person but I personally found the first year of my degree much easier than A-Levels. I really struggled during college and ended up unable to complete my time there. A few years later I returned to education to complete an Access to Higher Education course at CU Scarborough which is the equivalent of three A-Levels in less than a year. It was highly intense, similar to how A-Levels at college were. After completing that I moved onto the first year of a Primary Education and Teaching Studies degree.
So far, I have found this much easier for multiple reasons. Firstly, I'm focusing solely on a subject that is my passion rather than multiple subjects. Also, I have much more spare time to study, research and complete assignments even though there are placements to complete on my course too. This is because I do 09:00-13:00 at university every day leaving my afternoons free. Here you do either 09:00-13:00 or 13:30-17:30, meaning there is a routine. I also found that CU Scarborough suited me best as on my course there are no end of year exams and you focus on one module at a time with the same tutor so there is much more consistency. All these reasons further benefited my studies and took off a lot of un-needed pressure.
If you do have any more questions, feel free to ask away!
Mel - Student Ambassador at CU Scarborough
Original post by sc077
Is university harder/more intense than highers/a-levels? I don’t think I can go through all those breakdowns again.
Hi @sc077
This will usually depend on what course you will be studying and at what university and everyone will have a different experience. I study Law at Sheffield Hallam University. I personally found uni easier then A levels. This was because I was studying something I enjoy and was passionate about. Also, universities have may have different ways of assessment so you may find it easier or harder depending on if you prefer coursework, practical's or exams.
I had a lot of free time at uni, especially in first year which allowed me to spend more time catching up if I needed to. However this also meant I had to manage my time effectively.
My biggest worry about uni was that would I receive enough support if I needed it as I thought we had to work completely independently. However I found that there was a lot of academic support provided by my tutors and they were always happy to help. There were also other general support services I could access to give me feedback on my work.
I hope this helps a little and good luck!
Zaira
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