Tips for Starting University Life and Studies
Starting university life is a major transitional move for anyone and it can be both existing, overwhelming and scary. Thus to minimize the overwhelming and scary bits, it’s always a good idea to be prepared beforehand.
In university, this is the first time when you are juggling so many things on your own. The majority of university students will juggle their academic studies, part time or even full time jobs and their social life. To succeed, you should put everything into perspective. And as much as it may not appear so sometimes, your academic studies should be your number one priority. We understand you have come a long way yo start your university. Making application, getting the documents right and more importantly writing a personal statement for university or college admission essay are not easy tasks.
The good news is that there are several ways you can tune yourself and your mind to smoothly transition into university life and succeed.
Tips and Things To Remember
Time Management & Planning
Time management is perhaps the most important thing t remember in university. At all costs avoid procrastination and always stick to your schedule. Outline a schedule that is realistic and easy to stick to. Mount an improvised manila sheet planner on your dorm room or apartment wall so you can easily follow through. Also, remember to use your time wisely!
It is also important to note that your university life will be fast paced compared to the comforts of your home and high school. Thus, always set yourself to be on time for everything, whether it’s a class or job. This ensure you are always on track and calm. You will be calm because it means that you are not in a rushed state. If you are rushed, it means that there are certain things that you are most likely to miss. The same things apply if you are a postgraduate students let’s say you are doing an MBA or even a PhD student.
Always Be Prepared
Leading on from the point above, it is important to always be ahead of your things. You will hear many suggestions for planning. You can’t cover them all. Be objective and simplify your plans so they are realistic and doable. The simplest way is to follow the pre-prepared planner that you may use for the whole week or even month.
Apart from reading and revising through your material, always take a few minutes every evening or night to go through your material to ensure you are on the right path. Read on materials prescribed by your professor or instructor for the next lesson, so during that day, your understanding is much easier.
And in case you are struggling with other concepts, you can easily communicate it with your instructor. And remember, 21 days is practice, 90 days turns into a habit. Henceforth, the more you stick to this schedule, it eventually becomes routine.
Check Your Course Requirement
During the beginning of your semester and occasionally from time to time, check your course requirements. This helps you to know what is expected of you and guides you through proper preparations.
Attend Lectures
As condescending as it may sound, consistently attending your lectures enhances your chances of excelling in your courses. This is because the lecturers are where you will pick up most knowledge and well as resource tips on the course.
Learn In The Style That Works For You
Whether you understand better by drawing, taking notes or recording lecture sessions in a tape recorder as you are seated at the front of the lecture hall, follow this practice. Being comfortable in your learning environment is what determines whether you will succeed in your class or not.
Visit our guidelines on what to do if you miss your lecture.
Maintain Correspondence
At university, this is the first time where you will be indulged in some much correspondence it may be overwhelming. Whether it’s your English 101 professor sharing the class schedule on Google docs or your chemistry lab instructor assigning you the month’s assignments on Trello, you have o be on top of your game at all times. Install Apps on your phone, tablet or laptop to make the process easier for you. Capturing important information in your correspondence on time also helps you to incorporate them into your schedule.
Follow The Schedule And Use It Your Advantage
Always use time set aside for your academics to your full advantage. This is the time you have to use most of the resources – take notes, engage in classroom discussion, ask questions and when you have time, book extra appointments with your professor if you are struggling.
Paying attention in the classroom is actually very fruitful in university. This is the time when your professors and instructors will share details that you don’t find in your notes or texts. This includes suggestions on extra readings related to your curse or specific focus on certain areas that are “most likely to appear in your tests and exams”.
Be Realistic
As much as we set ourselves to ant to complete every task and assignments in a short period. This is impossible and unrealistic! Thus, to prevent yourself from being overwhelmed, set goals that you know you can accomplish.
Use All The Resources Available
There are so many resources available to help enhance the performance of your studies. Explore the library and database resources, online resources from professors and even talk to peers for more tips on available resources that can help you succeeding in your studies. Additionally, you can simply consult with your instructors and professors to find out more about resources available in the university on their course. They are most likely to be of assistance on this issue.
Pay Attention to Instructor Comments and Suggestions
Most of us always focus on the grade on our papers or tests completely disregarding comments noted by our professors on the very same papers. These are in fact that you should pay attention to. As much as they may be full of criticism sometimes, there are actually building blocks to our improvement. Thus, the next time you receive your paper, focus on work on the comments provided then check out your next performance and you will see the changes.
Study With A Buddy
From time to time, it’s also not a bad idea to go through materials and study with a peer, with whom you take a course. This helps to fill some gaps each of you may encounter. You learn by boosting each other and reminding each other of important concepts. Simply remember to be objective and to focus on the task at hand!
Participate In Group Studies or A One-On-One With Your Professors
In most university courses, you will find that there are after class seminars as well as the possibility to book an appointment with your professor. Take advantage of these opportunities if you ever find yourself struggling. These opportunities offer an excellent space for you to address academic issues you are struggling with within your course and actually get help from either your peers or your professor.
Take Advantage of The opportunities
As part of both your academic and social university life, you should not limit these experiences to drinking and barbecuing with your mates. There are so many opportunities ion the way. Make room and expose yourselves to other opportunities available to you in the university.
Take up that summer research assistant job with your biology professor, run for student council president or volunteer at the local high school to tutor and mentor students. All these opportunities help you stand you to our professors as well as in your resume. These opportunities, in fact, contribute a lot to your studies than you think.
Seek help
As much as it may seem you are always alone, that is not the case. There are so many resources available for you and to support you. Depending on your problems, you can always seek help from your professors or counselors. Other resources that are available to students in universities include writing workshops, time management training and other academic resources.
Prioritize And Minimize Distractions
It is important to remember that your academic studies are important and that you should work to accomplish them. Thus, it is important to minimize distractions. Limit TV time, social media and drunken frenzies with mates at the local neighborhood bar.
Rest
It is also important to rest. As much as you may think you are functional, the human mind must rest and be entertained. Thus, set up a time to relax every day and get a goodnight’s sleep. Your weekend may include both working a job and revising your material. Learn to prioritize and learn the “SWOT” analysis to effectively plan and prioritize your work.
However, set aside a few hours to relax or entertain yourself as well as to get proper sleep, exercise and to eat well. On a busy schedule, for example, you may use your time as you commute on the bus, relax by listening t your favorite music playlist, watch your favorite series or catch up with the news.
Conclusion
It doesn’t end there. Life’s preparations and adjustments are human nature. Thus it is only normal ad expect to pick up new things and more tips as you go. Improve yourself with each day, create your guidelines, parameters, and principles to live by. You will then see how a breeze university studies and life will become. Remember studying can be a daunting experience if you are left by your own. Be proactive. Plan ahead. And more importantly, ask for professional academic help.
