Getting Academically Ready Before Uni Starts 📚

Starting postgraduate life can feel like a big leap, especially if you're unsure how to prepare academically. At the start of my postgraduate journey, I didn’t have it all figured out either. The good news is, you'll find your way little by little as you go. That said, here are a few ways you can get a head start and feel more confident walking into your first lecture:

Review Course Content: Most courses have a list of modules available upfront. At the beginning of each term, I prepared by taking a look at topics and modules that looked unfamiliar to me. This helped me do some preliminary reading before classes started. Remember, you don’t need to master them yet, just knowing what’s ahead can help ease the nerves.

Brush Up on Basics: If it’s been a while since you studied certain subjects (or you’re switching fields), watching quick YouTube explainers or taking free courses on platforms like FutureLearn or Coursera can be a great refresher. I personally used YouTube to brush up on current trends in UI design.

Use City St George's Online Resources: Once you have your university login, you’ll get access to Moodle (our virtual learning environment) and City St George's Library online resources. Even before term starts, you can explore free study skills tutorials and research tools to get a head start. During my studies, I took up modules on AI and Referencing as these to strengthen my skills in those areas.

Use Study Tools and Learn Organisation Habits: I downloaded and learned how to use apps like Notion and Zotero, which are highly recommended resources for referencing and documentation. In addition, Building a habit of adding events to your Google Calendar will help you stay organised. Try getting familiar with these tools early on.

Sign Up for Pre-arrival Workshops: City St George's often offers workshops and online meet-ups during the summer and autumn months - which are particularly useful if you want to brush up on academic writing, referencing, or time management. I attended a four week long course on academic writing which proved highly beneficial when writing my assessments.

It’s tempting to try and learn everything beforehand, but remember, you’ll be guided through it all. Use this pre-term period to explore your interests, stay curious, and enjoy the journey ahead.

Reply 1

Johna8

With AI now things get easier to study than ever. As master student i’ve been using lecturescribe io to convert my lectures into notes. Highly recommend it