No one said that beginnings were easy, but many people start university, get through their first year and go onto the next without any problems. You can too.
It’s true that leaving high school and starting university studies is a huge step and you’ll come across many new situations you’ll have to adapt to. You’ll have to step outside your comfort zone, not only because you may move to study in a place far from home, but also because the volume of information you have to study and remember is far greater than that which you have previously been used to.
There’s a lot of information to absorb and at first it may be difficult. For this reason, in this post we are going to offer some advice to new university students to make things easier for you.
There are many students who abandon their degree because they didn’t know enough about the course they’d chosen. And others change degree halfway through the year because what they had chosen to study turned out not to be what they expected or they wanted to learn something the degree wasn’t offering.
This is why before starting university it’s important to access all the available information, take an in-depth look at the course syllabus and make sure the degree gives you what you are looking for.
Surround yourself with people who share your worries and who have the same desire to learn as you; people who will support you during the giant leap which your first year of university represents.
Gradually extend your group and you’ll be able to share your experiences of university and the challenges it involves. It’s important to have this group to give you the support you need when you face difficult moments such as when you have a high volume of work, exam revision, etc.
This group of people may be from outside the university, but to create one inside the university environment we recommend you sign up to social or cultural activities where you can meet people with whom you can share experiences. In our university residences you’ll find people with the same concerns as you and with whom you’ll create unique relationships.
Take part and show interest in your lessons whether they be in-person or online. Don’t fall behind and do try to connect with your teachers so you feel comfortable approaching them should you have any questions.
Be an active member of your peer group. This will make working in a group easier, which will help keep your marks high as the term continues.
A successful first year of university is without doubt possible, but it’s true that some people adapt more quickly than others. This is why we encourage you to talk to someone about your worries and ask your tutors or student support staff for help if necessary. In all our university residences you will have our support and that of your fellow residents.
Every person adapts to university life as well as they can. If you feel you are taking longer to adjust than others, the best thing to do is take advantage of the resources offered by your university and also talk to your loved ones and the people around you.
In this period of your life there are many challenges and one of them is time management. Planning how you use your time is important, particularly in a stage of your life when initially you won’t know how long you will need to complete each new task. Moreover, many subjects will be new and, while you’ll enjoy many of them, there may be others to which you need to dedicate more time.
This is why it’s important to manage your independence and start to diarise your timetable. This way you’ll know how much time to dedicate to studying, leisure, etc. And you can better organize your routine. Following this advice will also help you avoid stress in your first year of university.
We hope these tips to make your first year of university go more smoothly help you to adjust to student life. Even so, give yourself time to adapt and be patient as any period of change takes some time.
Although we can promise you one thing: in your first year at university you’ll have many experiences and most of them will be good if you take a positive approach.
Studying requires effort, perseverance and motivation, a lot of motivation because, at times, it becomes a challenging task. For this reason, motivation is key to be able to advance and reach a fixed goal.
Both these options are great for completing your education because they increase your knowledge and are usually more specific than undergraduate courses. For these reasons we believe either of them will benefit you and complement your undergraduate qualifications.
If you decide to change degree course because you’ve realised the course you chose isn’t the one which truly motivates you or it isn’t what you expected, in this post we’ll tell you everything you need to know about what to do next.
Going on an Erasmus placement is one of the best experiences a university student can have. At micampus we encourage you to take up this opportunity, but first we’ll tell you what you should take into account, the importance of making the right choice and some of the best Erasmus destinations.
