University life

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

Adz2042

Not really. The main differences with Uni compared to School is that you'll be interacting with a lot more students in your classes (lectures) and access to a city centre (depending where the uni is located).
What uni are you planning on attending?
Have you been to an Open Day and asked a student representative how they got on during their first term at uni?

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by emilyyy1527

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

Hi,

Adapting to Uni life is a very personal transition. Some people find it easy and are ready to live independently and away from home and thrive from day 1, other people find it difficult to get used to and struggle with being away from home and may find it lonely or overwhelming - either way is completely fine and normal so please don't worry as there will be hundreds of others feeling the same!

For the day-to-day side things from learning to shop and cook for yourself, clean for yourself, learning to budget (and sticking to it) to living with a group of new people and all the challenges this may come with and this can all take time to get used. In terms of the academic side, lectures and contact hours can have hundreds of other students, far more than what you will be used to in a class at school. As well as this, university requires a lot more independent research, study, reading etc. and the expectations around coursework and attendance. The social side of university life can also take some getting used to if it isn't something you're used to at home. Be this joining clubs, societies or sports teams or the going out / clubbing side of social life but if this also isn't for you please don't worry!

Hope this helps, Ella - Lancaster University Student Ambassador

Reply 3

FayeYSJ

Original post by emilyyy1527

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

Hi!
Although university life is very different to school life, both academically and personally, I wouldn't say the change is difficult.
For me it was more exciting, getting to be so independent and have complete freedom over my time. But this doesn't mean it didn't have difficult moments - moving away from home, studying at a higher level and learning life skills can be daunting, but you have friends (old and new), family, and university staff to help you and go through this process with you. Your lecturers will understand that you are adjusting to so many new aspects of life and, in my experience, are very accommodating to this. They will guiding you through the important academic changes, for example academic writing and referencing styles, so that you are ready to complete degree level work.

Hope this helps! Faye 🙂

Reply 4

username7182895

Original post by emilyyy1527

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

It's all about finding a routine that works for you as you won't have anyone holding your hand

Reply 5

WrexhamUniReps

Official Rep

Original post by emilyyy1527

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

Hi 👋

I found that initially, it was quite difficult as the learning style is different from school as the learning is more self-directed.

Also, I felt that it took me longer to adapt to the increased independence and the responsibility that comes with that.

Hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham Uni reps

Reply 6

University of Bradford

Official Rep

Original post by emilyyy1527

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

Hey 👋

It was a big change at first, moving away from home and making new friends. But what I kept reminding myself was everyone was in the same situation and it was okay to feel a bit nervous! After a few weeks of settling into a new routine I felt a lot more comfortable. Being a lot more self directed than at school was probably the biggest thing I had to get my head around, I'd make sure that if I had a couple of hours between lectures that I'd go to the library to study, rather than going home for a nap which I always wanted to do after 9am lectures!

But overall it was such an exciting time and a new chapter in my life, I just learnt to embrace everything that came with it 🙂

Jennie

Reply 7

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

No, it’s easier then you think. Being nervous, having some anxiety is normal (everyone has some).

Uni on the whole is a very safe & welcoming environment and you are there with many other people going through similar things and students a year or two above you will have been through the same thing just a year or two earlier so there is lots of support.

It’s a fantastic experience, but it goes by very fast so try to make the most of it! It’s a time you can explore your interests & invest in yourself.

Reply 8

Richmond Hiba

Official Rep

Original post by emilyyy1527

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

Hey! For me, gaining independence and managing my own schedule was a big change. It was a bit overwhelming at first, especially moving to a new country and meeting new people but I have learned to adapt with time.
Academically, I noticed a shift to more self-directed learning and critical thinking, which took some getting used to. The shift to a new educational system and cultural environment took some time getting used to. The differences in teaching styles, coursework, and even daily life were noticeable. At first, it felt overwhelming to adjust to new academic expectations, but over time, I found that being open to reaching out for support and using all the resources available actually made a difference. In overall, with time you tend to get more comfortable in your new environment and hope that would be the case for you as well!

Hiba
RAUL Student Ambassador

Reply 9

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Original post by emilyyy1527

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

Hi there!

The process of transitioning from school to university life is different for everyone, some people find the transition really easy from the start, and for others it can take a bit longer to settle in to your new surroundings and routine! Both of these are totally normal, so don't forget to allow yourself to go at your own pace!

In day to day life, things like establishing a meal plan, a solid daily routine, or a budget can all contribute to making the transition a little bit easier, particularly when you're managing things alongside your new studies! The amount of independent study you engage in also generally increases at university, so it's a good idea to keep on top of things from the start, as this will be really helpful when it comes to completing your assignments. Additionally, it's a good idea to find out the contacts for any academic support staff at your university, for example tutors, as they can help guide you through this!

The social element of transitioning to university can also feel a bit overwhelming, as there are so many new people in your classes and halls. But it does provide the opportunity to meet so many new people, and joining clubs and societies that interest you is a great way to meet likeminded people - there are so many options!

Hope this helps!

Eryn - Portsmouth Student Rep :smile:

Reply 10

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by emilyyy1527

Was it difficult to adapt to university life after school?

Hi there!

Everyone finds the transition from school to uni different, but in my experience it wasn't too hard to deal with. Some people find this quite a tricky transition and some don't but everyone is different and gets used to things at their own pace so don't worry if you find it a little bit tricky to start with because you will ease into it and get used to it!

In terms of the work, I would say that I found the work at Uni to be similar or sightly less demanding than my A Levels. I think this is just because I had chosen three essay based A Level subjects which was a lot of writing and doing an assignment each week for each of my three A levels was a lot, whereas with my course you get longer to write each piece of work which works better for me as I like to write a bit at a time rather than all at once so I found the workload easier to deal with at Uni. Of course it is hard and the content is probably a bit trickier but once you get used to how to set out your assignments you will be okay with this.

You are a lot more independent at Uni - you will have less contact hours than you did at school and it is a lot more down to you to get your work completed as you won't have teachers reminding you all the time and checking in that you have done the work. The tutors in my experience have been very helpful and anytime you need help they will try and give it to you, but they won't be constantly on your back. I didn't find this a problem as I like being independent and as long as you are prepared for this change I think it will be fine!

You are also a lot more independent in terms of living alone! I think this is the biggest change at Uni as you have to cook and clean for yourself and just living independently can be quite different at first. For this, I would say to make sure you have some meals that you know how to cook well as this will help you out quite a lot. I would also set a budget before you come based on how much loan you will get/if you are going to get a part time job and from this you can see how much money you will have each week to spend. This is helpful to stop you overspending!

I hope some of this helps and you have a great time at uni 🙂

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.