What to expect

Almost all new students (at least on taught programmes) will attend lectures. Lectures often take the form of a presentation by a lecturer (an academic member of staff) on a particular topic. Students sit in the audience (or access it through a platform), listen and take notes. Lectures are a method of delivering information to a large group of students, although sizes will vary. Many lectures are now recorded for students to access at a different time to the live delivery. 

In some lectures students are not expected to interact with the lecturer, but there is often an opportunity to ask questions at the end. Others may involve short activities or discussions with other students. 

Our learning management system, Canvas provides you with much of the information you will need for your course. This means you can access your lecturer's slides and any background information ahead of the lecture to help you prepare and check back after the lecture if you think you missed something. It is also the main method for submitting coursework. 

Tutorials or seminars are again led by an academic member of staff (the tutor) and can involve a presentation, but they involve a smaller group of students and are more informal. There is usually an opportunity to discuss the topic within the group and there may be some other activities to help you understand the subject within a different context.

Many science or engineering courses will involve a practical or laboratory aspect. These allow you to practice techniques necessary to your field and understand the material from your lectures in a more true to life environment.

How the practical session is run will depend on your department and the number of students involved. You may work in groups, pairs or individually. It is likely that you are marked on your work and this will contribute to part of your overall mark.

Time management is critical for university students. University can and should be a busy time. You don't want to miss out on all the exciting happenings. It’s important to get a good balance between academic work and other activities. Managing your time well is essential for success at university. 

Here are some tips to help you get started: 

Understand yourself

Are you a morning person or night owl? Independent study is a big part of what you’ll do at university and it’s up to you when to do it. Knowing what time of day or night you learn best can help you structure your research, reading and revision.

Write things down in one place

It’s easy to lose track of what you need to do, between coursework deadlines, events, cooking, society meetings, laundry, as well as social events and some time to relax. So keep on top of it by having everything noted in one place.

Having a list of things you need to do and an idea of when you are going to do them, is half the battle. Your Student Diary is a good place to start or you can download a weekly planner from the Academic Skills Centre website.

Be realistic about time

Allocate enough time for your tasks (an afternoon to research and write a 2500 word essay? 30 minutes to write an effective application for a job? 15 minutes to do your washing when there’s a queue?) and build in time for the unexpected (e.g. printer cartridges running out or the book you need not being available for a month).

Plan and prioritise

Deadlines tend to come up all at once; create your own deadlines and enter these into your diary.

Treat university like a full time job

Structure each day with tasks and put these into your diary alongside all your “usual” activities (essay deadlines, seminars meetings). Use the timetable at the front of your diary for your weekly commitments. Tasks could include checking your student email account, research in the library, reading around your subject, writing up notes.

Plan to work to a 888 schedule

A simple way to think about your time and how to fit in your different requirements is the 888 model. This means for every day (24 hours) you should aim to have

• 8 hours rest (sleep)
• 8 hours work (study)
• 8 hour activities (societies and clubs, seeing friends, eating)

Focus on your goals

There is so much going on at university, it's easy to get distracted – be clear about what you want to achieve this year and focus on what’s going to help you get there. Good grades, extra-curricular experiences, work experience?

Don’t miss out

There are so many opportunities at university from getting involved in some great student groups to work placement opportunities. Check your emails regularly and sign up for newsletters and e-alerts. 

Reward your efforts

If you’ve been working at your PC for an hour, make a cup of tea and give yourself a 10-minute break. Scheduling in breaks from your work is important, especially during times like the exam/revision period. 

Study skills

For time management skills specifically relating to your academic work, have a look at the study support page.

Communication is key to many things. This is also true at university.

Communication with your tutors or lecturers 

You may be used to having quite a formal and structured relationship with your teachers, however at university this is likely to be much more informal. If you need something from your tutor, you will need to approach them yourself and communicate effectively what it is you need. 

Communication is particularly important if you are having issues with any aspect of your course. Your tutors will expect you to tell them if this is the case in good time, so that they can try to help you. Most academic staff have office hours and a method of arranging an appointment. 

Communication with your peers

Of course it's good for you to make friends on your course - it will make the experience much more enjoyable, however it is also important for your success. Students who are well connected are more likely to know what's happening (within your department, College, the wider University and the city) and can chat through any aspect of the course they are finding challenging.

Communication with the wider University

There's a lot going on at the University. Make sure you sign up for any relevant newsletters and events that might be of interest to you. 

If you have any difficulties, it might be that you should talk to someone in the wider University. The earlier you start a discussion about a potential problem, the more likely you are to be able to resolve it. Make sure you know how to access support for students.

University is a great opportunity to get to know lots of people. You may find your peers are from lots of different backgrounds, are different ages and have different perspectives. Getting to know a variety of your peers and learning from them will help you to build up a good network and possibly stand you in good stead for your future career. 

Start off well by getting involved in Welcome activities. Create your Welcome Timetable online.