As a first year student the transition from collage to university is daunting, from meeting your flat mates to learning to food shop alone can be overwhelming. Therefore I have comprised a list of top tips to help you survive your first lecture:
#1 bring a drink.
I was so anxious in my first lecture I wish I had brought a drink to calm my nerves. A student budget is stretched so tight that you don’t want to be buying a drink every day as the cost adds up quickly.
#2 pre read your slides.
University lectures are fast paced and complex it is best to have a basic understanding of the subject before you go to the lecture. Most lecturers will publish the slides before the lecture to allow you to prepare, my recommendation is that you take advantage of this opportunity.
#3 speak up.
Although it can be daunting you won’t get anything out of a lecture if you don’t speak up and raise your questions and concerns. Once you’ve spoken once the whole experience will seem less daunting. Also if you don’t raise your hand your lecturer will just assume you understand the subject material and not elaborate.
#4 keep your notes separate.
You will be doing 3 modules concurrently, this can be overwhelming therefore it helps greatly to keep your notes completely separate. Personally I have 3 notes books and use 3 different colours to make notes. Some people use one notebook but separate their notes into a file with dividers this will really help.
#5 double up with notes.
There is so much going on in lectures that I find it helpful to make rough notes in lectures then go back and type them. This helps to consolidate my understanding of the lecture and I also can spend more time writing my notes and perfecting them.
The most important thing to remember is that university is a learning experience it’s okay to make mistakes and mess up what is most important is that you learn from those mistakes no one expects you to be perfect.