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5 Great tips for all 1st year students

You’ve made it through registration, got yourself settled in Res and figured out where to charge your cellphone: now it’s time to talk about why you’ve gone through all of that: it’s your first year at university!

University is an exciting opportunity, but your first year can be pretty overwhelming. It’s so different to school: whether you were the class star or an anonymous back-row learner, in a lecture hall everyone’s just a student number. And that can be hard to take – there’s no-one to praise your work or pull you into line. The truth? You’re on your own, but that isn’t a bad thing. Here are some practical tips to get you started, and keep you winning in that important first year.

1. Get to know the location

Campuses are big. You can have lectures happening at different locations in one day, and you might only have 15 minutes to get from one side to the other! Get hold of a campus map and plot where your lectures will be held. Make yourself a timetable, if it helps.

2. Be first in line

Those halls can be huge! Being last into a lecture can have you sitting on the floor at the back, unable to see anything. Not great. So, get there early enough to find a decent seat.
Also, read ahead in your course book so that you know what’s coming up. This helps you get a sneak-peak at what library books you might need. Considering that you may be competing with 500 other students for specific books, you really do want to be first in line!

3. Don’t miss lectures

No-one’s going to kick you out of bed and chase you to a lecture, and they’re not going to check if you pitched up. But, and here’s the big thing, no-one is going to repeat that lecture for you either – if you’ve missed it, it’s gone. Often, the lecturers share tips in the lecture you won’t find in the textbook, so be there!

4. Tutorials and assignments

Again, nobody is going to remind you to hand assignments in, but if you don’t, they will remember to penalise you. Plan in advance to make sure you finish them on time. The same goes for test dates. Note down every test date and set yourself a reminder (on your phone or in a diary), so you don’t get taken by surprise. Which is the worst feeling.

5. Find out where all the support services are

Health services, academic support and protection are just some of the services that campuses provide: find out where they are and how they work.

Put these tips to practical use and you’re already on your way to a successful first year. Have a blast! Oh, and – if you can think of anything we’ve left out, share your thoughts with us!

Joanne Hart for HelloDoctor.com