My Top Tips For Students
Hello,
As I am technically no longer a student *cries internally* I thought I'd put together a few tips and pieces of advice for students or people considering going to university.
So maybe you're at the stage where you've just finished your A-levels and are wondering whether university is for you. My first piece of advice would be there is no rush. If you're really not sure whether you want to go or what you would study then you have time to think about it. I know I can be tempting to see all your friends going to open days and receiving offers and follow in the same because its what you're suppose to do when you leave school right? Well no, whilst university was a great experience for me it really isn't for everyone and theres many reasons why it might not be for you.
Uni might not work for you as we all learn differently. At university lecturers aren't on your back making sure you get your work done, if you don't do an assignment then you fail its as simple as that and some people find the freedom and lack of leadership and direction difficult. It definitely took me till second year (possibly even third year) to make sure I was on top of all your assignments and make sure I attended all my lectures even the 9 AM's after Bumper Tuesday.
Some people after being in education for years want to expand and break of that system and take on a full time job and start to earn some money for themselves.
Depending on you situation you can commute into uni but for some people moving away from home is a big scary step that you might not be ready for. This is completely normal as moving away often to large cities and living with a bunch a strangers can be daunting.
If you are set on going to uni study something that interests you do you're research in to the course, modules and the city you'd be studying in. I studied Media Production because I have a genuine love film and design and creating things and I had the best time at university. However I've met a lot of people that half heartedly made a decision on what to study and then dropped out before finishing their degree with debt and a student flat to pay for for the rest of the year. Now theres nothing wrong with changing your mind but if you do your research and make informed choices then you can explore different routes and your time can be spent in a much more productive way.
If you're feeling like you don't want to go to uni and are worrying about what to do next it is not the end of the world and their are so many options out there. After A-Levels quite a few people in my year went travelling and I think that this is the perfect time to do it (I'm slightly regretful that I didn't do the whole travelling thing). Also if after your travelling you decide to go to uni you will have experienced things and have stories that will make you stand out from other when applying and you will of learnt huge life lessons to prepare you for living independently.
So say you' re already at uni and your starting to think about the dreaded DISSERTATION, my advice would be think long and hard about your topic. Don't just choose a topic/title that sounds impressive because you'll get half way through and realise you have zero interest or motivation to explore that area. Choose a topic that genuinely interests you and you'll find the process a whole lot easier. my course was fairly flexible with what we could choose to study and I know maybe not all courses are the same but if you can link the topic to yourself and your interests you will naturally perform better. Say your studying Sport Science and you're really into food and nutrition you could study how certain diets such as vegan, gluten free, paleo can effect performance in sport. Or for example one of my friends who is in third year now is studying drama and has been obsessed with Disney pretty much since birth so she has chosen to combine to two.
I was considering doing mine about how narrative in story telling has changed throughout time but as I began my research I realised I would have to go way back and cover all forms of story telling like cave drawings, paintings and theatre and that really didn't interest me. I wanted to do something relevant and up to date so eventually I decided to study the effect that technology has on the construction of our identity. This is a topic thats very real in todays world and had me looking into themes of online role play, seperation and connectivity. I really enjoyed writing my dissertation and am still quite proud of it and considering I got a first in it I think it definitely paid off choosing a topic that excited me!
So yeah dissertations can be hard at the best of times so choosing a topic that interests you just gets you over the first hurdle!
And my final piece of advice is a piece that I really could of done with hearing whilst at University is: every year is a fresh start. At the end of my first year I finished with a 2:2 and I was really disappointed and a bit embarrassed and thought this would be how my whole degree was going to go. Like most courses thankfully my first year grade didn't go towards my final grade and I think universities do that for a reason, they know that students are adapting to a completely different way of life and sometimes it can be difficult to make your studies the height of your importance. So I would say that first year almost acts as a tester to settle in a see what really is expected of you and if at the end of it you come out with a disappointing grade like me its a good reality check and kick up the bum for the following year. When I first got that grade I felt a bit hard done by and that maybe I didn't deserve it but looking back now when I compare it to my second and third year it is clear to me that in my final two years I put a lot more time and effort into all of my assignments and worked a hell of a lot harder to make sure I got the grades that I wanted.
All the hard work paid off in the end as on the 13th of July I will be graduating with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Media Production so I am pretty chuffed! So for anyone reading just remember no one actually really has a clue what they're doing so just keep at it you're doing great!
As I am technically no longer a student *cries internally* I thought I'd put together a few tips and pieces of advice for students or people considering going to university.
So maybe you're at the stage where you've just finished your A-levels and are wondering whether university is for you. My first piece of advice would be there is no rush. If you're really not sure whether you want to go or what you would study then you have time to think about it. I know I can be tempting to see all your friends going to open days and receiving offers and follow in the same because its what you're suppose to do when you leave school right? Well no, whilst university was a great experience for me it really isn't for everyone and theres many reasons why it might not be for you.
Uni might not work for you as we all learn differently. At university lecturers aren't on your back making sure you get your work done, if you don't do an assignment then you fail its as simple as that and some people find the freedom and lack of leadership and direction difficult. It definitely took me till second year (possibly even third year) to make sure I was on top of all your assignments and make sure I attended all my lectures even the 9 AM's after Bumper Tuesday.
Some people after being in education for years want to expand and break of that system and take on a full time job and start to earn some money for themselves.
Depending on you situation you can commute into uni but for some people moving away from home is a big scary step that you might not be ready for. This is completely normal as moving away often to large cities and living with a bunch a strangers can be daunting.
If you are set on going to uni study something that interests you do you're research in to the course, modules and the city you'd be studying in. I studied Media Production because I have a genuine love film and design and creating things and I had the best time at university. However I've met a lot of people that half heartedly made a decision on what to study and then dropped out before finishing their degree with debt and a student flat to pay for for the rest of the year. Now theres nothing wrong with changing your mind but if you do your research and make informed choices then you can explore different routes and your time can be spent in a much more productive way.
If you're feeling like you don't want to go to uni and are worrying about what to do next it is not the end of the world and their are so many options out there. After A-Levels quite a few people in my year went travelling and I think that this is the perfect time to do it (I'm slightly regretful that I didn't do the whole travelling thing). Also if after your travelling you decide to go to uni you will have experienced things and have stories that will make you stand out from other when applying and you will of learnt huge life lessons to prepare you for living independently.
So say you' re already at uni and your starting to think about the dreaded DISSERTATION, my advice would be think long and hard about your topic. Don't just choose a topic/title that sounds impressive because you'll get half way through and realise you have zero interest or motivation to explore that area. Choose a topic that genuinely interests you and you'll find the process a whole lot easier. my course was fairly flexible with what we could choose to study and I know maybe not all courses are the same but if you can link the topic to yourself and your interests you will naturally perform better. Say your studying Sport Science and you're really into food and nutrition you could study how certain diets such as vegan, gluten free, paleo can effect performance in sport. Or for example one of my friends who is in third year now is studying drama and has been obsessed with Disney pretty much since birth so she has chosen to combine to two.
I was considering doing mine about how narrative in story telling has changed throughout time but as I began my research I realised I would have to go way back and cover all forms of story telling like cave drawings, paintings and theatre and that really didn't interest me. I wanted to do something relevant and up to date so eventually I decided to study the effect that technology has on the construction of our identity. This is a topic thats very real in todays world and had me looking into themes of online role play, seperation and connectivity. I really enjoyed writing my dissertation and am still quite proud of it and considering I got a first in it I think it definitely paid off choosing a topic that excited me!
So yeah dissertations can be hard at the best of times so choosing a topic that interests you just gets you over the first hurdle!
And my final piece of advice is a piece that I really could of done with hearing whilst at University is: every year is a fresh start. At the end of my first year I finished with a 2:2 and I was really disappointed and a bit embarrassed and thought this would be how my whole degree was going to go. Like most courses thankfully my first year grade didn't go towards my final grade and I think universities do that for a reason, they know that students are adapting to a completely different way of life and sometimes it can be difficult to make your studies the height of your importance. So I would say that first year almost acts as a tester to settle in a see what really is expected of you and if at the end of it you come out with a disappointing grade like me its a good reality check and kick up the bum for the following year. When I first got that grade I felt a bit hard done by and that maybe I didn't deserve it but looking back now when I compare it to my second and third year it is clear to me that in my final two years I put a lot more time and effort into all of my assignments and worked a hell of a lot harder to make sure I got the grades that I wanted.
All the hard work paid off in the end as on the 13th of July I will be graduating with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Media Production so I am pretty chuffed! So for anyone reading just remember no one actually really has a clue what they're doing so just keep at it you're doing great!
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