It’s hard to know what university is like until you get there, and all universities are different.  In some ways it’s easier to describe what university isn’t! Well, everyone says that it is not like school or college, or work, or home. So, what IS university really like? We aim to give you a realistic view, based on things students told us they wish they had known.

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“I am terrified of going to university, particularly in a city far away from home because I strongly dislike change to my routine.”
(student considering applying for university)

“I had a really good experience at university. I had more control over my environment so I was much happier there than at school. There was a strict timetable at school but during breaks there was no schedule at all – I didn’t know how to deal with that. But at university I could control my own time much more.”
(Michael, former student)

Studying at University is a new experience for everybody. Whilst all students look forward to the prospect of becoming more independent; the reality of making new friends and getting used to a new environment and way of studying, can be challenging and takes time to get used to.

One of the best (and in some ways scariest!) things at uni is that nobody checks up on you or tells you what to do. At university you will find that a lot of your study is self-directed. This means that you are expected to be an independent learner and you will be responsible for planning when you are going to work, managing your own workload and conflicting deadlines.

Typical challenges students who took part in our survey told us about are:

• Time management which is one of the biggest problems, especially during the first year when everything is still new.
• Coping with large amounts of learning material, with lots of variation, that needs dealing with quickly and efficiently.
• The new social environment – new tutors, other students, the people you live with, etc…
• Life skills – laundry, cooking simple meals, budgeting, keeping up with uni info (social media channels and your university email once set up – don’t ignore it as it’s the only way the uni will get in touch when you start), sorting out a student bank account, getting a doctor close to uni, managing technology (back everything up!).
• Finding your way around campus – campus maps exist, but sometimes it’s a good idea to use spare time allowing yourself to familiarise yourself with the buildings you need to visit, and getting lost is OK.

Many students find these new expectations challenging.  The important thing to remember is that at UCS we want to support you in your determination to succeed.  If you are finding any of the things that this article talks about difficult, please contact HELearningSupport@sparsholt.ac.uk or drop into the Well-being Hub where there is someone who can help you.

“I have problems managing my life and I struggle to plan. Anyway, the great responsibility of independent work seems difficult. I make time for school, but I’m at home.” (student considering applying for university)

“The standard reply is that figuring things out for yourself is a crucial part of the university experience.’

One of the best (and in some ways scariest!) things at uni is that nobody checks up on you or tells you what to do. You are given coursework, obviously, but often with long deadlines, and while lectures and tutorials have sign-in sheets, nobody calls home if you don’t turn up.  Your calendar is your friend, and if you use an online one (and often universities use Google Calendar so you can put everything in that) then you can get reminders on your phone/computer.

At UCS, we think that assistive technology, like a digital diary, can support lots of students, not just those with learning differences.  The Digi-Ed team – based in the library or the Learning Support team will be happy to talk you through any digital resources you need support with.

• Organise your workspace – use a fixed workplace to study, or go to the library. Find a place where you are distracted as little as possible. Make sure that there is only stuff on the desk or table that you need for studying – no distractions!
• Manage your time – try to figure out on what activities use your time ineffectively and minimise these. Plan your day so that e.g. chatting on social media and web browsing does not take up more than 1 hour, get up and start studying earlier in the morning if you are planning to go out in the evening, etc.
• Cope with bad days – there are days when nothing works, e.g. you cannot find the solution to a problem in the assignment, you cannot focus on the task, etc….STOP! Go out and get some fresh air, go to the gym or the cinema or something else you enjoy. Sometimes you simply need a distraction.
• Routine – devote regular time periods to your work. It stops things getting too last minute and panicky.
• Look after yourself – eat and drink healthily and regularly, shower regularly, wash your clothes, get some exercise and make sure you have enough sleep.
• Get going – sometimes it’s difficult to get started with your work when you know it’s not due in for a while. “Free writing” can help – it doesn’t matter if what you’re writing is rubbish, just make yourself write for 10 minutes and you might find it easier to get on with it. There are other tricks you can employ like filling a Word document with headings, subheadings and bullet points and turning those into sentences and paragraphs.
• Be part of uni life – Everything is social at uni, which can be tough for some. Your life will feel connected to others outside the family much more than at school or work, and you will see fellow students everywhere, so if you live at home or like to stay in your room then try to spend time around campus outside of lectures.

If you have specialist mentor support, provided by the DSA, your sessions can cover some or all of these areas.  Make sure you tell you mentor what you need specific help with so that they can tailor your support sessions to be really helpful to you.  If you don’t currently have mentoring support and feel you might need it, contact the HE Learning Support team who will talk you through the process of applying for a DSA.

1. If you have moved out of home, can you cook simple meals, do your laundry and manage your finances? – We would recommend you practise shopping for and cooking simple meals before coming to University, make sure you have a plan for managing your laundry and housework. If you are able to, plan your budget and develop a plan for managing your money before coming to University but if not don’t worry, support is available if you need it.  Just ask your specialist mentor or contact the HE Learning Support team.
2. Do you know how to use the calendar function on your phone or computer and can you synchronise it with the university system? – The Digi-Ed team who are based in the Library can help with this if you are unsure
3. Do you need support with time management, note-taking or reading academic material? – You can access support by contacting the HE Learning Support team (HELearningSupport@sparsholt.ac.uk).

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