Preparing for a new year at university

Katie Hall on 8 August 2017
Preparing for a new year at university

This time of year isn't all about the Freshers, you know! We haven't forgotten our lovely continuing students - take a look at our advice for preparing for a new year at uni.

So, it’s that time of year again! You’re off to uni for your second or third (or fourth or fifth!) year! You may be thinking that this time of year is all about the Freshers; you’ve been there, done that, and got the Big Night Out T-shirt. BUT, here at Student Hut, we think that you can use your experience of previous years at uni to make this year your best one yet! Why not take a look at our top tips for preparing for a new year at university.

GET STARTED ON YOUR READING

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We know there are loads of other things you could be doing with the remaining days of your summer break (watching daytime TV *cough*), but just take a moment to remember how stressful exams were only a few short months ago. And do you recall how it can be a little scary at the beginning of the year when you see how much reading and studying each lecture requires? We know that all feels like a lifetime ago, but the new academic year is nearly upon us again! So why not try to help future you out and get a head start on your reading? You’ll thank yourself later!

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

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Yes, we know it isn’t the “proper” new year. But we feel the same principles should apply. This time of year is just as important to a student as 1 January; it’s the perfect time to do a little reflecting on the previous academic year and on which bits were great and which bits you’d like to improve.

We all have downfalls and slight weaknesses when it comes to our studying style. Why not concentrate on some of the problem areas you discovered in previous years and create some New Year’s Resolutions to address them? For example, if you know you never get to the bottom of your reading list for your seminars, a resolution could be to set aside more time for reading and to start it earlier. Or if you always hand in your coursework in a mad flurry of panic five minutes before the deadline, why not make a resolution that your personal deadline for all work will be the day before the official one? It’s all about starting the new academic year with a clean slate; you’ll be making a conscious effort to avoid the pitfalls of previous years.

PLAN YOUR STUDIES

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Study plans don’t suddenly have to materialise just before exam periods, you know. You can plan your studies from the moment you start a new module, which means you can avoid that oh-so-common feeling of ice cold dread when the deadlines for your final pieces of coursework and exams begin to approach!

When you start a new module, why not design yourself weekly targets so you know what you should aim to achieve by the end of each week? This will help identify any areas of the module you’re struggling with, so you can ask your lecturer for clarification or do some more research into it, without panicking that your exam is the following week! Hitting weekly study targets and consolidating your newly-acquired knowledge each week will also mean that your revision won’t seem like quite such an unpleasant shock when the time comes around!

BUY ANY BITS YOU NEED

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Do you struggle to do your reading on a computer screen? Did you end up not doing as much of your reading last year as you would’ve liked because you couldn’t be bothered to traipse to the library to print it out? Then why not invest in an inexpensive printer for your room?

Or perhaps you struggle to work in a noisy house or library. If you found yourself getting distracted and joining housemates rather than finishing your essay, you could consider investing in some good noise cancelling headphones.

It’s not all about spending lots of money, it’s about making your life easier. Even down to buying yourself a flask if you found that you were spending lots of money on coffee in the library last year! It’s sensible not to buy excessive amounts before you begin university, but now that you have completed at least one year, you know which items would be handy, make your life more pleasant and are worth purchasing.

So, there you have it, some suggestions for how to prepare for the new academic year. It’s definitely not all about the Freshers, as you may have thought - it’s an important time of year for you guys also to ensure you optimise your success for your remaining time at uni. It’s all about learning and improving on past experiences - that’s the beauty of no longer being a Fresher!

Katie Hall
Katie Hall on 8 August 2017