Nobody ever said that getting your degree was going to be easy, It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that you’ll have a couple of mini breakdowns along the way. Currently, I am in my final year of University, studying Law and there are so many extra challenges, the ones that they don’t tell you on the open days and the ones that we all secretly think are unique to us. So, as your mini guardian angel- here I am, not only to brace you for the inevitable, but also to tell you that it’s okay and how to get through your degree, getting the best results possible.
- Get on top of your reading- Now, I know this feels like its a given, they tell you to buy all the books, and read 100 pages a night, and I will be the first to tell you that you don’t have to stay up to the early hours of the morning cramming in all the reading, but it is important, especially for exam seasons. The first tip is to revise as you go, when you read, don’t just read, make notes that you know are legible, understandable and that you can go back to again without having to look back at the textbook to understand what you have written. It sounds tedious, like it takes so much time, but making the notes when the topic is fresh in your brain, you understand it and will, in the long run, save you HOURS during the exam season, and most likely they’ll make your results improve. BONUS TIP- if you can, have E-books or downloads- I promise you, Ctrl+F is going to be your best friend (thank me later)
- Keep your space tidy- if your going into 1st year, and you are living in student accommodation, this one is mostly for you. I know you want to spend your time socialising, partying and maybe the occasional study session, but taking the time to tidy up, dust and clean your own space will do wonders for both your physical and mental health. Take it from someone whose room in 1st year had condensation like you wouldn’t believe, taking the time to wipe up, clean the dust etc kept me from being ill- I didn’t even get freshers flu!
- Start your assignments as soon as you get them– even if it means reading the question or re-writing it in your own words. having it in the back of your mind, especially when going to lectures and seminars, you’ll know what content you are expected to pluck out of the slides and the information you are being given by your lecturers. I would also suggest that you add a little work to each seminar preparation (if this is how your course is set up) adding to your document of research for assignments slowly, so that when you go to write it, you have all the information there, not having to go and look for it all at once.
- Give yourself a break- Now you’re probably thinking, ‘excuse me WHAT?! you’re actually telling me not to do work?’ and to that I say, yes I am. For me, when I put in too much work, it’s usually the worst I produce, I overthink, I change and change and then back to what I had originally, or I end up contradicting myself because I get confused. Allowing yourself a break, a little bit of time for yourself, doing something completely unrelated to your work gives your brain time to restart, recharge and go back fresh, with a clear mind. I joined dance squad when I was living at Uni and this gave me dedicated time that I had to put my work down, now I do the same thing with the gym.
- Attend your lessons- Now, it probably sounds like I’m teaching you to suck eggs, I feel like this one is probably relatively obvious but, you’d be surprised. By the end of second semester, right before exam periods, a class of 25+ would average around 4, even worse if it was a 9am. Personally, I pride myself on high attendance, but I really believe this is a large contributor to straight 1st I am currently achieving. I know, for some, lecturers just read off the slides in lectures, they have a lot to get through in what is a small amount of time but remember these people have studied for years to teach you, they aren’t going to be able to fit everything they know, the slides are to keep them on track to make sure they cover the necessary. From my experience, the most valuable information, the extra stuff to give you top grades is from those small sessions, when you can ask questions. so regardless, it might be 9am, it might be rolling our of bed after an early morning crash from the night before, but you need to go to these lectures… after all this is what you are paying for.
So, that’s it. Well its definitely not, I have a lot more that I could tell, but I shouldn’t overwhelm you, especially if you are a first year, making your way into 2nd semester, feeling a it overwhelmed with the first semester already. Alternatively, there is so much more information for those looking into university for September. So good luck, for 2022, for your applications etc.
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Megan x
Megan’s Fashion Inspo 