The Student Room Group

What tips would you give those who are starting university this year?

My tip would be have fun in your first year and take on as many opportunities as you can. Work hard throughout your second and third year!
Hi!

My academic advice would be;
- Take to the opportunity to learn from the mistakes you made in you're assignments in the first year as it will seriously help you in oncoming years. So if your critical analysis was weak then you can tackle that on your next assignment.

- I also recommend finding out your work pattern, by that I am referring to how you subconsciously structure your time in regards to assignments. Do you plan it all methodically from the beginning or do you bash it out in the last few days (or the night before!). By finding this out you can make allowances in your schedule for working on your assignments or change them to be more productive.

-Never compare yourself with others you are you and they are them, it might be hard at first when some people may be getting things faster than you but that doesn't mean you can't achieve the same thing. It might take longer to get there but you will get there and look back at yourself in a few months time.

Final tip;

- SCHEDULING IS YOUR FRIEND!!! I will swear by this seriously, it might take a while to get used to planning everything (google calendar is my choice bud a physical diary or a large yearly calendar might be for you). With scheduling, I'm able to plan time for assignments and my part-time jobs whilst on a nursing placement (of 37.5 hours per week) and still have time to meet a friend for a Nandos or for a cinema meet up! (And yes my grades were great :biggrin:)

I hope this has helped someone,
Goodness.
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by Saojones
My tip would be have fun in your first year and take on as many opportunities as you can. Work hard throughout your second and third year!


Hi there,

My tip would be to get involved in as many things as you can that interest you! You never know what an opportunity may lead to, so I'd say be fearless - and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way!

Ana
University of Liverpool Rep.
My tip: When you work on essays/report/coursework, remember to do REFERENCES, because thats how you get score high marks.
Reply 4
Original post by Galdiowolf
My tip: When you work on essays/report/coursework, remember to do REFERENCES, because thats how you get score high marks.

References were the worst! Hated doing them
Hey!

I would say that when you first start uni, you should get involved with as many things as you possibly can and try to meet as many people as you can. Make sure you try all the societies you are interested in (they usually do taster sessions) and this way you'll meet like-minded people. Push yourself out of your comfort zone! Also, try not to go home too soon - a lot of the friendships and bonds you make happen within the first few weeks, so its important to be there.

Remember that you are there to get a degree, so do your best.

Good luck - I am sure you'll do great!

Daisy
2nd year politics and international relations student
Original post by Saojones
References were the worst! Hated doing them

Same . I had to do it for my access course and it was SO annoying
Hi @Saojones

My tips would be:
-use the in built function in word to do references and citations (it makes things so much easier)
-make a habit of good attendance and working hard in first year
-get involved in a society
-don't get too excited by student loan money!

Lucy :smile:
Yes i used to hate references, esp. in my 1st essay i wrote; now its like bread and butter of a good quality report. Lol
Hey,

I know another UoR student has answered but I thought it might be interesting to get another perspective too!
I would:
- check to see if your first year classification counts to your final degree (if it doesn't it means you can ease the pressure off yourself a bit and focus on making lots of friends and getting involved in the university life
- go out of your way to make conversations with people - in those first few weeks everyone is super eager to meet new friends and often people are just waiting for someone to start the convo. I would go out of your way to introduce yourself and ask them about their subjects etc and make the effort to follow up with them on nights out, other classes etc. It will make all of the difference!
- Don't bring your entire bedroom with you to uni. This is something I tell myself every year but I always make this mistake and I end up hating myself come June when I have to pack up everythingggg. You need less than you think. Just bring the bare necessities and a few things to remind you of home.
- go to lots of taster days and try new societies out. Not only will this teach you a wide variety of different skills but it will widen your social circle

My final point would be to start packing about now just the little things such as bedding and a few winter clothes (because you won't need them now). That means when it comes to finally moving out it won't be so overwhelming.

Hope this helps and all the best with uni! If you do have any questions or if there is anything we can help you with feel free to let us know if you have any other questions!
From,

Amina 😊
3rd year pharmacy student
Original post by Saojones
My tip would be have fun in your first year and take on as many opportunities as you can. Work hard throughout your second and third year!

Hi @Saojones
I think for me the main advice I'd offer is to try not to worry too much about friendships. I know I was so nervous about making friends when I came to uni and put so much pressure on myself to find my best friend during freshers week. Friendships happen naturally and there are loads of ways to make friends (flatmates, societies, course, etc) not just freshers week.

Academically, I'd say make the most of your lecturers' office hours (or your unis equivalent). I did attend some of my lecturers' office hours a few times during first-year when there were bits of the course I was stuck on but I wish I had gone more. In second-year, I would always talk to my lecturers about essays in advance, writing technique, the course, themes and sources I found interesting etc and it really helped my writing and general understanding of my modules. It seems daunting, especially in first-year, but lecturers aren't scary and they wanna help you!

For the summer before University, I'd say try to pack earlier than you think just so it's less daunting, especially if you are anxious about going to uni. Also, try and find a packing list online. There were loads of things I didn't think to bring (like coat hangers) that I would've forgotten otherwise.

Daisy (an Official University of Southampton Rep) :smile:
Reply 11
Hi all,

Thank you for the replies but I think my original post was a bit ambiguous. I've graduated from university but wanted to start this thread with advice for new university students.

Keep them coming in though!
Frozen vegHaving a few bags of frozen veg in your freezer drawer eg frozen peas, and vegetable mixes with green beans, carrots etc and a bag of frozen broccoli. It can make cooking so much easier for when you have no veg in and it works out pretty cheap! For cooking solo, frozen veg is a great option for some meals.
Dont leave references to the end of an assignment.

Start doing them from the beginning. I loved using Zotero to make keeping track of references that much easier.

Quick Reply