My A-Level to Uni Transition

My A-Level experience was not one's average, with the global pandemic having cancelled my exams. Nonetheless, this made for a daunting transition as I had spent several months in my house without education - and the fear that perhaps I was not yet ready for university.

The main difference I found was the freedom of university. College and all education prior has a rigid structure: in for 9am, two mandatory one-hour lessons, a break, then three classes more. Homework was set with exact deadlines. University lacks this strict structure, and it is up to you to attend lectures and do the work.

What eased my transition was figuring out what worked for me - I learnt that doing my lecture work in the morning took me far too long and I never learnt much. Saving my work to the afternoon, however, was much more effective. So, I changed my routine to relax in the morning and work in the afternoon. I also made a list of the tasks I needed to do each week, and would choose whatever task I wanted to complete that day - personally, I found a strict structure of do x on Monday, y on Tuesday etc ineffective.

Finding my routine was a process of trial and error, but the first-year provides a safety net for this. While you must pass overall, your grades don't affect your final mark. Therefore, while you must still work, it allows for time to figure out how to navigate university life.

If you are worried about your transition to university, know that your first week, month, or even semester is not the be-all and end-all. You have the time, take it to figure out how it works for you.