How to do better at uni

I went to uni last year and have changed courses- I managed to pass 4 out of 6 modules but failed 2 (I just didn’t submit anything bc I wasn’t well at the time).

I’m starting a new course and I’m worried about doing well. I managed to get a 60 on one of my projects and some 50s/40s on the others in my first year.

I’m studying commercial photography so it’s all coursework- I used to be really good at GCSEs but after them I sort of lost interest in studying a lot. So the last few years I’ve been doing enough to pass but not enough to get good grades. I’d like to get a 2:1 or a first but need help with getting there.

What should I do for essays to make sure I get good grades? I struggled with it last time when my uni didn’t really tell me what exactly I had to do- I like specific instructions and details.

I’m going to a smaller arts uni this time whereas I went to a Russell group before that was big and overcrowded and hard to talk to lecturers.

So as a summary: does anyone have tips for planning, writing and in general just doing well in uni?

Thanks

Reply 1

University of Bradford

Official Rep

Original post by EVMD17

I went to uni last year and have changed courses- I managed to pass 4 out of 6 modules but failed 2 (I just didn’t submit anything bc I wasn’t well at the time).
I’m starting a new course and I’m worried about doing well. I managed to get a 60 on one of my projects and some 50s/40s on the others in my first year.
I’m studying commercial photography so it’s all coursework- I used to be really good at GCSEs but after them I sort of lost interest in studying a lot. So the last few years I’ve been doing enough to pass but not enough to get good grades. I’d like to get a 2:1 or a first but need help with getting there.
What should I do for essays to make sure I get good grades? I struggled with it last time when my uni didn’t really tell me what exactly I had to do- I like specific instructions and details.
I’m going to a smaller arts uni this time whereas I went to a Russell group before that was big and overcrowded and hard to talk to lecturers.
So as a summary: does anyone have tips for planning, writing and in general just doing well in uni?
Thanks

Hey @EVMD17 how are you? 🤗

It's great that you're looking for ways to improve at university! When I was a student I received help with my essays from the academic skills team, they'd look over my work and give me feedback on my writing style etc, so I'd definitely recommend checking that out at your uni! I also just made sure to always read what was asked on the reading list and try attend all seminars and lectures, stay organised, try new ways of making notes such as mind maps, flash cards etc, during free periods I'd head to the library so there were no distractions. I also made sure to take plenty of breaks to avoid burn out and get plenty of rest and eat well to maintain a healthy work life balance.

Wishing you the best of luck with your studies! :smile:

Becky

Reply 2

University of Kent

Official Rep

Original post by EVMD17

I went to uni last year and have changed courses- I managed to pass 4 out of 6 modules but failed 2 (I just didn’t submit anything bc I wasn’t well at the time).
I’m starting a new course and I’m worried about doing well. I managed to get a 60 on one of my projects and some 50s/40s on the others in my first year.
I’m studying commercial photography so it’s all coursework- I used to be really good at GCSEs but after them I sort of lost interest in studying a lot. So the last few years I’ve been doing enough to pass but not enough to get good grades. I’d like to get a 2:1 or a first but need help with getting there.
What should I do for essays to make sure I get good grades? I struggled with it last time when my uni didn’t really tell me what exactly I had to do- I like specific instructions and details.
I’m going to a smaller arts uni this time whereas I went to a Russell group before that was big and overcrowded and hard to talk to lecturers.
So as a summary: does anyone have tips for planning, writing and in general just doing well in uni?
Thanks

Hey @EVMD17

I had some experiences relating to this earlier in my academic life where I felt burnt out and exhausted with revision and learning. I think that the best thing to really do is to ensure that you have consistent communications with your lecturers and staff. By doing this you can get their opinions and feedback on essays or coursework before you submit it.

Another point is that some modules might have groups where students can communicate and help one another. This might be a good place where you can interact and learn from others!

I hope this helps - Brandon - Student Rep

Reply 3

WrexhamUniReps

Official Rep

Original post by EVMD17

I went to uni last year and have changed courses- I managed to pass 4 out of 6 modules but failed 2 (I just didn’t submit anything bc I wasn’t well at the time).
I’m starting a new course and I’m worried about doing well. I managed to get a 60 on one of my projects and some 50s/40s on the others in my first year.
I’m studying commercial photography so it’s all coursework- I used to be really good at GCSEs but after them I sort of lost interest in studying a lot. So the last few years I’ve been doing enough to pass but not enough to get good grades. I’d like to get a 2:1 or a first but need help with getting there.
What should I do for essays to make sure I get good grades? I struggled with it last time when my uni didn’t really tell me what exactly I had to do- I like specific instructions and details.
I’m going to a smaller arts uni this time whereas I went to a Russell group before that was big and overcrowded and hard to talk to lecturers.
So as a summary: does anyone have tips for planning, writing and in general just doing well in uni?
Thanks

Hi 👋

It's great to hear that you are looking at different ways to improve your overall grade at university.

I would speak to the Library or your personal tutor at your university who will be able to signpost you to the correct student support services.

I hope this helps!

Good luck.

Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

Reply 4

University of Kent

Official Rep

Original post by University of Kent

Hey @EVMD17
I had some experiences relating to this earlier in my academic life where I felt burnt out and exhausted with revision and learning. I think that the best thing to really do is to ensure that you have consistent communications with your lecturers and staff. By doing this you can get their opinions and feedback on essays or coursework before you submit it.
Another point is that some modules might have groups where students can communicate and help one another. This might be a good place where you can interact and learn from others!
I hope this helps - Brandon - Student Rep

Hi, @EVMD17

I hope you are well! ☺️

Photography sounds really interesting!📸 What university are you going to?

Just thought I'd add to Brandon with my experience too!

Here's a few things I do to make sure I'm on track and get the best out of my assignments:

•

At the start of the wear I have one piece of paper/ a calendar too which I write all of my assignments and deadlines on, so that I can plan ahead for close and overlapping deadlines.

•

I nearly always have a meeting with my lecturer about my assignments, whether that be to make sure I'm on the right tracks, discuss some of my readings, ideas etc. I find this really helpful as my lecturers will point me in the right direction if I'm trailing off, and it can be helpful to discuss ideas to know what needs developing/ needs supporting evidence. This may be useful as you said you like a bit more direction on what you need to do, and would allow you to receive some feedback too from your lecturers!

•

I'm part of a smaller cohort of students, and as you said, being part of a larger cohort can make it harder to get hold of your lecturers. When the cohort is smaller, it's easier and nice to develop relationships with lecturers, which has definitely helped me with my assignments and made me feel more comfortable at university, knowing that I can talk to my lecturers about assignment worries etc.

•

I always find it helpful to take notes during lectures, whether it's detailed, or just a few things jotted down on a piece of paper/on my laptop. These are always helpful to look back on when planning assignments.

•

When writing my assignments, I always go back to the lectures it is closely associated with, the week's background reading, further reading and associated readings on google scholar, or my universities library search. It's definitely worth getting used to navigating these, and even contacting the library or visiting in person for some support on looking for sources/readings.

•

I like to start working on my assignments quite early, mostly just under a month before it's due so that I can work on it slowly, and get other assignments/readings done in the meantime.

•

It's also worth checking out to see if your university offers any workshops on writing assignments, finding resources etc, as these can be super helpful!

•

Finally, having a good work life balance is key! Make sure to take lots of breaks to avoid burnout, meet with friends, family, eat well, change up where you study, and most importantly, ask for some help/support if you need it!☺️

I hope this is helpful! I'm sure with all your preparation you will do well! 😊
Good luck! 📷️ And let us know if you have any other questions!

Josie
University of Kent Student Rep🎓️

Reply 5

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by EVMD17

I went to uni last year and have changed courses- I managed to pass 4 out of 6 modules but failed 2 (I just didn’t submit anything bc I wasn’t well at the time).
I’m starting a new course and I’m worried about doing well. I managed to get a 60 on one of my projects and some 50s/40s on the others in my first year.
I’m studying commercial photography so it’s all coursework- I used to be really good at GCSEs but after them I sort of lost interest in studying a lot. So the last few years I’ve been doing enough to pass but not enough to get good grades. I’d like to get a 2:1 or a first but need help with getting there.
What should I do for essays to make sure I get good grades? I struggled with it last time when my uni didn’t really tell me what exactly I had to do- I like specific instructions and details.
I’m going to a smaller arts uni this time whereas I went to a Russell group before that was big and overcrowded and hard to talk to lecturers.
So as a summary: does anyone have tips for planning, writing and in general just doing well in uni?
Thanks

Hi there,

You have some great advice in this thread!

I would also say to just keep talking to your tutors. They are the ones who have all of the information on how to do well so it is worth asking them any questions that you might have. If you have any questions it is worth asking them as they will be the best ones to answer any specific questions so if you have a question make sure you email them or ask them in one of your classes.

If you have a personal tutor or academic advisor, you need to be asking them any questions that you have too. They are there to help you and they will answer your questions if they can. Email them or schedule a meeting with them and ask them any questions if you have any and they will be able to help you if they can! I found mine to be helpful and if you are at a smaller university, they might have less students so can help you more. It might also be the same situation for your tutors and they might be able to offer you more help if they have less students and it is less over crowded.

This has been mentioned, but if your university puts on any skills or study sessions, you should go to these too. At Hallam, they put on lots of sessions to help students with lots of different things such as referencing, essay structure or critical writing. You might as well make the most of these as they are there to help you and will make your work better.

Make sure you also use the marking criteria you are given carefully as you should usually be given a grid which shows you what you need to do to achieve each grade so if you try and follow this as best you can and almost use it as a tick box exercise to see what you have and haven't included, this should give you a better chance of getting a good grade.

I would also say to just make sure you are prioritising your time well and planning so that you have plenty of time to complete all of your work and you can go over it a couple of times so that it is as good as you can get it. This should also give you time to ask for help if you need it with any specific part of the assignment.

I hope some of this helps :smile:

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.