Going from college or sixth form to university is a huge step; for most students it’s your first taste of living independently, in a new city, with people you haven’t met before - and for some, studying a subject that you’ve only learnt about through extracurricular interests. For many, this can seem daunting, but stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to an experience you will never forget. 

To help you feel as comfortable as possible with this transition, we have come up with some top university tips for first years and some insider knowledge that will help you feel more confident on your very first day. 

How to prepare for your first year at university

There are many things you can do to better prepare for your first year at university, and in the weeks leading up to your move I’m sure you’ll spend more time in IKEA than you ever have before! 

But even if you’re not moving away from home to attend university, there are a lot of things you can start to practice in the summer before term 1 begins, including getting a head-start on the subject material and getting into the habit of doing extra reading. 

Read around your subject outside of your studies

Going to university with a level of preparedness in your subject area will not only help you feel more confident when the first lectures roll around, but will also give you an opportunity to practice reading at a university level and researching secondary reading sources.

Secondary reading at university is key. Your lecturers will notice when you use sources you have found yourself and the act of doing so will give you a much better overall knowledge of the subject - this will be reflected in the quality of work you produce and the grades you receive. 

You may not be given a reading list to complete the summer before your course begins, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start researching the modules and finding the key authors associated with the topics. 

Getting into the routine of reading outside of your designated reading list before you go to university will make it less of a challenge when you start implementing this while you’re also balancing other modules and assignments. Even if it’s just spending an hour a week researching scholars around your module topics or highlighting key articles that will be useful for you to revise from during exam season; every little helps when it comes to academic reading!

Start preparing for a more independent style of learning

You may be used to the more dependent college or sixth form style of learning where you have teachers checking on your assignment progress and ensuring you have done the homework. At university the teaching style is slightly different. It’s up to you to complete the weekly reading assignments and if you haven’t, you better hope your lecturer doesn’t pick on you in front of the class to summarise what you’ve learned! 

While avoiding this embarrassment is a good enough motivation to do your weekly reading, your understanding of the lecture and the topic will improve hugely if you have read the relevant materials, so it’s really in your best interest that you do.

Instead of your lecturer reaching out to you to check your progress, you will be expected to make an appointment with them during their office hours to discuss any issues or questions you might have. This might seem a bit of an overwhelming thing to do when you first attend university, but your lecturers have had plenty of students reach out to them with all types of questions for years, so rest assured, you’re among friends. 

Although there’s nothing that quite prepares you enough for your first few days of university learning, there are plenty of things you can do ahead of time to make you feel more comfortable with this new style of learning:

• Don’t be afraid to go beyond the books: During your final terms in college or sixth form, why not push yourself to read around your subject more than just what your teachers ask you to. What else can you read or study to help you learn even more about a particular topic?

• Organise your subject notes: When you go to university, your lecturer won’t be asking if you’ve remembered your notebook or lecture notes. It’s down to you to get into the habit of being organised and having everything you need ahead of time. Start putting these skills into practice as early on so you don’t get caught out.

• Study beyond what your teachers tell you to: If you have a free weekend and have completed all your homework, why not spend an extra hour or half-an-hour pushing your learning boundary and seeing what else you can learn? Independent study isn’t guided by how long you should study for, more so, by how much you are able to learn. Get used to pushing beyond the usual school day timetable of learning to make the most out of your independent study time.

• Complete a university-style online course: Like one of our Academic Online Courses! There are plenty of university-style online courses available which will help foster a more independent style of learning. Plus, you’ll be gaining valuable subject knowledge ahead of your first term at university. 

Socialise with your new classmates before you go to university

The power of Facebook really comes into play when getting ready to go to university. You can join your university’s Facebook group, which will then have sub-groups for the different courses and accommodation blocks. I would highly recommend spending some time to join these groups and get to know the people on your course or who will be in your building. I made some of my closest university friends through reaching out to them on Facebook in the summer before I even started at university. 

Doing this will make the transition to university a lot easier, you will feel more comfortable and confident going to a lecture having virtually met some of the people on the course already. It is also a great way to make friends who are living in your accommodation building and feel settled before you have even moved in! 

5 University Tips for First Years

We have discussed some tips on how you can get ready for your first year of university in the time before you move, but it can be just as helpful to have some hacks for when you have moved in and are in the swing of freshers’ week. 

Many of the university tips you’ll learn along the way, but just to get you started, here are the 5 best tips for first years that I learned in my time studying. 

Cook group meals

This one is for those of you who are moving away from home for  university and living in accommodation halls or maybe a university house. Cooking group meals with your flat mates is a great way to save money and bond with your newly formed friends. 

This doesn’t mean you have to do all your food shopping together, but why not suggest a fajita night once a week, or doing a Sunday roast as a flat? Dividing the shopping bill for those meals between a few of you will help you save some pennies on food costs which is always a plus! 

You may find that your flatmates have social activities in the evenings or enjoy eating dinner in their rooms while watching Netflix or Facetiming their family, so bringing everyone together for a meal means you get some quality time in each other's company and gives you something to do as a group.

Join a society

One of the best ways to make friends at university is to join a society. All universities in the UK have a number of different societies you can join and you’ll be able to find the specific ones for your institution on their website. This is a great way for you to meet new people who have similar interests while doing a hobby or sport you enjoy! 

Your societies will have socials where you can go out for drinks or food with the other members which will give you more opportunities to bond and get to know each other. The workload in your first year of university can often seem like a big jump from sixth form or college, so having something other than your degree to do in your free time will help you to relax and focus on something fun.

Societies are also a great place to learn about something new - have you always had an interest in Viking history? Well, at the University of Plymouth, for example, you can join their Viking Society and learn more about the history of Vikings as well as learning traditional Viking games.

Get to know your tutors

This is the best piece of advice I can give to first year students. Get to know your tutors. Like I mentioned before, it’s going to be up to you to reach out to them to get more information on a topic or some extra support if you need it, so it’s so important that you go out of your way to build a relationship with them. 

Getting to know your tutors is also a great way to be introduced to different texts that are relevant to your course (your lecturer will have some great ones that aren’t on the reading list) as well as giving your lecturer an opportunity to get to know you. This will help when it comes to assignment feedback and any support you might need; your lecturer will better be able to understand your strengths and weaknesses and give you personalised feedback based on what you need. 

Be organised 

This might be an obvious one but being organised throughout your time at university will help you feel prepared and on top of your work. You will receive the dates your assignments are due and exams will take place at different points during your term so it’s a good idea to write these down and stick them on your wall. Not only does this mean you are completely on top of what is happening when, but it’s also really satisfying getting to cross them off when they’re completed!

You might benefit from getting a calendar for your university room where you write down the reading you need to complete for the week, your assignment deadlines and the social activities you have planned. Because university can be such a big change for a lot of students, keeping a calendar or diary to write down your schedule will help you to feel more organised and settled into your routine. 

Build and maintain your support network

Many students who come to university experience some feelings of loneliness in the first few months, and this is completely normal. Building and maintaining your support network will help you feel more comfortable in the new environment and being able to reach out to friends and family when you’re feeling lonely is so beneficial. 

You can build a support network at university by meeting new people on your course, in your flat or at a society. The more you put yourself out there to meet new people the more chances you will find people you connect with and can build a supportive friendship. Maintaining these new friendships is as easy as messaging a course mate and asking if they want to grab a coffee before the lecture, or inviting a group of students to come round for a study session. 

It’s also important to not lose touch with your support network at home; maybe schedule a call with your parents every week or a FaceTime with your friends from school. Building a strong support network during your first year at university is a great way to help get you through the lonely times. 

Summary

At Melio, many of our students are preparing to go to university and getting a head start on your subject through an online course will ensure you feel confident and comfortable before your undergraduate degree begins. 

Our Academic Online Courses run for two weeks, which is ideal for students to complete during their half term or school holidays. Working in groups of no more than 8 other like-minded students, you will be matched with one of our expert tutors who will give you a unique and unforgettable learning experience. Completing this course before you start at university will give you a level of preparation in the subject that many of your university peers won't have. 

Alternatively, our One-on-One Tutorials offers a more bespoke learning experience. Working with an expert tutor who has been chosen for you based on your learning style and subject choice, the sessions run in hourly increments (starting at 10). For this course, you can choose when you complete the sessions so they fit around your extra-curricular schedule. 

There are many things you can do to prepare for university, and getting a head start on the subject material with an online course will make your transition a lot easier and give you a head start on your peers! 

For more information on Melio courses and the subjects we offer, visit our website or contact our admissions team.