Original post by hemdinho
Tips for adapting from sixth form work to Being on top and effective study techniques at university ?
Learn when the bar opens.
Dont run out of money.
Learn how to use the library.
Learn where the library is.
Learn where the printers and photocopiers are.
Lear where is a nice study spot you can go to sleep in.
Hi!
Honestly, it was a big jump for me! I tried to revise a little bit every day so that I didn't get behind! It comes with time!!! I also found study friends (from my lectures and seminars) so that was useful.
Going to the library has helped me a lot or any university building
You can always speak to your tutor if you struggle at first!
This year I will make a schedule and try to keep up with it
Marlena - Official Student Rep
Honestly, it was a big jump for me! I tried to revise a little bit every day so that I didn't get behind! It comes with time!!! I also found study friends (from my lectures and seminars) so that was useful.
Going to the library has helped me a lot or any university building
You can always speak to your tutor if you struggle at first!This year I will make a schedule and try to keep up with it
Marlena - Official Student Rep
Set aside some reading time each day, read through the reading list as best you can. It's basically that for arts/humanities degrees anyway... read read read! I'm sure technical ones are similar. Study as much as you want/can. At least 2hrs a day, then when it comes to essay time you'll actually know what to write.
Of course, most people perfect this at around April, 3rd year... but still.
Of course, most people perfect this at around April, 3rd year... but still.
Hi there!
This is also something that I have struggled, but as I enter my third year I think I can offer some tips. When it comes to coursework I always wrote all of my deadlines in my diary so I knew when they were far in advance. I set an hour per week per module specifically for reading the next week's reading requirements. Try to find studying space that isn't in your bed. I have a desk my room. I listen to classical music when studying so it'll block out any other noise that is going on around me. Good luck!
This is also something that I have struggled, but as I enter my third year I think I can offer some tips. When it comes to coursework I always wrote all of my deadlines in my diary so I knew when they were far in advance. I set an hour per week per module specifically for reading the next week's reading requirements. Try to find studying space that isn't in your bed. I have a desk my room. I listen to classical music when studying so it'll block out any other noise that is going on around me. Good luck!
Original post by hemdinho
Tips for adapting from sixth form work to Being on top and effective study techniques at university ?
Hi @hemdinho
I would recommend getting a diary, where you can write down when certain work needs to be done by, and then trying to create a time-table around that.
If you have free time in between lectures and seminars try and go to the library that way you will have less work on the weekends. I liked to go to the library with my friends to keep up the motivation.
Lastly, In exam season try and plan all the coursework's early on, so you are not too stressed closer to the time.
Good luck!
Zaira
Hey I would advise to get yourself an academic planner and stick to it and make sure you know your deadlines. I also make revision notes/flashcards after each lecture so that I have them ready for exam season. Finding a place where you can study is also good, for me I know I don't work well at home but I am productive in the study spaces at uni. Also, make sure you know your way around the library and where books related to your course are kept!
If you’ve got a study table, write all your assignments and due dates on a paper and stick on the wall in front of you. You won’t forget it nor will you dare to do it late
Original post by hallamstudents
Hi @hemdinho
I would recommend getting a diary, where you can write down when certain work needs to be done by, and then trying to create a time-table around that.
If you have free time in between lectures and seminars try and go to the library that way you will have less work on the weekends. I liked to go to the library with my friends to keep up the motivation.
Lastly, In exam season try and plan all the coursework's early on, so you are not too stressed closer to the time.
Good luck!
Zaira
I would recommend getting a diary, where you can write down when certain work needs to be done by, and then trying to create a time-table around that.
If you have free time in between lectures and seminars try and go to the library that way you will have less work on the weekends. I liked to go to the library with my friends to keep up the motivation.
Lastly, In exam season try and plan all the coursework's early on, so you are not too stressed closer to the time.
Good luck!
Zaira
Thank you so much Zaira!
I would echo others who said get a diary/planner or develop some other reliable, regular system for noting down deadlines, tasks and dates (you can use electronic calendars too, or a bullet journal). Having everything written down somewhere you can regularly review is far more effective than trying to carry around to-do lists and a calendar inside your head.
Use your class timetable and build study blocks around it. I tried to do the regular work for a particular class on a specific day: if my seminar for module X met on a Tuesday morning, I'd do the reading for it on Friday afternoon, for example. I tried to stick to this schedule as much as possible, as it meant I was keeping up with the regular work needed, but there were always gaps where I could then schedule in work on assignments etc. This kind of work wouldn't necessarily occur every week, unlike seminar prep, but my schedule had enough flexibility to allow me to do both: no last-minute essay crisis that meant I did no work for my regular classes that week!
I always recommend two books to students just starting: Cal Newport's How to Become a Straight-A Student, and his How to Win At College. They're both great, though if you just want to get one, I'd recommend How to Become a Straight-A Student. It offers advice on scheduling, managing reading and assignments, while still having a life and having fun (though just be warned, there are some differences between the American unis he mostly describes, and British ones, but most of the tips cross over).
Use your class timetable and build study blocks around it. I tried to do the regular work for a particular class on a specific day: if my seminar for module X met on a Tuesday morning, I'd do the reading for it on Friday afternoon, for example. I tried to stick to this schedule as much as possible, as it meant I was keeping up with the regular work needed, but there were always gaps where I could then schedule in work on assignments etc. This kind of work wouldn't necessarily occur every week, unlike seminar prep, but my schedule had enough flexibility to allow me to do both: no last-minute essay crisis that meant I did no work for my regular classes that week!
I always recommend two books to students just starting: Cal Newport's How to Become a Straight-A Student, and his How to Win At College. They're both great, though if you just want to get one, I'd recommend How to Become a Straight-A Student. It offers advice on scheduling, managing reading and assignments, while still having a life and having fun (though just be warned, there are some differences between the American unis he mostly describes, and British ones, but most of the tips cross over).
Understand that the lecture material is not maximal for examinable material, and you will usually need to self study a lot of the material to do well on the exam. This is not a failing of the lecturer, but the nature of university study. Lectures will very often just be an introduction or brief outline of a topic, and you will need to delve deeper yourself into it to flesh out the details or extend what has been started. For STEM courses lectures can either be used mainly to just run through worked examples/proofs, leaving you to learn the "theory" largely independently, or be used to introduce the theory or derive equations, leaving you to practice through example questions outside of lectures. Essentially, you should expect to be doing most of the work yourself. The contact hours are more about checking you're on the right track with your independent studies, clearing up any misconceptions, and getting an idea of where things are going next.
If you have tutorials/supervisions/seminars/discussion groups/etc, you should prepare for these in advance; don't just show up with a pen and paper and empty head ready to be filled! The point of them is for you to explore what you already know in discussion with others - the learning should take place before the tutorial/whatever, the tutorial is where you talk through issues you encountered while doing the learning and/or assigned work. For lab work, make sure you have reviewed the "theory" behind whatever lab/practical you will be doing beforehand, and read through the experimental methodology/procedure(s) you will be using in the lab. For both labs and tutorials/etc, write down any questions you come up with while doing this preparation - then ask them!
The same principle of preparing beforehand also applies to lectures, albeit not to the same extent as for tutorials etc. At the very least, try and print out the lecture notes for the lecture before going to it and take them with you. This way you can focus on writing in comments from what they are saying instead of trying to copy down all the slides (some lectures do just read off the slides but many will make additional comments or do other work on a whiteboard or similar which often has important or useful info). If there are any readings associated with a lecture (typical of humanities/social sciences courses) you should normally do them before lecture (at least skim through them to get a broad overview of what the piece is discussing). For STEM courses you should usually look at the syllabus to see what topic(s) will be lectured on in each lecture and review any relevant prerequisite material (which may be mathematical methods from other modules, related content from modules or A-levels done before etc.) before the lecture (so you aren't watching the lecturer work through some integral quickly but forgot how to do the t substitution they are using and get lost).
If you have tutorials/supervisions/seminars/discussion groups/etc, you should prepare for these in advance; don't just show up with a pen and paper and empty head ready to be filled! The point of them is for you to explore what you already know in discussion with others - the learning should take place before the tutorial/whatever, the tutorial is where you talk through issues you encountered while doing the learning and/or assigned work. For lab work, make sure you have reviewed the "theory" behind whatever lab/practical you will be doing beforehand, and read through the experimental methodology/procedure(s) you will be using in the lab. For both labs and tutorials/etc, write down any questions you come up with while doing this preparation - then ask them!
The same principle of preparing beforehand also applies to lectures, albeit not to the same extent as for tutorials etc. At the very least, try and print out the lecture notes for the lecture before going to it and take them with you. This way you can focus on writing in comments from what they are saying instead of trying to copy down all the slides (some lectures do just read off the slides but many will make additional comments or do other work on a whiteboard or similar which often has important or useful info). If there are any readings associated with a lecture (typical of humanities/social sciences courses) you should normally do them before lecture (at least skim through them to get a broad overview of what the piece is discussing). For STEM courses you should usually look at the syllabus to see what topic(s) will be lectured on in each lecture and review any relevant prerequisite material (which may be mathematical methods from other modules, related content from modules or A-levels done before etc.) before the lecture (so you aren't watching the lecturer work through some integral quickly but forgot how to do the t substitution they are using and get lost).
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